Product Description

This book surveys the main kinds of urban settlement and town planning that existed in ancient Egypt before the Hellenistic period. The evolution and growth of Predynastic villages is traced as an essential prelude to the much greater achievements of the Pharaohs in establishing first towns and then cities. The later growths are shown to be of two basic types, royal foundations and those which underwent a natural expansion throughout history. From this they are classified as constituting various standard types based on function: provincial centres, planned workmen's villages, military and frontier towns, towns inhabited by funerary priests and, ultimately, royal residences and the capitals. The range of size and material is tremendous, covering small closely knit communities of a few hundred people, towns with several thousand inhabitants and vast cities, as large as any in the ancient world, with tens of thousands of citizens.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314098 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 72 pages

About the Author
Eric Uphill read History, Archaeology and Egyptology at Cambridge before taking part in excavations with the late Professor W. B. Emery at Saqqara in Egypt and the fortress of Buhen in the Sudan. He was a lecturer in Egyptology and Archaeology for the Faculty of Continuing Education, Birkbeck College, and is an Honoary Research Fellow of the Department of Egyptology of University College London.

Customer Reviews

excellent book on a little-known subject
Main kinds of settlement and town planning are explained in details. The author discusses the evolution of villages into important cities; he also writes about the various types of housing, including royal residences and mansions. Frontier and military towns, workmen's villages and nome capitals are discussed and developed with much archaeological evidence. An informative book, illustrated with numerous maps; recommended for the interested reader or student. -- Francesca Jourdan

Excellent
I have been to Egypt, the first time was in 1993, and I made my mind up that I'd like to study Egyptology, which I am now in my second year with Exeter University.

A great little book by Eric P Uphill.

This book shows you the different ways that the Ancient Egyptians lived, and how their nomadic ways eventually altered to building tiny settlements and the larger towns as the population grew. Plenty of plans and photographs to give us an insight into the way they lived.

It makes an excellent edition to my little Egyptian library, which now stands at nearly 1000 books on this subject. :-)