Title
Introduction
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organised
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Introducing the Ancient Egyptians
Chapter 1: Getting Grounded: The Geography and History of Ancient Egypt
Splashing in the Source of Life: The Nile
Meeting the Ancient Egyptians
Unifying the Two Lands
Following the Floating Capital
Populating the Nile Valley
Climbing the Egyptian Social Ladder
Chapter 2: Examining the Lives of the Everyday Egyptians
Appreciating Village Life
Growing Up Egyptian
Considering the Lives of Women
Checking the Balance: Wages and Payment in Ancient Egypt
Tying the Knot: Marriage
Caring for the Elderly
Part II : Stepping Back in Time
Chapter 3: Building a Civilisation with Military Might
Tracing the Course of Egyptian Civilisation
Creating an Army: A Key to the New Kingdom
Chapter 4: Building the Empire: The Glories of the New Kingdom
Meeting the Egyptian Napoleon: Thutmosis III
Changing His Religion: Akhenaten
Growing Up a King: Tutankhamun
Re-establishing Imperial Power: Sety I
Fighting the Good Fight: Ramses II
Rushing the Borders: Merenptah
Sailing to Victory: Ramses III
Chapter 5: Looking at the Power Behind the Throne: Royal Women
Nothing without Him: Considering the Roles of Royal Women
The Politics of Marriage
Marrying Amun
Living with the King
Remembering the First Feminists
Chapter 6: Following the Decline and Fall of the Egyptian Civilisation
Dividing the Two Lands: Ramses XI and After
Exerting Pressure from the South: Nubian Influences
Conquering the Near East: The Assyrians
The Saite Period: Psamtik I and Others
Settling of the Persians
Invading Macedonians: Alexander the Great
Ending the Empire: The Ptolemaic Dynasty
Part III : Living Life to the Full: Culture and Beliefs
Chapter 7: Enjoying Food and Entertainment
Nourishing the Grey Matter
Telling Tall Tales
Playing Board Games
Leading a Sporting Life
Throwing Big Bashes
Chapter 8: Staying Healthy: Diseases and Medicine
Examining Egypt’s Overall Health
Becoming an Egyptian Physician
Visiting the Doctor
Opening Up and Saying ‘Agh’: Dentistry
Considering Women’s Health
Chapter 9: Worshipping like an Egyptian: Religion
Surveying the Pantheon of Egyptian Gods
Meeting the Egyptian State Gods
Worshipping the Gods
Worshipping Humans
Chapter 10: Exploring Funerary Beliefs and Mummification
Understanding the Egyptian Essence of Humanity
Cursing the Egyptologists
Getting All Wrapped Up: Mummies for Dummies
Guiding the Dead in the Underworld
Part IV : Interpreting Egyptian Art and Architecture
Chapter 11: Deciphering Egyptian Art and Hieroglyphs
Recognising the Artists
Equipping the Artists
Figuring Out Egyptian Art
Carving Masterpieces
Reading Hieroglyphs
Chapter 12: Touring the Temples
Building a Temple
Adding Finishing Touches: Obelisks and Decoration
Worshipping in the Temple
Appreciating the Roles of the King and the High Priests
Chapter 13: Excavating the Tombs: Houses of Eternity
Burying the Earliest Egyptians
Turning Pits into Palaces: Mastabas
Hewing in Rock
Interring the Divine
Embellishing Tombs: Decoration to Die For
Chapter 14: Probing the Pyramids
Defining the Shape
Filling in the Gaps: Achieving the True Pyramid Shape
Accessorising the Pyramids at Giza
Evolving Further: Later Pyramids and Complexes
Part V : The Part of Tens
Chapter 15: Top Ten Breakthroughs in Egyptology
Deciphering Hieroglyphs
Petrie’s Seriation Dating System
The Temples at Abu Simbel
The Royal Cache of 1881
KV55: The Desecrated Tomb
Tutankhamun’s Tomb
KV5: The Tomb of the Sons of Ramses II
Akhenaten’s Talatat Blocks
Palace of Cleopatra
KV63
Chapter 16: Ten Egyptians Worth Knowing
Thutmosis III: The Egyptian Napoleon
Horemheb: The Maintainer of Order
Nefertiti: The Beautiful One Has Come
Ramose: The Honest Scribe
Kenhirkhepshef: An Ancient Historian
Naunakhte: The Property Owner
Paneb: The Loveable Rogue
Mereruka: The Princess’s Husband
Asru: Chantress of Amun
Nesperenub: The Priest of Khonsu
Chapter 17: Ten Ancient Egyptian Achievements
Scientific Method
Mathematics
Astronomy
Understanding of the Human Body
Irrigation
Stone Buildings
A Surviving Wonder
Glass Production
Female Leadership
Continuing Civilisation
Chapter 18: Top Ten Places to Visit in Egypt
Giza Plateau, Cairo
Saqqara, Cairo
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo
Tell el Amarna, Al Minya
Beni Hasan, Al Minya
Karnak Temple, Luxor
Medinet Habu, Luxor
Deir el Medina, Luxor
Luxor Museum
Abu Simbel, Aswan
Chapter 19: Ten Key Egyptologists
Giovanni Belzoni (1778–1823)
Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832)
Karl Lepsius (1819–84)
Amelia Edwards(1831–92)
W. M. Flinders Petrie (1853–1942)
Howard Carter (1874–1939)
Alan Gardiner (1879–1963)
Jac Janssen (born 1922)
Kent Weeks (born 1941)
Rosalie David (born 1947)
: Further Reading