by Charlotte Booth
Enter The Amazing World of The Ancient Egyptians . With This Entertaining and Lively Guide
Published by
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
The Atrium
Southern Gate
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 8SQ
England
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
The Atrium
Southern Gate
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 8SQ
England
 |
| The Ancient Egyptians For Dummies |
Charlotte Booth is a freelance Egyptologist who started her education at
Birkbeck, University of London, with a Diploma in Egyptology. From there she
went to University College London and gained a degree and a Masters in
Egyptian Archaeology. She is currently studying at the University of Wales,
Swansea, for a PhD, and has written a number of articles and books on
Egyptology. Charlotte teaches archaeology and Egyptology in various adult
education institutions including the Workers’ Educational Association and
Birkbeck. She is the founder of the Essex Egyptology Group.
Charlotte has worked in Egypt on the Egyptian Antiquities Information
System (EAIS) project (part of the Supreme Council of Antiquities) as an
Archaeological Researcher. Closer to home, she appeared on The New Paul
O’Grady Show as the mummification expert!
Author’s Acknowledgements
Over the years many people have inspired me to continue researching and
writing. I would like to thank my mum for giving me the all-important first
break, the good education, and for her support over the years. Thanks to my
fiancé, Wayne Frostick, who knows when to offer advice and when to go and
watch the football. Various Egyptologists over the years have also inspired
me, including Rosalind Janssen and the late Dominic Montserrat; both were
inspirational and memorable teachers. My students also help a great deal by
letting me know exactly what is interesting and what is not. Apparently I get the
two confused sometimes. Let’s hope I have got the right blend in this book.
If I have got it right, this is due to the guidance of the For Dummies team:
Sam Clapp, Rachael Chilvers, and Brian Kramer.
Introduction
As a 5-year-old child, I only ever wanted to spend my Saturdays at the
British Museum looking at the mummies – until my own mummy started
to think I was odd. But nothing is odd about mummies (the ancient Egyptian
or the parental kind). The Egyptian mummy was a fundamental part – albeit a
small part – of Egyptian funerary beliefs and culture. The mummy has now
become an iconic image of Egypt, and many horror films have given it a bad
name. Other than questions about mummies, the first thing anyone ever asks
me as an Egyptologist is ‘So who built the pyramids?’ or ‘Was Tutankhamun
murdered?’ As valid as these questions are, Egyptology (the study of ancient
Egypt) offers so many more interesting things to discover and explore than
these age-old queries. (And while others have answered these questions frequently
and well, I offer my plain-English answers too in this book.)
In my opinion, some smaller pieces of research in Egypt are far more impressive
than the pyramids, such as examining clay objects that still bear the
fingerprints of ancient craftsmen, discovering the specific diseases an individual
suffered from prior to being mummified, or reading a note from a
woman to her dressmaker stating she ‘has nothing to wear’ (we’ve all been
there). These small insights into the lives of the people who make up a history
that is now world famous better answer the question ‘Who were the
Egyptians?’ After you know who the ancient Egyptians were, figuring out how
they built the pyramids doesn’t seem like such a monumental question.
The ancient Egyptians were just like modern humans: They wanted to build
pyramids, so they used all their available resources and did it. No mystery.
In fact, I’m sure the ancient Egyptians would have loved a book entitled
Westerners of the 21st Century AD For Dummies, so they could learn about this
futuristic society that is so primitive it can’t even build pyramids!
I think it essential to stop thinking of the ancient Egyptians as some bizarre
civilisation so far removed from modern life that the people are undecipherable.
They were amazingly similar to us, with the same drives, motivations,
emotions, and weaknesses. I hope this book goes some way to helping you
make a connection with this fascinating culture and the colourful individuals who created it.
About This Book
Egyptian history has been described as a jigsaw with half the pieces missing,
no picture, and no indication of how many pieces there are – it is a daunting
task to try to recreate a history that makes sense. Every year, new excavations
uncover information that changes or adds another dimension to the
available history of this culture. What this means in regard to this book is
that I present the history of Egypt as it stands today. In ten years’ time, it
may look different due to new discoveries and new interpretations of the
evidence – and this book would need to be updated.
