The Life and Discoveries of Archaeologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni.
Giovanni Battista Belzoni was born on 15th November 1178, in Padua- north-eastern of Italy. At the age of 16, he went to Rome on foot to study hydraulic engineering at a monastery in Rome. After gaining a substantial amount of knowledge about hydraulics, Giovanni travelled to England in 1803. Being brought to England, he became a strongman and performer known as "Patagonian Samson" because he was an individual of immense strength. Wherever he performed, he would also have his hydraulic creations displayed. He performed at the circus for twelve years.
On June 9, 1815, Giovanni and his wife Sarah travelled to Egypt to introduce his hydraulics creation to Mohammed Ali Pasha- who was interested in Egypt's modernization and technological advancement. After failing, Giovanni was in Egypt without a job. After a while Giovanni met up with a British Consul General named Henry Salt, Henry convinced Giovanni to gather treasures and discover finds to send back to the British Museum.
Giovanni quickly left for Thebes to remove the colossal stone head of Ramses II to be delivered to the British Museum. Following were journeys to the temple Edfu, Philae and Elephantine. Here he also cleared the great temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. For the next three years, Giovanni would do things that few or no one had done. He was charged with the difficult task of moving the two-seated statues of Rames II. Giovanni excavated Karnak; in 1817, he travelled to the Valley of the Kings and discovered the tombs of Amenhotep III, Ramses I, Merneptah and Ay. While investigating these tombs, he spotted indications of another royal tomb near the tomb of Ramses I. He discovered the tomb of the pharaoh Seti I, Ramses I son. Buried eighteen feet below surface. He was the first person ever to take note of everything there and also make drawings of the different chambers of the tomb.
