EGYPTIAN
There are also some slight problems with the labelling of certain illustrations, as evidenced by the identifications of Cleopatra and Caesarion from the Temple of Hathor at Dendera on p.83, and references to the god ‘Menthu’ strike one as a somewhat archaic rendering, perhaps because the authors are experienced Classicists rather than Egyptologists. One does rather wonder about the book’s title, which trumpets ‘the fall of Egypt’, thus ignoring the rich cultural developments of Egypt’s subsequent lengthy involvement with Rome, in a manner, which reminds one of Alan Gardiner’s dismissal of Egyptian history after Alexander the Great’s successful incursion in 331 BC. Whilst one can see how such a title may be more appealing to a general reader and, indeed, publisher, than Antony, Cleopatra and the Fall of the House of Ptolemy, it seems unnecessarily restrictive and misleading. The one-page timeline presented at the beginning of the book compounds this, ending as it does with Caligula’s murder of Ptolemy of Mauretania in AD 40. For a book which is evidently intended as a robust primer for the subject, it might have been useful for the epilogue to have indicated more fully Egypt’s continuing, and special, position within the Roman Empire and Egypt’s adoption of Octavian, later Augustus, and his successors as Kings of Upper and Lower Egypt. In conclusion, then, the book is a chronological introduction to the material and to certain of the classical sources for the more general reader and therefore doubtless serves
ARCHAEOLOGY
its intended purpose, although one might have hoped, in the circumstances, for a lengthier and more in-depth list of publications in the ‘Further reading’ section. JOHN J JOHNSTON Miroslav Bárta, Journey to the West. The world of the Old Kingdom tombs in Ancient Egypt. Univerzita Karlova, 2012 (ISBN: 978 8 073 08383 0). Price: £21.00. A royal pyramid usually springs to mind when one thinks of the Old Kingdom, and yet the limited amount of information available about kings and their cults pales in comparison with what we know about their elite subjects. Nonetheless, while there are many books about pyramids, there is little available in the more popular literature about the tombs of the ancient elite. Tombs are of course covered in general books about tomb architecture and funerary practices, but authors rarely provide detail for those who wish to learn much more. It was with this aim that Bárta set out to write this book; as he puts it, ‘to outline general trends in the history of the non-royal tomb development of the period’. (p.10). The book is divided into nine unnumbered chapters. ‘People from the desert’ (pp.15–46) deals with the development of Egypt up to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period. ‘The new destinies of the dead and sacrificed’ (pp.47–87) considers the Early Dynastic tomb development while ‘Six steps to divinity’ (pp.89–120) covers the important developments of the Third Dynasty. ‘The
Who Was Who in Egyptology
great and the greatest’ (pp.121–153) describes Fourth Dynasty private tombs and ‘Sons of the sun’ (pp.155–194) deals with the Fifth Dynasty, including much unpublished material from the author’s fieldwork and that of his Czech colleagues. The Sixth Dynasty is the subject of ‘The sun sets in the south’ (pp.195–228) which includes a most interesting discussion of the role of climate change in the decline of the Old Kingdom. The final chapters are thematic; thus ‘The struggle with death’ (pp.229–258) discusses important issues of the ideas about the afterlife in the Old Kingdom, and how the practicalities were handled, while ‘The dry message of the beer jars’ (pp.259–293) takes a look at writing, administration and how the state functioned, as well as issues associated with the economy, including observations from the author’s own research. ‘The Gift of the Nile’ (pp.295–319), as its name suggests, is about the constant association of the river with the development of Egypt, but also issues of diet and agriculture. Although this is the last chapter, the book does stop rather suddenly, leaving the reader wondering if he has missed the real conclusion! At the end is an extensive bibliography by chapter and subject. There is an enormous amount of information here, and for those interested in these tombs it will amply repay reading all 342 pages. But as I read, I found myself constantly wondering for whom it was written. I wondered at times whether there is more detail here than the Egyptophile would want or could
Ankh Antiquarian Books
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Est. 1989 Australia’s leading bookseller for new and second-hand Egyptology and Ancient History publications.
First published in 1951, edited by Warren R Dawson, Who Was Who in Egyptology is a standard reference work for anyone interested in the history of Egyptology. From the earliest travellers to scholars and excavators of more recent times, the book contains biographical details of the lives and careers of those who have shaped the discipline, with photographs of many of its subjects. The second edition, edited by Eric Uphill, was published in 1969 and the third, edited by Morris Bierbrier, in 1995. This fourth edition, again edited by Dr Bierbrier, contains many new and revised entries and a wider range of photographs than in previous editions.
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Ankh Antiquarian Books has been pleased to be associated with the Egypt Exploration Society since 1990 and is the Society’s authorised bookseller in Australia and NewZealand. We stock many EES publications and promote the Society. Proprietor: Jennifer A Jaeger, BA Ankh Antiquarian Books PO Box 133 Darling Victoria 3145, Australia Phone: 61 398881990
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