The Nile Valley (a romantic way of saying Egypt) was relatively small and only
covered about a mile on each side of the Nile river, but its people achieved so
much. Generals waged numerous battles and went on expeditions, priests
honoured a pantheon of gods numbering nearly 1,000, and hundreds of kings
with what appear to be unpronounceable names (many of them the same –
for example, there are eleven King Ramses) produced great architectural
feats. In addition to the pyramids, the most iconic image of Egypt, ancient
Egypt featured an array of temples, palaces, villages, and subterranean tombs,
all with religious elements and iconic imagery, built and added to over hundreds of years.
Hundreds of texts are available from ancient Egypt that help explain the lives
and beliefs of the kings, the priests, and even the ordinary people. This book
weaves together all these stories to create a complicated but beautiful tapestry
of the lives of the Egyptians.
If you think you’ll mispronounce all those odd names, confuse the religious
practices, and get your dynasties in a diddle, relax. This book presents more
than 3,000 years of history as a straightforward outline of eras and periods.
To the basic sketch, I then add clusters of intriguing details about ancient
Egyptian lifestyle, culture, religion, and beliefs. Further chapters layer on
insights about the incredible art and buildings produced by the ancient
Egyptians. It’s a fascinating journey, and you’re going to love it.
Conventions Used in This Book
The dating system used in ancient Egypt was complicated. Surviving records
use regnal years (for example, ‘year 16 of Ramses II’) rather than a centralised
calendar (‘1450 BC’). However, the Greek traveller Manetho divided ancient
Egypt’s 3,000-year history into 30 dynasties, and his system is still applied
today. This is what this book uses.
Ascertaining exact dates for these dynasties is difficult, but I have added
accepted chronological dates to give an idea of when events happened,
although I also refer to general eras such as the 18th dynasty, 19th dynasty
and so on. All dates are BC (before Christ) unless otherwise stated. Many
people prefer BCE (before the Common Era), but I opt for BC because it’s more traditional.
The names of kings are often spelt differently from publication to publication,
sometimes with Greek versions of the name being used (Cheops instead of
the Egyptian Khufu, for example). As an Egyptologist, I use the Egyptian version
of the name that the people themselves would recognise, except when
the Greek is the better known (for example, I use Thebes rather than Waset for modern Luxor).
Foolish Assumptions
I assume, perhaps wrongly, that you:
Are interested in Egyptology through watching popular television shows,
going to movies, and visiting museums
Know a little about pyramids, Tutankhamun, and Cleopatra, but do not
know how these flashy topics and figures fit into the wider history of ancient Egypt
Find general books on Egypt and history dry, confusing, and uninviting
Want to find out more – as long as the journey is interesting
How This Book Is Organised
You can either read this book from cover to cover, or you can dip in and out if
you prefer. You can jump from chapter to chapter as their contents interest
you. You can even skip around in each chapter, because each subsection
offers information on a specific, selected topic. I also provide numerous
cross-references between sections and chapters so you can easily jump from
topic to topic and quickly locate the parts of the book that cover the specific
aspects of Egyptology that you find most captivating.
The following information gives you an idea of what you can find in each part of the book.
Part I: Introducing the Ancient Egyptians
The landscape and ecology of Egypt were fundamental to the formation of the
civilisation and are essential to understanding the culture, government, and
even religion that developed along the Nile river. This part looks at the foundations
of the ancient Egyptian culture, including its villages, careers, and
social arrangements (marriage, divorce, and more). The social structure of
Egyptian civilisation was particularly important, with the king at the top and
everyone else beneath him, as this part details.
Part II: Stepping Back in Time
This part is the true story behind all the monuments. It covers the personalities
who built them, fought for them, and later dismantled them. I take you on
a chronological journey through more than 3,000 years of history, starting at
the very beginning of Egyptian civilisation in the pre-dynastic period, and
travelling down the timeline to the Roman invasion at the death of Cleopatra
in 30 BC. This history is pitted with battles, especially in the period known
as the New Kingdom, when Egypt had its first permanent army. This part
investigates the life of a soldier, including the gruesome battle techniques,
the victories, and the near misses.
