Ancient Egypt
Since
it was first published in 1980, the Atlas of Ancient Egypt has become
recognised as a classic work and has yet to be replaced as the best and
most comprehensive introduction there is to the civilisation of ancient
Egypt. 
The authors,John Baines and Jaromir Malek,who are two distinguished
Egyptologists,have comprehensively revised and updated the text for
this new edition.
Every map has been redigitised, new photographs have been added,and
there is a completely new bibliography,enhancing the book’s value as an
indispensable reference work for scholars.
Far more than an atlas in the traditional sense of the word,the
many detailed maps,informative text,and numerous colour photographs,
drawings and plans illuminate every aspect of ancient Egypt.
Atlas of Ancient Egypt
is divided into three parts.The first established the cultural setting
of ancient Egypt,with chapters on its geography, archaeology, history,
art and architecture.The second part takes the reader on a journey down
the Nile, calling at some 90 sites where significant discoveries have
been made or spectacular monuments stand. From the rock-cut tombs of
Aswan to the pyramids at Giza from the treasures of Tut’ankhamun to the
shifting sands of the delta,the reader is transported effortlessly by
means of maps,photographs,site plans and descriptive accounts of the
visible remains.
A
further journey takes the intrepid traveller into Nubia and to the
temples of Abu Simbel, rescued from the waters of Lake Nasser. The third
part considers important aspects of,Egyptian society and daily life.
Throughout the book, special features look more closely at selected
themes such as the construction of the Pyramids, hieroglyphic
writing,Egyptian gods,and the influence of Egypt on Western art.
There is a helpful checklist of museums with Egyptian collections.
Other important reference features include a chronological table, ist of
kings and dynasties,glossary, bibliography,gazetteer and index.
The monuments pyramids, temples and tombs, statues and still -
represent some of the most valuable sources for our knowledge of ancient
Egypt.
A study of monuments, either still at various sites all over Egypt,
or in their new locations in museums and collections,is also a happy
meeting-ground of specialists and non-specialists.
No great scholarship is required in order to be impressed by the
grandeur and technical accomplishment of the Great Pyramid at Giza, o be
enchanted by paintings in the Ramessid tombs at Deir el-Medina, or be
left dumbounded by the extravagantly opulent taste shown in the objects
from the tomb of Tuttankhamun in the Valley of the Kings,and now in the
Cairo Museum.
Nonetheless, knowledge adds significantly to our appreciation and enjoyment.
So the aim of this book is easily defined: to provide a systematic
survey of the most important sites with ancient Egyptian monuments,an
assessment of their historical and cultural importance and a brief
description of their salient features,based on the most up-to-date
Egyptological knowledge and thoroughly revised for this new edition.
Further chapters and special features deal with general aspects of
Egyptian civilisation.
These enable readers to find their bearings quickly in the
initially bewildering mass of names of places,kings,and gods, and at the
same time help them to understand broader issues in the development of
Egyptian society and the fluctuating fortunes of Egyptian towns and
temples.
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Geographically, the limits of the book are set by the frontiers of
Egypt along the Nile, as far south as the first cataract and as far
north as the Mediterranean; the main exceptions are Egypt’s traditional
imperial extension into Lower Nubia, Sinai, and the oases in the western
desert.
The maps present much of the book’s content topographically, and
supplement the information in the text at many points.Those in Parts One
and Three are organised by theme and period.
In Part Two the maps for each section present a detailed,
largescale view of the successive stages of our journey, including both
ancient and modern features.
The period covered by the native Egyptian dynasties of kings (with
the brief interruptions of foreign rule), about 2950 to 332 B.C,
provides the temporal setting.
But some knowledge of Predynastic Egypt is essentia1 for
understanding the earliest stages of dynastic history, while for
centuries the culture of the Greco-Roman Period remained largely
Egyptian; these two phases,sometimes treated as separate units, are
referred to and discussed where appropriate.
In writing this book the authors have envisaged their "typical reader" as anyone interested in ancient Egypt.
The book is arranged in such a way that there is no need to read it
straight through for its individual sections to remain comprehensible.
There is a firm geographical framework, and the sites are discussed
proceeding from south to north. The ancient Egyptians themselves used
this scheme, and began their systematic lists at Elephantine (Aswan).
Many modern books are arranged from north to south, which was the
approach experienced by travelers of the last century who arrived by
boat at Alexandria, went from there to Cairo and, provided they were
adventurous and prepared to accept some discomfort, further south.
Instead the authors have decided to follow the Egyptians, so that
they can see the country as far as possible from their own viewpoint.
Readers are; of course, free to begin their personal journeys wherever
they wish. One of the authors’ aims has been to help those intending to
visit Egypt by "briefing" them in advance.
Those who have already seen that fascinating country might like to
refresh their memory, and perhaps broaden their understanding of it,
while those who simply like reading about civilisations of long ago may
enjoy a new approach to one of the greatest.
It is also hoped that students in related disciplines will find
this book useful when seeking reliable information about ancient Egypt.
Last, and most important, the authors have communicated to readers
some of the enjoyment that brought us to the subject in the first place.
Part One is largely the work of John Baines and Part Two of Jaromir Malek; Part Three is shared between them
By :John Baines & Jaromir Malek
