▁primarily ▁regarded ▁as ▁being ▁a ▁phil ological ▁discipline , ▁while ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁arch ae ology . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁First ▁expl or ers ▁The ▁first ▁expl or ers ▁were ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁themselves . ▁Prom pt ed ▁by ▁a ▁dream ▁he ▁had , ▁Th ut m ose ▁IV ▁restored ▁the ▁S ph inx ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁dream ▁that ▁inspired ▁the ▁rest oration ▁car ved ▁on ▁the ▁famous ▁Dream ▁Ste le . ▁Less ▁than ▁two ▁centuries ▁later , ▁Prince ▁K ha em w es et , ▁fourth ▁son ▁of ▁Ram esses ▁II , ▁would ▁gain ▁fame ▁for ▁ident ifying ▁and ▁rest oring ▁historic ▁buildings , ▁tomb s ▁and ▁tem ples , ▁including ▁py ram ids . ▁ ▁Gra ec o - R oman ▁Period ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁historical ▁accounts ▁of ▁Egypt ▁were ▁given ▁by ▁Her odot us , ▁Stra bo , ▁D iod orus ▁S icul us ▁and ▁the ▁largely ▁lost ▁work ▁of ▁Man eth o , ▁an ▁Egypt ian ▁priest , ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁P to le my ▁I ▁and ▁P to le my ▁II ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁BC . ▁The ▁P to lem ies ▁were ▁very ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians , ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁monuments , ▁including ▁the ▁py ram ids , ▁were ▁restored ▁by ▁them . ▁The ▁P to lem ies ▁also ▁built ▁many ▁new ▁tem ples ▁in ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁style . ▁The ▁Rom ans ▁also ▁carried