Flinders Petrie op opgravingen bij Tell Fara 1929

This is a small photograph by Richard St. Barbe Baker, recording Flinders Petrie on excavations at Tell Fara. It's brown, sepia-toned, capturing a moment in time, a slice of history, literally dug from the earth. I love how photography can freeze a moment like this. I wonder what it was like to be Baker, the photographer, setting up his camera in that dusty heat. And what about Petrie, the archaeologist? What was he thinking as he sifted through the layers of civilization? Each dig, each brushstroke of excavation, unearthing not just objects, but stories. It feels like the history is etched into the very texture of the print – the grains of sand almost become the grains of the photographic emulsion. Like a painting, this photograph captures a moment in time, a fleeting convergence of light, shadow, and human presence. It makes me wonder about the conversations between artists and archaeologists, each excavating meaning in their own way.