As many recent visitors to Egypt can attest, the physical condition of the Egyptian monuments continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. Most visitors to Egypt assume that the vast pyramids and temples of pharaonic times have withstood the ravages of 3,000 to 5,000 years, are virtually indestructible, and that they will last for additional thousands of years.
Nothing is further from the truth.
Physical preservation can never be assured, and conservation efforts are by their nature temporary measures. But an ancient Egyptian monument, whose outer skin is covered with carved relief and hieroglyphic inscriptions, is uniquely vulnerable. Once its fabric has worn away, the historical and religious record is gone as well. Published documentation is the only chance of preserving monumental inscriptions for the future. Having said all this, however, I now wish to recant a bit and emphasize the importance of conservation and its vital contribution to the preservation of physical artifacts.