It also considers the role of Egypt’s women – including notable queens as well
as working-class wives and mothers. This part ends with the collapse of the
Egyptian civilisation after a period of constant invasion and divided rule – the
sobering end to a dynamic culture.
Part III: Living Life to the Full: Culture and Beliefs
The Egyptians loved life – partying, hunting, eating, dancing, and chatting
with their friends. Compare the intricacies of your own social life with that of
the Egyptians and be amazed at the similarities. Sadly a part of life, now and
then, is disease and illness, and the Egyptians suffered many of the same ailments
as modern humans – although I wouldn’t recommend their cures!
When the cures didn’t work, death often followed and involved a great number
of funerary beliefs and practices. Nowadays, mummification is synonymous
with ancient Egypt, although the Egyptians were not the only culture to practise
it. Mummification practices were slow in developing, but quickly became
an essential part of the afterlife of the deceased, because without a body, the
afterlife is pretty dull. To further prevent boredom, all the deceased’s belongings
were dumped in tombs for use after rebirth.
The Egyptians loved life so much they wanted it to continue for as long as
possible. However, mummification and funerary practices are not the only
religious beliefs covered in this part. The temples in Egypt were closed to the
public, so the Egyptians developed two forms of religion – a complex state
religion with the king as a direct communicator with the gods, and an equally
rich household religion with a completely new set of gods to help with specific
aspects of life, such as health, fertility, and childbirth.
Part IV: Interpreting Egyptian Art and Architecture
Part IV starts with the deciphering of the Egyptian hieroglyphic language, one
of the most fundamental discoveries of Egyptology. Artwork is also a substantial
part of any document (and of architectural remains), and being able to
‘read’ artwork is as important as reading the texts. This part explains some of
the fundamental characteristics of Egyptian art.
This part also includes a study of the monumental structures of the Egyptians,
including temples, tombs, and pyramids. The Egyptians did nothing randomly
or because it looked nice (but it has to be said it all looks nice as well).
Instead, a religious ideology influences every ancient Egyptian architectural
element. So as I explore these incredible structures, I also introduce you to
the inspiration behind them.
Part V: The Part of Tens
This part gives you easy-in, easy-out information, including a list of ten famous
Egyptologists and ten critical discoveries and milestones in the discipline
of Egyptology. You meet ten Egyptian personalities who helped the culture
develop, as well as examples of the top achievements of this culture. I also
present my list of ten great places to visit in Egypt.
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Product details
Price
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|---|---|
File Size
| 10,756 KB |
Pages
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384 p |
File Type
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PDF format |
ISBN
| 978-0-470-06544-0 |
Copyright
| 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd |
Contents at a Glance
Introduction
Part I: Introducing the Ancient Egyptians
Chapter 1: Getting Grounded: The Geography and History of Ancient Egypt
Chapter 2: Examining the Lives of the Everyday Egyptians
Part II: Stepping Back in Time
Chapter 3: Building a Civilisation with Military Might
Chapter 4: Building the Empire: The Glories of the New Kingdom
Chapter 5: Looking at the Power Behind the Throne: Royal Women
Chapter 6: Following the Decline and Fall of the Egyptian Civilisation
Part III: Living Life to the Full: Culture and Beliefs
Chapter 7: Enjoying Food and Entertainment
Chapter 8: Staying Healthy: Diseases and Medicine
Chapter 9: Worshipping like an Egyptian: Religion
Chapter 10: Exploring Funerary Beliefs and Mummification
Part IV: Interpreting Egyptian Art and Architecture
Chapter 11: Deciphering Egyptian Art and Hieroglyphs
Chapter 12: Touring the Temples
Chapter 13: Excavating the Tombs: Houses of Eternity
Chapter 14: Probing the Pyramids
Part V: The Part of Tens
Chapter 15: Top Ten Breakthroughs in Egyptology
Chapter 16: Ten Egyptians Worth Knowing
Chapter 17: Ten Ancient Egyptian Achievements
Chapter 18: Top Ten Places to Visit in Egypt
Chapter 19: Ten Key Egyptologists
Index
Table of Contents
Introduction...........
