Egyptologists, art historians, philologists and anthropological archaeologists have long worked side by side in Egypt, but they often fail to understand one another's approaches. This book aims to introduce students to the archaeological side of the study of ancient Egypt and to bridge the gap between disciplines by explaining how archaeologists tackle a variety of problems. Douglas J. Brewer introduces the theoretical reasoning for each approach, as well as the methods and techniques applied to support it. This book is an essential read for any student considering further study of ancient Egypt.
• The book is not a simple review of artifacts and sites, but instead focuses on the archaeology of Egypt (as opposed to its cultural history) and solving questions of the past through archaeological method and theory • Contrasts the different types of archaeology conducted in Egypt and presents conclusions based on archaeological data • Focuses on how one interprets the artifacts rather than the artifacts themselves
Contents
1. Introduction: archaeology: history and development; 2. The first Egyptians: the art and science of dating; 3. Agriculture and the Nile Valley: biology, the environment, and sampling; 4. A cultural transformation: explaining and describing the past; 5. Unification and the king: the limits of archaeology; 6. The first great cycle: hypotheses and models; 7. Stability and provincialism: archaeology and the environment; 8. The desert frontiers: archaeology of the 'other'; 9. From artifacts to culture: back to basics; 10. Archaeology in perspective.
Review
'… an interesting read for anyone studying ancient Egypt; as Brewer concludes, only cooperative research and a greater understanding between archaeologists, Egyptologists, geologists, biologists and art historians can give a truly comprehensive understanding of the complexity of the human experience throughout history.' Ancient Egypt
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