On April 23rd, the Institute of European Studies at UC Berkeley hosted Dr. Luigi Prada, Associate Professor of Egyptology (Dr. habil.) at Uppsala University in Sweden and Assistant Director of the Oxford-Uppsala Epigraphic Project in Elkab, Egypt. Prada delivered a compelling lecture titled “Colonial Philology? Neo-hieroglyphic Inscriptions, 19th Century Egyptology, and European Politics” in Philosophy Hall at UC Berkeley, drawing an engaged audience of 18 attendees.
Prada’s lecture explored the phenomenon of 19th-century “Egyptomania”—a widespread cultural appropriation and romanticization of ancient Egyptian civilization. This fascination influenced architecture, art, literature, and fashion across Europe and beyond, accompanied by a growing scholarly and popular interest in the ancient Egyptian language.
A significant portion of the lecture focused on the revival of hieroglyphic writing during this era. Prada examined the proliferation of “pseudo-hieroglyphs”—aesthetic imitations used to glorify contemporary European elites, often lacking accurate linguistic translation. He contextualized this trend within broader developments, noting the landmark moment in 1822 when Jean-François Champollion succeeded in deciphering hieroglyphics, marking the formal inception of modern Egyptology.
Prada also discussed the role of hieroglyphs as ornamental features on commissioned European monuments, such as obelisks, which added an exoticized aura and appealed to the tastes of aristocratic and political elites. These inscriptions, though often linguistically incorrect, were symbolic of cultural capital and political prestige. By 1854, hieroglyphs appeared prominently in London’s Empire Crystal Palace, used to honor Queen Victoria and Prince Albert—an early signal of Britain’s colonial interests in Africa, culminating in its occupation of Egypt in 1882.
The lecture further connected the West’s obsession with Egypt to broader imperial ambitions. Prada argued that European powers—particularly France, Britain, Belgium, and Italy—viewed ancient Egypt as a conduit for both geographical expansion and ideological appropriation. Egypt’s legacy of pharaonic absolutism resonated with imperial visions of centralized authority, while the Roman Empire’s own conquest of Egypt provided a historical model for modern colonial empires. For these nations, Egypt offered both strategic relevance and symbolic power in their pursuit of dominance across Africa.