About This Book.............
Conventions Used in This Book ...
Foolish Assumptions .............
How This Book Is Organised.............
Part I: Introducing the Ancient Egyptians .....
Part II: Stepping Back in Time.........
Part III: Living Life to the Full: Culture and Beliefs....
Part IV: Interpreting Egyptian Art and Architecture ........
Part V: The Part of Tens...............................
Icons Used in This Book....................
Where to Go from Here..........
Part I: Introducing the Ancient Egyptians .......................7
Chapter 1: Getting Grounded: The Geography
and History of Ancient Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Splashing in the Source of Life: The Nile ......................................................9
In de-Nile: Size and scope....................................................................10
The inundation: Surviving and thriving.............................................11
Meeting the Ancient Egyptians ....................................................................12
Dating the ancients .............................................................................13
Manetho to the rescue.........................................................................14
Unifying the Two Lands ................................................................................14
Representing the Two Lands ..............................................................15
Uniting east and west...........................................................................16
Subdividing further .............................................................................16
Following the Floating Capital ......................................................................17
Pre-dynastic capitals............................................................................17
Moving to Memphis .............................................................................18
Settling in Thebes.................................................................................18
Noting other short-lived settlements ................................................18
Populating the Nile Valley .............................................................................19
Climbing the Egyptian Social Ladder...........................................................20
Being king of the heap .........................................................................21
Serving the gods ...................................................................................21
Powering the elite.................................................................................22
The vast working class: Producing the essentials ...........................26
Chapter 2: Examining the Lives of the Everyday Egyptians . . . . . . . . .29
Appreciating Village Life ...............................................................................29
Planning a village..................................................................................31
Housing..................................................................................................31
Growing Up Egyptian .....................................................................................33
Educating the young ............................................................................33
Choosing a career ................................................................................36
Considering the Lives of Women..................................................................44
Appreciating women’s rights ..............................................................44
Working women ....................................................................................45
Checking the Balance: Wages and Payment in Ancient Egypt .................49
Tying the Knot: Marriage...............................................................................51
Exposing the truth of incestuous relationships ...............................51
Skipping formality ...............................................................................52
Divorcing ...............................................................................................52
Considering adultery ...........................................................................52
Caring for the Elderly ....................................................................................54
Part II: Stepping Back in Time .....................................55
Chapter 3: Building a Civilisation with Military Might . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Tracing the Course of Egyptian Civilisation ...............................................58
Pre-dynastic period..............................................................................58
Early dynastic period...........................................................................60
Old Kingdom .........................................................................................60
First intermediate period ....................................................................61
Middle Kingdom ...................................................................................63
Second intermediate period ...............................................................64
Creating an Army: A Key to the New Kingdom...........................................67
Signing up ..............................................................................................67
Dividing the army .................................................................................68
Tagging along ........................................................................................69
Performing non-combative duties .....................................................70
On the march ........................................................................................70
Eating like a soldier: Military fare.......................................................71
Waiting for pay day ..............................................................................72
Armed for battle ..................................................................................72
Recording victories ..............................................................................76
Chapter 4: Building the Empire: The Glories of the New Kingdom . . .79
Meeting the Egyptian Napoleon: Thutmosis III .........................................80
Fighting at Megiddo .............................................................................81
Getting bootylicious.............................................................................83
Changing His Religion: Akhenaten ..............................................................83
Meeting the family ...............................................................................84
Marrying a mystery..............................................................................85
Praising the sun god ............................................................................85
Meeting an unhappy end.....................................................................86
Growing Up a King: Tutankhamun ...............................................................87
Keeping it in the family........................................................................87
Restoring the religion ..........................................................................88
Death......................................................................................................89
Re-establishing Imperial Power: Sety I .......................................................90
Fighting at Kadesh, Part I ...................................................................91
One down . . . how many more to go?................................................92
Fighting the Good Fight: Ramses II ..............................................................92
Becoming royal .....................................................................................93
Marriage and family (and more family) .............................................93
Following in dad’s footsteps: Kadesh Part II.....................................95
Making peace ........................................................................................98
