Product Description

For the ancient Egyptians, the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1700 BC) was a classical period of art, history and literature. The Twelfth Dynasty was one of the strongest ever to rule on the banks of the Nile: some of its kings were later worshipped as local gods, and were made famous by classical Greek authors. Yet Egyptologists tend not to look beyond the extraordinary royal sculpture and literary masterpieces of the time. Although the picture is fragmentary, as with any archaeological record, the last two hundred years of exploration and excavation have revealed much of the splendour of the period. This book examines the evidence for the culture, history and society of both central and provincial Egypt at the time, revealing the wealth of the entire country. Too often overshadowed by the better-preserved architecture of other periods, "Middle Kingdom Egypt" emerges for the reader as a fascinating age in its own right.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #471566 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
Wolfram Grajetzki is the author of several books including most recently Burial Customs in Ancient Egypt (2003, also published by Duckworth) and studies of Tarkhan and Harageh.

Customer Reviews

An important handbook of the Middle Kingdom
Dr. Wolfgang Grajetzki is a well-known scientist to the Amazon Customers (also myself presented two of his studies: "Burial Customs in Ancient Egypt: Life in Death for Rich and Poor", and "Harageh: An Egyptian Burial Ground for the Rich around 1800 BC" ). His current publication rightly can be considered a trilogy. The first section of the book defines as far as possible the history of the Middle Kingdom. What is quite correct is that the author doesn't stop his enquiry with the end of the XII-th Dynasty, but included in his presentation the three parts of the XIII-th Dynasty, also. The second section, named "Archaeology and Geography" is a well documented description of the administrative units of Ancient Egypt- the nomes - , each of them with the most relevant temples, tombs and settlements. The Middle Kingdom is a reference era in the history of Ancient Egypt. It is thought about a classical period due to the political stability, the artistic and literary works considered prototypes, and for the features of the language, the later used both for royal and religious writings. The author based his disquisition on material and written evidence. Usually, the texts and monuments reflect the views of the ruling class. Ancient Egypt was a hierarchical society, feature expressed by what we consider "art" and words. Dr. Grajetzki thinks that Ancient Egypt was a controlled society, but he underlines: "An ancient prescriptive state might be freer than any modern western societies in practical terms". In the third section of his book, the author examined the individuals outside the ruling class (peasants, herdsman, craftsmen etc.), and the ruling classes (the local leaders, persons who conduct the royal residence, the high officials of the state, the king, and the royal family). The author clearly expressed that according to the texts, the king was responsible on everything that happened in the daily life of the Egyptians. Through this excellent reference book, Dr. Grajetzki presents one of the most coherent pictures about the Middle Kingdom.