It seems many of the most important archeological findings were in the 20th and 19th century. Why did humans wait so long to start digging stuff up?
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Ancient Egypt had ancient archeologists digging up ancient ancient Egypt. Our archeologists studied them. So yes, constantly, people have constantly been digging up and getting curious over items from past humans. It’s a luxury to be able to think we could preserve such items for ever though. And a fallacy. Cairo for example was built with stone taken from the pyramids.
If you are leader and surround yourself with old world treasures you make your people collect well they starve. They will come take and destroy it all eventually. Or you will be a good leader and sell or use it for your people (lots of art and ancient sculptures are made from older art and sculptors). Saving it benefits only you, and you will not convince the poor it’s better for the future. So large collections came about from private citizens having as much money as old King’s. They own nothing to no one, so they can keep these things forever. This would be renaissance when lords and King’s collected, and shortly after individual wealth rose steeply with industry barons that didn’t have constituents. They donate to museums, have wings in their names, private collections, fund digs, and it caused a boom.
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