In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte set out to conquer Egypt. He did not only bring along soldiers on this journey though. He also brought with him engineers, scientists, and archeologists from the Commission of Science and Arts. Their goal was to enlighten the people and learn about Egyptian history. In September of 1798, after he had begun his military conquest, Napolean formed the Institut d’Égypte to accomplish these goals. His team of scientists and engineers began their work zealously, though many of them had little experience or knowledge of the area or its history. For example, when the artist Dominique Vivant Denon discovered The Book of the Dead (a funerary text), he falsely believed he was the first person to ever discover that ancient Egyptians wrote on papyri (Brier).

    Despite their lack of experience and knowledge, the French made several important discoveries. One of the most significant was the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799 which became an important tool in deciphering ancient Egyptian. Members of the Institut also explored the now famous Valley of Kings, a valley where many pharaohs and other Egyptian nobility had been buried. They also documented details about the city of Antinoöpolis which was the best preserved Roman city in Egypt until it was destroyed later in the century. The discoveries of the Institut were compiled into the Description de l'Égypte, a publication that ran from 1798 to 1828. The Description also included the first comprehensive map of Egypt. The Description became the cornerstone of Egyptology for many years following its publication. The French kept many of the artifacts that they discovered or sent them to be on display in Europe.

    Napoleon and the Institut’s enthusiasm for conquering and “discovering” the East reflects the orientalist sentiments of the time. The East was seen as an ancient land of mystery and wealth. This is apparent in Napoleon's writings. He said of his desire to conquer Egypt, “Europe presents no field for glorious exploits; no great empires or revolutions are to be found, but in the East where there are six hundred million men.… My glory is declining. This little corner of Europe is too small to supply it. We must go East. All the great men of the world have there acquired their celebrity” (Brier). Though the glorious past of the East was recognized, many Europeans like Napolean believed that its future was in European hands.

    Growing interest in the East and its history due to these discoveries fueled much of the Orientalism of the Romantic period. For example, the first shipment of Egyptian artifacts intended for the British Museum arrived in England in 1818. Enthusiasm and interest were high among the public to see these artifacts. This enthusiasm directly influenced Shelly’s “Ozymandias,” as he was inspired to write it after discussing some of the archeological finds in Egypt with his friend Horace Smith. Of course, Shelly had never been to Egypt, but the French’s archeological work had provided the fruit of inspiration (Rodenbeck). 

Sources:

Brier, Bob. “Napoleon in Egypt.” Archaeology, vol. 52, no. 3, May 1999, pp. 44–53. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=1986792.

Rodenbeck, John, and ﺭﻭﺩﻧﺒﻚﺟﻮﻥ. “Travelers from an Antique Land: Shelley’s Inspiration for ‘Ozymandias’ / ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺗﺤﻠﻮﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺃﺭﺽ ﺑﺎﺋﺪﺓ : ﻣﺼﺎﺩﺭ ﺍﻟﻮﺣﻲ ﻋﻨﺪ ﺷﻴﻠﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻧﻈﻤﻪ ﻟﻘﺼﻴﺪﺓ "ﺃﻭﺯﻳﻤﺎﻧﺪﻳﺎﺱ.” Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, no. 24, 2004, pp. 121–48, https://doi.org/10.2307/4047422. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

Tawadros, Edward. "History of geology in Egypt." Earth Sciences History, vol. 31, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 1+. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A328851662/SCIC?u=utahvalley&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=c730c753. Accessed 28 Apr. 2022.