The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt

The Oxford Illustrated 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.

Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of ruling dynasties, this book 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 — working at the cutting edge of their particular fields — 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.

"If you only want to read one book on Egypt...read this one." The Northern Echo

"[B]rimming with intriguing facts...it also provides a first-rate overview of...the period when Homo erectus first stalked the land right up to Octavian's triumphant entry into Egypt in 30 BC." The Times

"The approach combines traditional chronological history with cultural and social historical material to produce a well rounded picture." Antiquity

The Oxford Illustrated 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.

Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of ruling dynasties, this book 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--working at the cutting edge of their particular fields--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.

Blending vividly written essays and over a hundred attractive illustrations--including 32 color plates--The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt is a stunningly designed and authoritative account of the once glorious civilization on the Nile.

Ranging from 700,000 BC to 311 AD, this volume portrays the emergence and development of Egypt from its prehistoric roots to its conquest by the Roman Empire. The contributors--all leading scholars working at the cutting edge of Egyptology--incorporate the latest findings in archaeological research as they chart the principal political events of Egyptian history, from the rise of the Pharaohs and the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great, to the ascension of the Ptolemies and the coming of Roman legions. The book also includes the first detailed examinations of three periods which were previously regarded as "dark ages." Against the backdrop of the birth and death of ruling dynasties, the writers also examine cultural and social patterns, including stylistic developments in art and literature, monumental architecture, funerary beliefs, and much more. The contributors illuminate the underlying patterns of social and political change and 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 people as a whole.

The only up-to-date, single-volume history of ancient Egypt available in English, The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt is a "must read" for everyone interested in one of the great civilizations of antiquity.

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, The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, The Dictionary of Archaeology, and Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology.

List of Plates; List of Maps; Acknowledgements

Introduction

Prehistory: Palaeolithic and Neolithic

Predynastic Period

Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic

The Rise of Eqyptian Civilization

The Old Kingdom

The First Intermediate Period

The Middle Kingdom

The Second Intermediate Period

The New Kingdom: Pre-Amarna

The New Kingdom: Amarna and Post-Amarna

Egypt and the Outside World

The Third Intermediate Period

The Late Period

The Ptolemaic Period

The Roman Period

Further Reading; Chronological Tables; Acknowledgement of Sources; Index