The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt

Ian Shaw

Oct 2003 · OUP Oxford

About this ebook

The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt is the only book available providing detailed historical coverage of Egypt from the early Stone Age to its incorporation into the Roman Empire. The lively essays and beautiful illustrations portray the emergence and development of the distinctive civilization of the ancient Egyptians covering the period from 700,000 BC to ad 311. The authors - each working at the cutting edge of their particular fields - outline the principal sequence of political events, including detailed examinations of the three so-called Intermediate Periods previously regarded as 'dark ages'. Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of ruling dynasties, this Oxford History also examines cultural and social patterns, including stylistic developments in art and literature. The pace of change in such aspects of Egyptian culture as monumental architecture, funerary beliefs, and ethnicity was not necessarily tied to the rate of political change. Each of the authors has therefore set out to elucidate, in both words and pictures, the underlying patterns of social and political change, and to describe the changing face of ancient Egypt, from the biographical details of individuals to the social and economic factors that shaped the lives of the population as a whole.

Ratings and reviews

This compilation of essays satisfies an interest for an overview of contemporary studies (as late as the turn of the century, 2000) beyond an elementary knowledge of Ancient Egyptian history. For example, the authors assume that readers are already knowledgeable about Cleopatra, who is mentioned in a few sentences. The authors also assume that readers of this volume -which is presented as a basic guide for a general readership- are capable of checking sources, and contextual analysis. For example, Betsy Bryan's essay states that Thutmose I “may have hunted elephants” in “Niy.” The existence of wild Syrian elephants, in “Niy,” is moot. Considering, in contrast, Paul J. Kosmin's “The Land of the Elephant Kings,” the extant archaeological data (paleontological data notwithstanding) indicates that the Selucids imported elephants from India. And, Alan Loyd's essay indicates the same. Hence, the editor of this volume assumes a readership with working knowledge of Ancient Egypt.

Good value with essays written by specialists in their respective areas.

Love history of egypt

About the author

Ian Shaw studied Archaeology and Egyptology at Cambridge University, gaining a PhD on the archaeological remains at Tell el-Amarna. He later undertook research into Egyptian quarrying and mining sites as a British Academy Research Fellow at New Hall, Cambridge. His other publications include Ancient Egyptian Warfare and Weapons (1992), The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt (1995), The Dictionary of Archaeology (1999), and Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology (2000)