Overview

Our knowledge of the civilization of ancient Egypt is based on a rich legacy of great monuments, a wealth of artefacts, a strong literature and extensive, well-preserved human remains. With such a range and variety of evidence, generations of Egyptologists have tried to tell the story of this great civilization with certainty. However, as evidence is often partial or contradictory, even the experts can only draw imprecise conclusions. Providing a complete history of Egyptology, this text shows how, since Classical times, our understanding of Ancient Egypt has shifted and changed. It examines in detail issues of religion, of beliefs and practices surrounding death, of everyday life and of literature. Rosalie David goes on to explain how Egyptologists have reached this sophisticated level of understanding, by telling the history of their discipline. She traces Egyptology from its classical roots, through the painstaking process of deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs in the 18th and 19th centuries, to up-to-date bio-medical and archaeological techniques in the late 1990s, never forgetting how time has proved that it is impossible to deliver the absolute about ancient Egypt.

Full Product Details

9780415032636

Table of Contents

Reviews

'This is a fascinating story, which the interested reader would otherwise have to piece together from a range of publications.' - History Today 'For a serious introduction to all aspects of Egyptology, the reader can now turn to R. David, The Experience of Ancient Egypt where the material is presented in a digestible but comprehensive way.' - Egyptian Archaeology 'This is a fascinating story, which the interested reader would otherwise have to piece together from a range of publications.' - History Today 'For a serious introduction to all aspects of Egyptology, the reader can now turn to R. David, The Experience of Ancient Egypt where the material is presented in a digestible but comprehensive way.' - Egyptian Archaeology

In 11 lucidily written fact-filled chapters the author surveys the history and achievement of Egyptology...A useful addition to all college and university libraries. <br>-Choice <br> There is no end to the writing of popular books on Egypt. Most are, however, lavishly illustrated coffee-table books or superficial summaries of Egyptian history and culture. Few seriously attempt to introduce their readers to the discipline of Eqyptology itself. David's book is a significant exception. David(Univ. of Manchester) is author of an excellent study of the royal workmen's village Kahun, The Pyramid Builders of Ancient Egypt(1986). The first five chapters summarize the results of current scholarship on ancient Egyptian history, religion, and daily life, and survey the sources used by Egyptologists. THe next five chapters provide a concise chronicle of the development of Egyptology from the Renaissance to the present. The work concludes with an analysis of the contribution made by the scientist analysis of mummies to the study of the lives of the ancient Egyptians themselves.. <br>-S.M. Burstein, California State Uinversity, Los Angeles <br>

In 11 lucidily written fact-filled chapters the author surveys the history and achievement of Egyptology...A useful addition to all college and university libraries. -Choice There is no end to the writing of popular books on Egypt. Most are, however, lavishly illustrated coffee-table books or superficial summaries of Egyptian history and culture. Few seriously attempt to introduce their readers to the discipline of Eqyptology itself. David's book is a significant exception. David(Univ. of Manchester) is author of an excellent study of the royal workmen's village Kahun, The Pyramid Builders of Ancient Egypt(1986). The first five chapters summarize the results of current scholarship on ancient Egyptian history, religion, and daily life, and survey the sources used by Egyptologists. THe next five chapters provide a concise chronicle of the development of Egyptology from the Renaissance to the present. The work concludes with an analysis of the contribution made by the scientist analysis of mummies to the study of the lives of the ancient Egyptians themselves.. -S.M. Burstein, California State Uinversity, Los Angeles 'This is a fascinating story, which the interested reader would otherwise have to piece together from a range of publications.' - History Today 'For a serious introduction to all aspects of Egyptology, the reader can now turn to R. David, The Experience of Ancient Egypt where the material is presented in a digestible but comprehensive way.' - Egyptian Archaeology

Author Information

David, Rosalie

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available