During the New Kingdom (c. 1570–1070 BCE), the Valley of the Kings was the burial place of Egypt’s pharaohs, including such powerful and famous rulers as Amenhotep III, Rameses II, and Tutankhamen. They were buried here in large and beautifully decorated tombs that have become among the country’s most visited archaeological sites. The tourists contribute millions of badly needed dollars to Egypt’s economy. But because of inadequate planning, these same visitors are destroying the very tombs they come to see. Crowding, pollution, changes in the tombs’ air quality, ever-growing tourist infrastructure—all pose serious threats to the Valley’s survival. This volume, the result of twenty-five years of work by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo, traces the history of the Valley of the Kings and offers specific proposals to manage the site and protect its fragile contents. At the same time, it recognizes the need to provide a positive experience for the thousands of visitors who flock here daily. This is the first major management plan developed for any Egyptian archaeological site, and as its proposals are implemented, they offer a replicable model for archaeologists, conservators, and site managers throughout Egypt and the region. Published in both English and Arabic editions and supported by the World Monuments Fund, this critical study will help to ensure the survival of Egypt’s patrimony in a manner compatible with the country’s heavy reliance on tourism income.
The Valley of the Kings
A Site Management Handbook
Kent R. Weeks
Nigel J. Hetherington
240 pp.
119 b/w illus.
15X23cm
ISBN 9789774166082
For sale worldwide
29.95
Related products
Annales du Service des Antiquités de l’Egypte
Vol. 80
Supreme Council of AntiquitiesFor centuries, Egyptian civilization and its antiquities have inspired passionate interest. Archaeologists, engineers, astronomers, poets, painters, people of different cultures, and travelers have been riveted by Egypt’s ancient monuments. How much do we really know about these awe-inspiring wonders of the ancient world? This publication provides an up-to-date account of archaeology in the land of the pharaohs, including new discoveries and recent studies. This authoritative volume remains the definitive source for the findings of the various archaeological excavations undertaken in Egypt. For more than a hundred years, the Annales du Service has been studied by Egyptologists, students, and laypersons alike. Published under the auspices of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, its contributors include some of the most well-known Egyptologists in the world covering a broad range of archaeological disciplines and spectrums.
...read more
Paperback
576 pp.150 illus. incl. 50 color
21X29cm
29.95
Abydos
Egypt’s First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris
David O’ConnorAs both the burial place of the first pharaohs and a cult center for the god Osiris, Abydos was of immense importance to the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years and continues to yield spectacular discoveries. However, no full analysis of the site has been written in the last thirty years. Here David O’Connor provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive account of the site’s extraordinary history, as well as telling the story of his own excavations there. O’Connor himself has made some of the most remarkable finds of recent years, including a royal burial consisting of a fleet of fourteen boats, buried far out in the desert. This beautifully illustrated and authoritative book fills a significant gap in the literature on ancient Egypt and will be of interest both to students and to anyone who ever wondered about the origins of one of the greatest civilizations in world history.
...read more
Hardbound
216 pp.114 illus. incl. 11 color
19X25cm
24.95
Anubis, Upwawet, and Other Deities
Personal Worship and Official Religion in Ancient Egypt
Supreme Council of AntiquitiesAncient Egyptian religion is immensely complex in its symbolism and in its intellectual and artistic depth. From the early times, certain animals, such as the cow, the falcon, and the snake, were closely associated with religion and with kingship. These animals are among the many embodiments of maginal power. This volume looks at the Egyptian attitude to animals, the jackal deities and their relationships, and the Salakhana stelae
...read more
Paperback
80 pp.106 color illus.
21X29.5cm
12.95
An Ancient Egyptian Herbal
Lise MannicheThe ancient Egyptians were skilled in the use of herbs and spices for medicines, cooking, cosmetics, perfumes, and many other purposes. Drawing on texts written by the Egyptians and their neighbors, Lise Manniche has reconstructed a herbal of 94 species of plants and trees used before, during, and after the pharaonic period in Egypt. Each plant, from acacia to zizyphus, is named in Latin and English and (where known) in ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Greek, and modern Arabic. The author explains the special properties of each plant, and quotes authentic recipes for cosmetics and remedies. She also dis-cusses the Egyptians’ uses of herbs and flowers for both decorative and practical purposes, and the importance of plants for funerary and festive occasions. A section on perfume draws on the latest research into the ingredients and uses of Egyptian scents.
...read more
Paperback
184 pp.23 b/w photographs, 96 line drawings
24X17cm
18.95