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Summary
Summary
The Archaeology Hotspots series offers reader-friendly and engaging narratives of the archaeology in particular countries. Written by archaeological experts with a general reader in mind, each book in the series focuses on what has been found and by whom, what the controversies and scandals have been, ongoing projects, and how it all fits into a broader view of the history of the country.
In Archaeology Hotspot Egypt, scholar Julian Heath provides a chronological overview beginning with handaxes left by Homo erectus during the Lower Paleolithic and moving onwards through pharaonic Egypt to finish in the Greco-Roman period. He covers the most interesting finds--including Tutankhamen's tomb and the Rosetta Stone--and profiles major personalities, past and present. Current digs and recent insights on the past are also covered, such as the massive tomb of KV5 and how contemporary scientific techniques are unearthing new information about ancient Egyptian people and animals. The result is an illuminating look at the history, culture, national heritage, and current archaeological news of Egypt--a hotspot of archaeology.
Author Notes
Julian Heath is an author and freelance archaeological illustrator based in Liverpool. He has a BA and an MA in archaeology from liverpool University, where he has lectured on archaeological illustration and the prehistoric world. His publications include Ancient Echoes, Warfare in Prehistoric Britain, Sacred Circles, Life in Copper Age Britain, and Before Farming. He has also provided the illustrations for Joyce Tyldesley's popular children's book Stories from Ancient Egypt and the updated version of the British Museum's Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. His main areas of interest are prehistoric Europe and ancient Egypt.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this first volume of a series offering accessible accounts of the history of archaeology, author and illustrator Heath (Before Farming) introduces the field of Egyptology, its major players, and their discoveries. In a speedy report on Egyptian history, Heath takes readers from Egypt's hunter-gather beginnings to the building of the pyramids, the rule of Ramses II, and its incorporation into the Roman Empire. Significant artifacts include the exceptionally well-preserved Gebelein mummy, the Nefertiti bust, and the vast array of gilded objects found in Tutankhamen's tomb. Nearly a century of evidence is used to consider Tutankhamen's cause of death, with possibilities including malaria, murder, and "death by hippo" in a hunting accident. Heath goes on to note the accomplishments of Jean-Francois Champollion, the first to decipher the hieroglyphic alphabet; Giovanni Battista Belzoni, the circus performer-turned-archaeologist who discovered the tombs of Ramses I and Seti I; and Flinders Petrie's method of sequence dating, still used today. Heath also celebrates recent developments, such as Sarah Parcak's innovative use of satellites to survey sites remotely, and the current work being done by the British Museum at Naukratis and Amara West. Heath's enthusiasm and brevity make this a solid introduction, and his epilogue provides plenty of resources for further study. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Choice Review
Freelance author and archaeological illustrator Heath presents a well-written and well-documented popular introduction to Egyptology. The book begins with a brief introduction to the geography and cultural history of Egypt. In chapter 2, the author describes several important discoveries, focusing primarily on intriguing artifacts, spectacular tombs, and monumental architecture. Chapter 3 provides biographical sketches of several famous Egyptologists from the 19th and early 20th centuries, followed in chapter 4 by brief vignettes illustrating several "controversies and scandals in Egyptology." Chapter 5 offers a thoughtful discussion of the negative impact of the antiquities market on Egyptology, and in chapters 6 and 7, Heath outlines a few contributions of recent research in Egypt to archaeology in general and briefly describes several ongoing excavations in the region. A brief epilogue with suggestions for learning more about Egyptology comes next, followed by detailed notes for each chapter, a thorough bibliography, and a useful index. Perhaps the volume's weakest feature is the relatively small number of rather low-quality black-and-white illustrations. Fortunately, this does not significantly reduce the book's overall usefulness for general readers. Summing Up: Recommended. General, public, and lower-division undergraduate libraries. --Wade Kotter, Weber State University
Table of Contents
| Acknowledgments | p. ix |
| Chronology of Ancient Egypt | p. x |
| 1 Introducing Ancient Egypt | p. 1 |
| 2 From Hand Axes to Mummy Portraits: The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | p. 33 |
| 3 Famous Figures in Egyptology | p. 81 |
| 4 Controversies and Scandals in Egyptology | p. 103 |
| 5 Harming Egypt's Past: The Antiquities Market | p. 123 |
| 6 Contributions to Knowledge of the Past | p. 133 |
| 7 Current Digs | p. 149 |
| Epilogue: Learning More about Ancient Egypt | p. 165 |
| Notes | p. 171 |
| Bibliography | p. 189 |
| Index | p. 201 |
| About the Author | p. 209 |