A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press's Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. After the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra, Rome finally took control of Egypt. This occupation simultaneously facilitated and circumscribed the exchange of goods, people, and ideas along the paths carved across Rome's burgeoning empire. In this book, Edward Kelting sets out to recapture one of these systems of exchange: the vibrant literary tradition known as Aegyptiaca--or "Egyptian things"--in which culturally mixed authors wrote about Egypt for a Greek and Roman audience. These authors have been dismissed as not really "Egyptian," and their contemporary popularity has been ignored. But as Kelting powerfully argues, this genre in fact constitutes a vibrant intellectual tradition, developed from heterogeneous influences but deeply engaged with Egypt's pharaonic past. In contrast to usual narratives of Roman domination, Kelting uncovers a complex project of political engagement and cultural translation in which Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all participated.

Written by specialists in the field of Egyptology, this book is a readable introduction to ancient Egypt, covering all anticipated subjects and stressing the monuments and material culture of this remarkable ancient civilization. The rich natural resources of ancient Egypt provided a wealth of raw material for its structures, sculptures, and art, while its geographic isolation helped to ensure the survival of its rich culture for centuries. While other references focus on the people and battles central to Egyptian history, this reference explores the material culture and social institutions of ancient Egypt. The book focuses on pharaonic Egypt, covering the period from roughly 5000 BCE to the beginning of the Greco-Roman Period in 320 BCE. At the front of the work, a timeline provides a quick look at the major events in Egyptian history, and an introduction surveys ancient Egypt's physical geography and history. Alphabetically arranged reference entries written by expert contributors then provide fundamental information about the buildings, jewelry, social practices, and other topics related to the material culture and institutions that made up the Egyptian world. Excerpts from primary source historical documents provide evidence for what we know about ancient Egyptian culture, and suggestions for further reading direct users to additional sources of information.

Exploring Enlightenment attitudes toward things and their relation to human subjects, this collection offers a geographically wide-ranging perspective on what the eighteenth century looked like beyond British or British-colonial borders. To highlight trends, fashions, and cultural imports of truly global significance, the contributors draw their case studies from Western Europe, Russia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania. This survey underscores the multifarious ways in which new theoretical approaches, such as thing theory or material and visual culture studies, revise our understanding of the people and objects that inhabit the phenomenological spaces of the eighteenth century. Rather than focusing on a particular geographical area, or on the global as a juxtaposition of regions with a distinctive cultural footprint, this collection draws attention to the unforeseen relational maps drawn by things in their global peregrinations, celebrating the logic of serendipity that transforms the object into some-thing else when it is placed in a new locale.

Egypt looms large in the Western imagination. Whether it is our attraction to pharaonic art, the pyramids or practices of mummification, Egypts unique understanding of materiality speaks to us across space and time. Is it because the ancient Egyptians fetishized material objects that we find their culture captivating today? And what exactly do Egyptian remains tell us about biography, embodiment, memory, materiality, and the self? Object Worlds in Ancient Egypt takes New Kingdom Egypt (1539-1070 BC) as its starting point and considers how excavated objects reveal the complex ways that ancient Egyptians experienced their material world. From life to death, the material world instantiated, reflected and influenced social life and existence for ancient Egyptians. Thus, in Meskells unique approach to the materiality and sensuousness of subjects and objects, we uncover the philosophical, spiritual and human meanings embedded in these cultural artefacts. Meskells book explores the fundamental existential questions that not only preoccupied ancient Egyptians, but continue to fascinate people today. What is the essence of persons and things? How might we understand the situated experiences of material life, the constitution of the object world and its shaping of human experience? How might objects successfully mediate between worlds? In the final analysis, Meskell moves forward through time and examines the consumption and appreciation of these Egyptian material objects in the contemporary world. Materiality is our physical engagement with the world, our medium for inserting ourselves into the fabric of that world and our way of constituting and shaping culture in an embodied and external sense. From that perspective it is very much the domain of anthropology and archaeology.Drawing on a wide range of objects, artefacts, and artwork, from Valley of the Kings through to Las Vegas, Meskell provides an elegant analysis of the aesthetics of ancient Egyptian material culture

The discovery of ancient Egypt and the development of Egyptology are momentous events in intellectual and cultural history. The history of Egyptology is the story of the people, famous and obscure, who constructed the picture of ancient Egypt that we have today, recovered the Egyptian past while inventing it anew, and made a lost civilization comprehensible to generations of enchanted readers and viewers thousands of years later.

