Missouri S&T historian uplifts women who shaped the study of ancient Egypt in new book

Most books that explore the field of Egyptology favor the work of men. But in its earliest days, women made critical contributions to the field by excavating Egypt’s deserts, collecting and cataloging ancient artifacts, and taking field notes.

Missouri S&T historian Kathleen Sheppard set out to overturn the male-dominated narrative of who built the field of Egyptology.

“When it came time to write a full history of Egyptology, the question was, ‘Who gets into the picture?’” Sheppard said. “I realized that it had to be about these women because they were fundamental. They were sort of the invisible folks. It was a need — this story must be told.”

In her forthcoming book, “Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age,” Sheppard uplifts the early European women whose work was forgotten and intentionally marginalized.