Rushing the Borders: Merenptah ................................................................98
Sailing to Victory: Ramses III ........................................................................99
More battles with the Sea People.......................................................99
Those pesky Libyans – again ............................................................100
Chapter 5: Looking at the Power Behind
the Throne: Royal Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Nothing without Him: Considering the Roles of Royal Women .............101
Royal weddings: Brothers and sisters .............................................102
The Great Royal Wife and others .....................................................102
Honour your mother: The King’s Mother........................................104
Daddy’s girl: The King’s Daughter....................................................104
The Politics of Marriage ..............................................................................104
Marriage as foreign relations policy ................................................105
Vanishing wives ..................................................................................106
Marrying Amun ............................................................................................106
Taking on responsibility ...................................................................106
Enjoying the privileges .....................................................................107
Living with the King .....................................................................................108
Location, location, location ..............................................................108
Living it up: The harem at Medinet Habu........................................109
Earning their keep: The harem in the Faiyum ................................110
Burying the queens ............................................................................110
Remembering the First Feminists ..............................................................112
Ahhotep: Warrior queen ....................................................................112
Hatshepsut: The female king.............................................................113
Tiye: One scary lady ..........................................................................114
Chapter 6: Following the Decline and
Fall of the Egyptian Civilisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Dividing the Two Lands: Ramses XI and After..........................................118
Herihor becomes too big for his boots ...........................................118
Ruling in the north: Tanis kings........................................................119
Briefly uniting the two lands: Sheshonq I ......................................120
The end of Sheshonq’s peace ...........................................................120
Too many kings...................................................................................120
Exerting Pressure from the South: Nubian Influences.............................122
Growing power....................................................................................122
Egypt’s the limit: Piankhy..................................................................122
Conquering the Near East: The Assyrians ................................................123
The Saite Period: Psamtik I and Others.....................................................124
Returning to traditions ......................................................................124
In the navy...........................................................................................124
Appeasing the masses .......................................................................125
Not even cold yet ...............................................................................125
Settling of the Persians................................................................................126
Ruling Egypt from a distance ............................................................126
Yet more dynasties.............................................................................127
Another round of Persian rule .........................................................128
Invading Macedonians: Alexander the Great............................................128
Becoming divine .................................................................................128
Making Egypt a home of his own......................................................129
Ending the Empire: The Ptolemaic Dynasty ............................................130
Sleeping with one eye open .............................................................130
Making romantic history: Cleopatra and Mark Antony.................132
The Romans are coming....................................................................137
Part III: Living Life to the Full: Culture and Beliefs .....139
Chapter 7: Enjoying Food and Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
Nourishing the Grey Matter ........................................................................142
Telling Tall Tales...........................................................................................143
Playing Board Games...................................................................................144
Senet.....................................................................................................145
Hounds and Jackals............................................................................146
Leading a Sporting Life................................................................................147
Charioteering ......................................................................................148
Target practice....................................................................................148
Hunting ...............................................................................................149
Throwing Big Bashes ...................................................................................150
Making music ......................................................................................151
Dancing ................................................................................................152
Perusing the party menu...................................................................152
Baking the Hovis way.........................................................................153
Brewing beer .......................................................................................153
Enjoying wine......................................................................................154
Chapter 8: Staying Healthy: Diseases and Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Examining Egypt’s Overall Health..............................................................157
Becoming an Egyptian Physician ..............................................................158
Practising magical medicine .............................................................159
Medical training .................................................................................159
Equipping the physician’s office ......................................................160
To charge or not to charge? ..............................................................162
Visiting the Doctor .......................................................................................162
Examining patients.............................................................................163
Treating patients ...............................................................................163
Satisfied customers? ..........................................................................167
Opening Up and Saying ‘Agh’: Dentistry ...................................................167
Wearing thin ........................................................................................168
The quest for fresh breath ................................................................168
Considering Women’s Health......................................................................169
Chapter 9: Worshipping like an Egyptian: Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171