Winston was a big man, with jet-black curly hair and great bushy eyebrows that hid merry blue eyes. He was an expert in cybernetics, the science of electronic computer design, and his contributions to the theory of computer operations, and to advanced electronic control systems, were known to scientists around the world. Winston had originally joined the staff to supervise the design and construction of a “thinking machine,” the Tractosaur....FROM THE BOOKS.

The material and intellectual presence of Egypt is at the heart of Western culture, religion and art from Antiquity to the present. This volume aims to provide a long term and interdisciplinary perspective on Egypt and its mnemohistory, taking theories on objects and their agency as its main point of departure. The central questions the book addresses are why, from the first millennium BC onwards, things and concepts Egyptian are to be found in such a great variety of places throughout European history and how we can account for their enduring impact over time. By taking a radically object-oriented perspective on this question, this book is also a major contribution to current debates on the agency of artefacts across archaeology, anthropology and art history.

Shows the intimate relationship between Egypt and Hispania archaeologically, historically, culturally, ethnologically, linguistically, etc. This book reveals the Ancient Egyptian roots of the Romany (Gypsies) and how they brought about the civilization and orientalization of Hispania, over the past 6,000 years. The book also shows the intimate relationship between Egypt and Hispania archaeologically, historically, culturally, ethnologically, linguistically, etc., as a result of the immigration of the Egyptian Romany (Gypsies) to Iberia. This Expanded Version of the book consists of 14 chapters: Chapter one, The Romany (Gypsy) Essence of Hispania, sorts through the subject of the Gypsies and differentiates the Egyptian Romany from non-Egyptian nomadic groups. It highlights their Egyptian characteristics and their different related groups. Chapter two, Our Heavenly Mother, shows how Ancient Egypt and Iberia share the intense love for the Virgin Mother (known in Ancient Egypt as Isis and in Christianity as Mary/Maria). A shortened version of the story of Isis and Osiris is presented, so as to draw parallels between the Ancient Egyptian Isis and the Virgin Mary. The role of Mary/Auset formed the basis for the matrilineal/matriarchal societal framework. This chapter also shows the role of the bull in Ancient Egypt and Iberia, and that the practices of bullfights and running of the bulls in Iberia can only be found in Ancient Egypt, since at least 5,000 years ago. Chapter three, Out of Egypt, gives an overview of the major pitfalls in the common theories about the history of Iberia. It highlights the false chronology and dating in most references. It also highlights the incredible silence in most references about the role of the most populous, wealthiest, and prominent civilization in the ancient world—namely Egypt. It provides the accounts of early Egyptian immigration to other countries, and accounts of some of their early settlements in Asia and Europe. It also provides the general consensus on the population characteristics in Iberia and how the Ancient Egyptians (of all nations in the world) match these characteristics exactly. Chapter four, The Egyptian-Hispanic Alloys, describes the Ancient Egyptian knowledge of metallurgy, and their ability to make numerous metallic alloys. It will show how Ancient Egypt lacked certain minerals to make specific alloys (such as electrum, copper, and bronze), the high demand for metals in Egypt, and how the fluctuation in the production of such goods in Ancient Egypt correlated to the rise and fall of mining activities in Iberia. It also shows the Ancient Egyptian history of organization and management of large mining sites, settlement fortifications, etc. Chapter five, In the Beginning—Almeria, highlights the archaeological findings at the early settlements in several Iberian regions—beginning at Almeria, and correlates these activities in Iberia with Ancient Egypt—to show unique similarities and affinities between Ancient Egypt (in pre- and early dynastic times) and Iberia, in all aspects of religion, architecture, farming, metalworking, etc. Chapter six, Masters of the Seas, shows the supremacy of the Ancient Egypt ships, their sizes, types, and functions. It provides an overview of the Egyptian goods that were sought worldwide. It identifies the patrons (deities) of travel and how they were adopted 100% by others, such as the Phoenicians. Chapter seven, Merchants of the Seas, evaluates the common theory about the role of the Phoenicians/Punics in the history of Iberia, by describing the