The Tomb in Ancient Egypt

by Aidan Dodson, Salima Ikram

A richly illustrated and complete account of the development and significance of the tomb in ancient Egypt.

From the pyramids and royal burial ground in the Valley of the Kings to the tombs of queens such as Ramesses II's consort Nefertari and the far larger number of private tombs of nobles like Rekhmire and Ramose, The Tomb in Ancient Egypt is an unparalleled guide for Egyptophiles everywhere.

Besides the paintings, reliefs, and statues adorning their walls, many tombs show the breathtaking skill of ancient architects, and autobiographical texts found inside several tombs give rare insights into Egyptian life. We read of Harkhuf's African explorations, returning with the gift of a dancing dwarf to his boy-king, Pepy II, and we learn how General Amenemhab saved his king's life when the king was charged by an enraged elephant.

Written by two experts in the field and the authors of The Mummy in Ancient Egypt , this new book traces burial practices in Egypt over three millennia, from the dawn of Egyptian history to the Roman domination. It also illuminates the work of key scholars who excavated and catalogued their finds for posterity, and it includes a comprehensive list of the principal cemeteries, with glossary and maps for ease of reference. 350 illustrations, 40 in color.

Genres: History, Egypt, Nonfiction, Egyptology

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 18, 2007

About the author

Aidan Dodson is Honorary Professor of Egyptology in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol, UK, was Simpson Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo in 2013, and Chair of the Egypt Exploration Society during 2011–16. Awarded his PhD by the University of Cambridge in 1995, he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2003. He is the author of some twenty-five books, including Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (AUC Press, 2019), Rameses III, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife (AUC Press, 2019), Amarna Sunrise: Egypt from Golden Age to Age of Heresy (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2016), Afterglow of Empire: Egypt from the Fall of the New Kingdom to the Saite Renaissance (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2020), Poisoned Legacy: The Fall of the 19th Egyptian Dynasty (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2016), Amarna Sunset: Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, Ay, Horemheb, and the Egyptian Counter-Reformation (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2018), and Monarchs of the Nile (AUC Press, paperback edition, 2015). Professor Dodson has also written on naval history from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day.

Reviews

[Russell Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read many tomes on Ancient Egypt, I was pleasantly surprised to learn new things about tombs by looking at how they changed and updated over time. A great resource in that most important of Ancient Egyptian structures: the Tomb.

[AskHistorians]

Comprehensive and full of beautiful pictures to properly track evolution of funerary culture.

[DAJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books about Egyptian burial customs are generalized, focused on mummies, or focused on a particular set of tombs (like The Complete Pyramids or The Complete Valley of the Kings). It can therefore be difficult to keep track of the various types of tombs used by non-royals in various periods, or to know what tombs were like in eras from which not much evidence has survived. Dodson and Ikram are here to fill the gap, and while Thames & Hudson likes to cover a topic from every angle, these authors take it to a whole new level.

Short chapters on afterlife beliefs and the relationship of the tomb with the rest of society are followed by long chapters on the study of Egyptian tombs and their decoration. Then comes the chronological development of the tomb, from Predynastic to Roman times. Most chapters are subdivided into chronological sections on a dynasty or group of dynasties, each of which has a heading for royal tombs and private tombs. Lesser-known subjects, like the eclectic variety of Third Intermediate Period tombs or the mixture of Hellenistic and Egyptian motifs in Greco-Roman tombs, are well covered here. Nearly every page has photos or illustrations, making it easy to get a feel for the art styles and tomb layouts for each period. The book is hefty, but like most Thames & Hudson books, it makes excellent use of the space. It would be hard to produce a better book on the subject than this.