Surveying the Pantheon of Egyptian Gods ...............................................171
Explaining all those unusual forms ..................................................172
Shifting roles and shapes ..................................................................172
Making room for more .......................................................................173
Meeting the Egyptian State Gods ..............................................................175
Identifying the main characters .......................................................175
Upholding truth, justice, and the Egyptian way: Maat ..................176
Worshipping at home: Household gods ..........................................178
Worshipping the Gods .................................................................................180
Appreciating sacred geography........................................................180
Participating in festivals....................................................................181
Protecting the living ..........................................................................182
Doing the voodoo that you do..........................................................183
Consulting oracles..............................................................................183
Dreaming of deities ............................................................................184
Worshipping Humans ..................................................................................184
Pocket-sized ancestors .....................................................................185
Deifying humans .................................................................................185
Chapter 10: Exploring Funerary Beliefs and Mummification . . . . . .189
Understanding the Egyptian Essence of Humanity .................................190
Cursing the Egyptologists ...........................................................................191
Getting All Wrapped Up: Mummies for Dummies ...................................192
Experimenting on the dead...............................................................192
Improving mummification practices................................................193
Looking to the burial professional: The embalmer .......................193
Stepping through the embalming process ......................................194
Wrapping the body.............................................................................197
Considering budget burials...............................................................198
Returning to sender ...........................................................................199
Getting dressed up: Clothes to be seen dead in.............................199
Tidying up ..........................................................................................200
Guiding the Dead in the Underworld.........................................................201
The Pyramid Texts .............................................................................201
The Coffin Texts..................................................................................202
The Book of the Dead ........................................................................203
Guides to the Hereafter .....................................................................204
Part IV: Interpreting Egyptian Art and Architecture .....207
Chapter 11: Deciphering Egyptian Art and Hieroglyphs . . . . . . . . . . .209
Recognising the Artists ...............................................................................210
Team players.......................................................................................210
Following the master plan.................................................................211
Equipping the Artists...................................................................................211
Figuring Out Egyptian Art ...........................................................................212
Toying with views ..............................................................................213
Forming an orderly queue.................................................................213
Representing the human figure ........................................................214
Depicting eternal youth .....................................................................216
Colouring their world .......................................................................217
Considering fashion ...........................................................................217
Size is everything ...............................................................................218
Carving Masterpieces..................................................................................218
Chiselling reliefs .................................................................................219
Carving in 3D.......................................................................................220
Reading Hieroglyphs....................................................................................221
Losing the language ...........................................................................221
Cracking the code...............................................................................222
Identifying the signs...........................................................................223
Understanding direction and honorific positioning .....................224
Learning the alphabet........................................................................224
Reading the names of the divine ......................................................226
Reading Egyptian art..........................................................................227
Chapter 12: Touring the Temples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Building a Temple.........................................................................................229
Going way back: The earliest temples .............................................230
Evolving design during the Middle Kingdom .................................231
Adhering to design conventions in the New Kingdom .................231
Building the outhouses .....................................................................239
Adding Finishing Touches: Obelisks and Decoration..............................240
Pointing to the sun: Obelisks ............................................................241
Temple décor .....................................................................................243
Worshipping in the Temple.........................................................................246
Attending to the god ..........................................................................246
Enjoying the festivities ......................................................................246
Appreciating the Roles of the King and the High Priests........................247
Laying the foundations ......................................................................247
Feeding the populace: Other temple duties ...................................248
Meeting the priests – civil (not divine) servants ..........................249
Acting as an ancient records office..................................................250
Recording the days ............................................................................250
Chapter 13: Excavating the Tombs: Houses of Eternity . . . . . . . . . . . .253
Burying the Earliest Egyptians ..................................................................254
Enclosing the dead ............................................................................254
Upgrading the pits .............................................................................255
Turning Pits into Palaces: Mastabas .........................................................255
Adding superstructures ....................................................................256
Bigger, better mastabas .....................................................................256
Stepping up: King Djoser ...................................................................256
Hewing in Rock .............................................................................................258
If it’s not nailed down . . . ..................................................................259