archaeological and historical evidence in the Phoenicians’ homeland. The evidence is overwhelming that Phoenicia was a vassal of Ancient Egypt and that the Phoenicians copied all aspects of the Ancient Egyptian culture. It shows that Phoenicians were experienced seafarers and traders and nothing else. The Phoenicians did not have the number of people (or the talent) for the farming, art, industry, and building skills necessary to establish new settlements in Iberia or elsewhere. Chapter eight, Canopus and Cádiz: A Tale of Two Harbors, provides a clear history of Cádiz and its role as the western gateway to western Iberia, northern Europe, and the African continent. It shows that the reported fishing and salting techniques as well as its famed dancers were duplicates of the same in Ancient Egypt. It highlights the significance of the Canopus harbors (Alexandria before Alexander), as the center of commerce in the whole world, for thousands of years. It describes the role of the (Egyptian) Hercules/Herakles at Egyptian harbors and how other countries imitated Egypt in this regard. It shows the similarities between the Cádiz harbor with its temples and the harbor at Canopus with its temples. Chapter nine, The Assyrian Devastation and Aftershocks, correlates the rise of power of the Assyrians (and later the Persians), to the waves of mass migration from Ancient Egypt, which coincided with the increase in population and the number of settlements in Iberia. Chapter ten, Romanticizing the Romans, addresses the lack of merit of Romans’ influence in Iberia—in all aspects of Iberian life, such as culture, government, religion, language, society, buildings, etc. Chapter eleven, The Moors and the Egyptians, addresses the falsehoods of credits given to the Moors/Moslems/Arabs. It identifies the true origin of these invaders and how they were removed from the civilized aspects in Iberia, such as farming, housing, gardens, arts, crafts, etc., and how all these aspects and activities were only found in Egypt, before they appeared in Iberia. It also shows the huge number of Egyptian settlers in the areas that are the best farmed in Iberia, such as Algarve and Murcia. Chapter twelve, The Origin of the Hispanic Languages/Dialects, defines the role of the Ancient Egypt language as the mother of all Semitic languages, as well as all other languages/dialects in the Mediterranean Basin and beyond. Chapter thirteen, The Animated Religious Traditions, shows how the people of both Egypt and the Iberian Peninsula share the same concept of Animism, the power of saints, religious pilgrimages, festivals, etc. It also describes the role of Ancient Egypt in Priscillianism, which was (and continues to be) widespread. It also relates the fate of Priscillian to the pilgrimage and traditions at Santiago de Compostela. It shows that the history and practices of confraternities in Catholic-ruled Iberia (and southern Italy) coincide exactly with “Sufi” Orders in Islamized countries, and that the fundamentals and practices of these mystical groups under Islamic and Christian rules are of Ancient Egyptian origin. Chapter fourteen, The Egyptian-Hispanic Musical Heritage, shows the intimacy between the Egyptians and Iberian heritage as it relates to music, poetry, song, and dance. It shows that the Ancient Egyptians—not the Moors—are the source of music, singing, dancing, and poetry in the Iberian Peninsula. It highlights the role of the (Egyptian) Romany as the performers of these activities in the Iberian Peninsula. It describes the major celebratory musical activities in both Egypt and the Iberian Peninsula.

In this beautifully illustrated and closely argued book, a completely updated and much expanded third edition of his magisterial survey, Curl describes in lively and stimulating prose the numerous revivals of the Egyptian style from Antiquity to the present day. Drawing on a wealth of sources, his pioneering and definitive work analyzes the remarkable and persistent influence of Ancient Egyptian culture on the West. The author deftly develops his argument that the civilization of Ancient Egypt is central, rather than peripheral, to the development of much of Western architecture, art, design, and religion. Curl examines: the persistence of Egyptian motifs in design from Graeco-Roman Antiquity, through the Medieval, Baroque, and Neo-Classical periods rise of Egyptology in the nineteenth and twentieth-century manifestations of Egyptianisms prompted by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb various aspects of Egyptianizing tendencies in the Art Deco style and afterwards. For students of art, architectural and ancient history, and those interested in western European culture generally, this book will be an inspiring and invaluable addition to the available literature.

