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The gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, worshipped for over half
of recorded history, are among the most fascinating and complex of
any civilization. Here is a comprehensive and authoritative guide
to the deities that lay at the heart of Egyptian religion and
society. It examines the evolution, worship and eventual decline of
the numerous gods and goddesses - from minor household figures such
as Bes and Taweret to the all-powerful deities Amun and Re - that
made Egypt the most completely theocratic society of the ancient
world, and made Egyptians, according to Herodotus, 'more religious
than any other people'.
Egyptology Today examines how modern scholars examine all aspects
of ancient Egypt, one of the greatest of all ancient civilizations.
In essays by a team of archaeologists, curators, scholars, and
conservators who are actively involved in research or applied
aspects of Egyptology, this book looks at the techniques and
methods that are used to increase our understanding of a distant
culture that was as old to the Greeks and Romans as these cultures
are to us. Topics range from how tombs and other monuments are
discovered, excavated, recorded and preserved, to the study of
Egyptian history, art, artifacts, and texts. Each chapter shows how
modern Egyptology approaches, learns about, and strives to preserve
the ancient remains of one of the most fascinating cultures in
human history.
Egyptology Today examines how modern scholars examine all aspects
of ancient Egypt, one of the greatest of all ancient civilizations.
In essays by a team of archaeologists, curators, scholars, and
conservators who are actively involved in research or applied
aspects of Egyptology, this book looks at the techniques and
methods that are used to increase our understanding of a distant
culture that was as old to the Greeks and Romans as these cultures
are to us. Topics range from how tombs and other monuments are
discovered, excavated, recorded and preserved, to the study of
Egyptian history, art, artifacts, and texts. Each chapter shows how
modern Egyptology approaches, learns about, and strives to preserve
the ancient remains of one of the most fascinating cultures in
human history.
The concept of pharaonic Egypt as a unified, homogeneous, and
isolated cultural entity is misleading. Ancient Egypt was a rich
tapestry of social, religious, technological, and economic
interconnections among numerous cultures from disparate lands. In
fifteen chapters divided into five thematic groups, Pharaoh's Land
and Beyond uniquely examines Egypt's relationship with its wider
world. The first section details the geographical contexts of
interconnections by examining ancient Egyptian exploration,
maritime routes, and overland passages. In the next section,
chapters address the human principals of association: peoples, with
the attendant difficulties of differentiating ethnic identities
from the record; diplomatic actors, with their complex balances and
presentations of power; and the military, with its evolving role in
pharaonic expansion. Natural events, from droughts and floods to
illness and epidemics, also played significant roles in this
ancient world, as examined in the third section. The final two
sections explore the physical manifestations of interconnections
between pharaonic Egypt and its neighbors, first in the form of
material objects and second, in the powerful exchange of ideas.
Whether through diffusion and borrowing of knowledge and
technology, through the flow of words by script and literature, or
through exchanges in the religious sphere, the pharaonic Egypt that
we know today was constantly changing-and changing the cultures
around it. This illustrious work represents the first synthesis of
these cultural relationships, unbounded by time, geography, or
mode.
The royal necropolis of New Kingdom Egypt, known as the Valley of
the Kings (KV), is one of the most important-and
celebrated-archaeological sites in the world. Located on the west
bank of the Nile river, about three miles west of modern Luxor, the
valley is home to more than sixty tombs, all dating to the second
millennium BCE. The most famous of these is the tomb of
Tutankhamun, first discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Other
famous pharaoh's interred here include Hatshepsut, the only queen
found in the valley, and Ramesses II, ancient Egypt's greatest
ruler. Much has transpired in the study and exploration of the
Valley of the Kings over the last few years. Several major
discoveries have been made, notably the many-chambered KV5 (tomb of
the sons of Ramesses II) and KV 63, a previously unknown tomb found
in the heart of the valley. Many areas of the royal valley have
been explored for the first time using new technologies, revealing
ancient huts, shrines, and stelae. New studies of the DNA,
filiation, cranio-facial reconstructions, and other aspects of the
royal mummies have produced important and sometimes controversial
results. The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings provides an
up-to-date and thorough reference designed to fill a very real gap
in the literature of Egyptology. It will be an invaluable resource
for scholars, teachers, and researchers with an interest in this
key area of Egyptian archaeology. First, introductory chapters
locate the Valley of the Kings in space and time. Subsequent
chapters offer focused examinations of individual tombs: their
construction, content, development, and significance. Finally, the
book discusses the current status of ongoing issues of preservation
and archaeology, such as conservation, tourism, and site
management. In addition to recent work mentioned above, aerial
imaging, remote sensing, studies of the tombs' architectural and
decorative symbolism, problems of conservation site management, and
studies of KV-related temples are just some of the aspects not
covered in any other work on the Valley of the Kings. This volume
promises to become the primary scholarly reference work on this
important World Heritage Site.
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