Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt

by Rosalie David

Overview

Spanning the years from c. 5000 B.C. to the early centuries A.D., the Nile Valley civilization was one of the earliest created by humankind. It remains one of the most fascinating and influential. This handy yet encyclopedic reference work offers a comprehensive overview of ancient Egyptian history, from Predynastic times to the Old and New Kingdoms to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Accessible, authoritative, and clearly organized, the Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt affords an engaging look at a culture whose art, architecture, religion, and medicine came to form the basis of Western Civilization.

The thematically arranged chapters allow readers easy access to several key topics, including historical background, geography, government, religion, funerary customs, architecture, literature, the military, the economy, and everyday life. Drawing on written sources dating from c. 3100 B.C. and such widespread archaeological evidence as monuments, artifacts, inscriptions, and preserved human remains, noted Egyptologist Rosalie David covers everything from the Sun Cult and the pyramids to the arrival and dispersal of Christianity. Her useful Handbook also features:

• 112 maps, photographs, and original line drawings

• suggestions for further reading at the conclusion of each chapter

• a chronological table of over five millennia of Egyptian history

• an appendix listing museums with Egyptian collections

• a timely and extensive overall bibliography as well as a thorough index

Combining archaeological and historical sources, this Handbook provides all the essential data required by anyone interested in Egyptian history, archaeology, religion, or culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195132151
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	08/28/1999
Series:	Handbook to Life Series
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 7.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rosalie David is Keeper of Egyptology at the Manchester Museum and Reader in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. She is the author of twenty books on Egypt-related subjects, including Discovering Ancient Egypt.

Table of Contents

Editorial Reviews

"This is an ambitious book...David, a respected Egyptologist, surveys Egypt from Predynastic times through the arrival of Islam."—Booklist

From the Publisher

The author is Keeper of Egyptology at the Manchester Museum and Reader in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. The book is meant to be a handy reference work on all aspects of ancient Egypt, organized in 11 chapters: 1. Historical Background; 2. Geography of Ancient Egypt; 3. Society and Government; 4. Religion of the Living; 5. Funerary Beliefs and Customs; 6. Architecture and Building; 7. Written Evidence; 8. The Army and Navy; 9. Foreign Trade and Transport; 10. Economy and Industry; and 11. Everyday Life. Each chapter is organized into numerous subtopics, e.g., Chapter 8 has the following: The Military: Historical Background; Early Expeditions, The Professional Army; Military Personalities; The Police Force; Frontiers; Defensive and Military Architecture; Battle Strategy and Tactics; Weapons and Equipment; Campaigns; The Navy; and Reading. This last subtopic concludes each chapter, and consists of a brief bibliography. Each subtopic consists of a brief, authoritative essay. The book also contains a chronological table, and a list of museums with Egyptian collections, as well as various maps and illustrations. The value of this handbook for any student researching ancient Egypt is apparent at a glance. For one thing, there are many subtopics that one often finds little about, e.g., the "Anatomy of a Work Gang," on pp. 167-168, where we learn what kinds of people (the different categories of workmen, who supervised them, the royal scribes who kept track of their work, and so forth) could be found on a typical work gang. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 1998, Oxford Univ. Press, 382p, illus, maps,bibliogs, index, 24m, 99-10264, $17.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: John Rosser; Professor, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, November 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 6)

KLIATT