This book reveals several aspects of the Ancient Egyptian culture, such as the very remote antiquities of Egypt; the Egyptian characteristics and religious beliefs and practices; their social/political system; their cosmic temples; the richness of their language; musical heritage and comprehensive sciences; their advanced medicine; their vibrant economy; excellent agricultural and manufactured products; their transportation system; and much more. This Expanded Edition of the book consists of four Parts with a total of 16 Chapters, as well as three Appendices. Part I : The Peoples of Egypt consists of four chapters 1 through 4, as follows: Chapter 1: The Beginning covers the age of the Egyptian antiquities being at least 39000 years, in accordance with archaeological, historical and physical evidence; the Age of Leo and the Sphinx; as well as the age of the Egyptian Sothic calendar which is by far the most accurate calendar ever. Chapter 2: The Egyptian Populous covers the roots and characteristics of the [Ancient]Egyptian people, their housings, their settlements throughout the world; and the roles of foreigners in the history of Ancient Egypt. Chapter 3: The Most Religious covers Egyptian cosmology; monotheism and polytheism; animal symbolism ,creation of the universe, the concept of Maat; and the spread of the Ancient Egyptian religion throughout the world under new "names". Chapter 4: The Social/Political Order covers the basis and applications of the matrilineal/matriarchal principles; the matrilocal communities; the Egyptian grassroots republic system; the dual overseeing/administration governing system; and the documentation order of all matters in the Egyptian society Part II : The Cosmic Correlations consists of three chapters 5 through 7, as follows: Chapter 5: As Above, So Below covers the principles and applications of cosmic consciousness in the life of the Egyptians; and the cyclical renewal festivals as a form of such principles Chapter 6: The Pharaoh, The Cosmic Link covers the true rule of the Egyptian pharaoh as a Master Servant; how did the people rule; and much more. Chapter 7: Egyptian Temples provides a quick overview of the real function/objective of the Egyptian temple; the harmonic design parameters; and much more. Part III : The Learned Egyptian consists of five chapters 8 through 12, as follows: Chapter 8: The Divine Language provides a quick overview of the modes of writing in Ancient Egypt -- the alphabetical form of writing and the imagery pictorial metaphysical symbols/script ; as well as the cultured aspects of the Egyptian alphabetical language Chapter 9: The Egyptian Musical Heritage provides a quick overview of its musical heritage; the musical orchestras; the wide range of musical instruments; as well as dancing and ballet in Ancient Egypt. Chapter 10; Health and Medicine provides a quick overview about the international highest regards for Egyptian medicine; its medical profession; contents of the some Egyptian medical papyri regarding diagnosis, cures and treatments of various ailments, surgeries; and the wide range of prescriptions Chapter 11: Astronomy covers the astonishing accurate astronomical knowledge and practices such as astronomical observations and recordings, the zodiac cycle,etc Chapter 12: Geometry and Mathematics covers a quick overview of the subjects of sacred geometry and natural science, geodesy, mathematics & numerology; as well as their knowledge and applications of the sacred “ratios” of Pi and Phi. Part IV : The Vibrant Economy consists of four chapters 13 through 16, as follows: Chapter 13: The Cultivating Culture covers the outstanding application of dry-weather farming techniques; societal division of labor; and the farming community Chapter 14; The Manufacturing Industries covers The Egyptian knowledge of metallurgy & metalworking; their golden silver (electrum) products; their copper and bronze products; their glazing (glass and glazing) products; their iron products; their mining activities; miscellaneous products such as woodwork; fabrics; pottery; leather; paper; as well as some miscellaneous technological applications Chapter 15: Transportation Infrastructure covers a quick overview of the various high quality types of the Egyptian ships; major Egyptian coastal harbors; land transportation; as well as patrons and shrines of travel Chapter 16: The Market Economy covers the workings of the Egyptian market economy; business transactions; Egyptian exports (goods and services); Egyptian imports; as well as the rise and fall of international commerce, that was tied to Ancient Egypt as the economical engine of the ancient world. The contents of the three appendices are evident from their titles; being: Appendix A: Photographs -- The Rising Valley Appendix B: Photographs -- The Age of Leo and The Sphinx Appendix C: Photographs -- Astronomy