Continuing the trend..........................................................................259
Getting completely shafted: Shaft tombs .......................................259
Sinking to their level: New Kingdom tombs....................................260
Interring the Divine......................................................................................261
Taking a trip to the King’s Valley ......................................................262
Considering unknown owners .........................................................265
Other houses for the royal afterlife .................................................266
Embellishing Tombs: Decoration to Die For ............................................267
Decorating for the plebs....................................................................268
Decorating for the royals...................................................................270
Chapter 14: Probing the Pyramids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271
Defining the Shape .......................................................................................271
Filling in the Gaps: Achieving the True Pyramid Shape ..........................272
Indiana Jones and the temple of Meidum .......................................273
Gotta Dahshur.....................................................................................273
Middle Kingdom Kings at Dahshur ..................................................275
The Great Pyramid: Finalising the details ......................................276
Following up one of the greats: Khafra’s pyramid .........................277
Bringing up the rear: Menkaura’s pyramid .....................................278
Accessorising the Pyramids at Giza ..........................................................278
Sailing for eternity ..............................................................................279
Phew – what a sphinx! .......................................................................281
Evolving Further: Later Pyramids and Complexes ..................................282
Making up for shoddy workmanship: Unas at Saqqara ................282
Jumping on the bandwagon: More Middle Kingdom pyramids....283
Growing popularity: Small pointed things ......................................283
Part V: The Part of Tens .............................................285
Chapter 15: Top Ten Breakthroughs in Egyptology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
Deciphering Hieroglyphs.............................................................................287
Petrie’s Seriation Dating System ................................................................288
The Temples at Abu Simbel ........................................................................289
The Royal Cache of 1881 .............................................................................289
KV55: The Desecrated Tomb ......................................................................291
Tutankhamun’s Tomb..................................................................................292
KV5: The Tomb of the Sons of Ramses II...................................................292
Akhenaten’s Talatat Blocks ........................................................................293
Palace of Cleopatra ......................................................................................294
KV63...............................................................................................................295
Chapter 16: Ten Egyptians Worth Knowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297
Thutmosis III: The Egyptian Napoleon ......................................................297
Horemheb: The Maintainer of Order .........................................................298
Nefertiti: The Beautiful One Has Come ....................................................299
Ramose: The Honest Scribe........................................................................300
Kenhirkhepshef: An Ancient Historian......................................................300
Naunakhte: The Property Owner ...............................................................301
Paneb: The Loveable Rogue........................................................................302
Mereruka: The Princess’s Husband ...........................................................303
Asru: Chantress of Amun ............................................................................304
Nesperenub: The Priest of Khonsu ............................................................304
Chapter 17: Ten Ancient Egyptian Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307
Scientific Method .........................................................................................307
Mathematics ................................................................................................308
Astronomy ....................................................................................................309
Understanding of the Human Body ...........................................................310
Irrigation........................................................................................................311
Stone Buildings ............................................................................................312
A Surviving Wonder .....................................................................................312
Glass Production ..........................................................................................313
Female Leadership.......................................................................................314
Continuing Civilisation ................................................................................315
Chapter 18: Top Ten Places to Visit in Egypt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .317
Giza Plateau, Cairo .......................................................................................318
Saqqara, Cairo ..............................................................................................318
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo.....................................................319
Tell el Amarna, Al Minya .............................................................................320
Beni Hasan, Al Minya ...................................................................................321
Karnak Temple, Luxor .................................................................................322
Medinet Habu, Luxor ...................................................................................323
Deir el Medina, Luxor ..................................................................................324
Luxor Museum..............................................................................................324
Abu Simbel, Aswan.......................................................................................325
Chapter 19: Ten Key Egyptologists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .327
Giovanni Belzoni (1778–1823) ....................................................................327
Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832)...................................................328
Karl Lepsius (1819–84) ................................................................................329
Amelia Edwards (1831–92)..........................................................................329
W. M. Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) ..............................................................330
Howard Carter (1874–1939) .......................................................................330
Alan Gardiner (1879–1963)..........................................................................331
Jac Janssen (born 1922) ..............................................................................331
Kent Weeks (born 1941) ..............................................................................332
Rosalie David (born 1947)...........................................................................332
Index........................................................................335
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