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The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and its People
“In the process of reconstituting a long-vanished city, the meticulously assembled book also brings to life the exotic, almost alien society once housed there.” ― Publishers Weekly
A city of temples, royal palaces, civic offices, and elite tombs―and of small-scale mud-brick dwellings too―Amarna was an urban village where most of its citizens were only two or three steps removed in the social scale from the king. Barry Kemp evokes the sights and smells of Amarna itself, bringing to life its people--not only the royal family, but also prominent citizens such as the high priest Panehsy, the vizier Nakht, the general Ramose, and the sculptor Thutmose, whose bust of Nefertiti is one of the masterpieces of ancient art.
The excavations reveal that, although Akhenaten had overturned the old religion and introduced worship of the Aten, the sun’s disk, beneath the surface the old belief in the traditional Egyptian gods continued. Likewise themes of abundance and prosperity depicted in the art are contradicted by new cemetery evidence showing malnutrition in childhood, skeletal injuries, and early death. Insights such as these, together with the beautiful and profuse illustrations, make this volume essential reading for anyone interested in the history of urbanism, the mysterious Amarna interlude, and the enigmatic Akhenaten and Nefertiti, who have fascinated writers as diverse as Sigmund Freud and Noel Coward. 287 illustrations, 53 in color
A city of temples, royal palaces, civic offices, and elite tombs―and of small-scale mud-brick dwellings too―Amarna was an urban village where most of its citizens were only two or three steps removed in the social scale from the king. Barry Kemp evokes the sights and smells of Amarna itself, bringing to life its people--not only the royal family, but also prominent citizens such as the high priest Panehsy, the vizier Nakht, the general Ramose, and the sculptor Thutmose, whose bust of Nefertiti is one of the masterpieces of ancient art.
The excavations reveal that, although Akhenaten had overturned the old religion and introduced worship of the Aten, the sun’s disk, beneath the surface the old belief in the traditional Egyptian gods continued. Likewise themes of abundance and prosperity depicted in the art are contradicted by new cemetery evidence showing malnutrition in childhood, skeletal injuries, and early death. Insights such as these, together with the beautiful and profuse illustrations, make this volume essential reading for anyone interested in the history of urbanism, the mysterious Amarna interlude, and the enigmatic Akhenaten and Nefertiti, who have fascinated writers as diverse as Sigmund Freud and Noel Coward. 287 illustrations, 53 in color
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2012
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291 people want to read
About the author
Barry J. Kemp
25 books16 followersProfessor Barry Kemp is Emeritus Professor of Egyptology at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge. He has been Field Director at Tell el-Amarna since 1977, pioneering excavations formerly for the Egypt Exploration Society, and now as The Amarna Project supported by the Amarna Trust. His important publications include Amarna Reports, I-VI (EES, 1984-95) and Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilisation (Routledge, 2nd ed., 2006).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 10, 2014
Outstanding book about Akhetaten and the archaeology that's been going on there. I would've liked a bit more about the people, particularly, the royal family, but Kemp's book is incredibly detailed and informative, with lots of excellent maps, line drawings, and photos. Excellent resource about this intriguing period in Egypt's history.
November 29, 2012
Barry Kemp's The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti is built on more than three decades of work in Tell el-Amarna, and gives readers a glimpse of what life was like in the city of Akhetaten (now better known as Amarna) during the reign of Akhenaten.
Kemp covers a broad range of topics, including clothing, households, industry, palace apartments, and spiritual life. In doing so, readers are given an intense look at daily life at Amarna during its brief life as the cult-centre for the Aten. Kemp's image of the city is realistic and believable, in spite of the fascination and the general weirdness associated with Akhenaten.
The text of the book is complimented by numerous illustrations. Rarely is an item or image referenced without it also appearing in the book. A decent percentage of these illustration are either reconstructions or photographs of models, really allowing the reader the envision the city in its heyday.
It should be obvious that the book is focused Amarna as a city, rather than its kings or innovation. Reading this book will bring the city to life, but it is unlikely to provide great amounts of insight on Akhenaten's reign or personality, and those looking for that should look elsewhere. However, it does compliment other resources that do, and allows for greater insight on Akhenaten and his "revolution". This is often accomplished by producing evidence that quietly contradicts some of the myths about Akhenaten and Amarna.
For example, we are conditioned to assume that Akhenaten was a monotheist, that he tolerated no other gods but the Aten (and other, select solar gods, such as Re). However, Kemp produces evidence of that the old, faithful household gods of Bes, Taweret and even Hathor were still being worshipped openly in Amarna. Kemp even mentions an object bearing the name of Amun-Re, a god that was seemingly taboo in Akhenaten's eyes. However, with all of this comes question why Akhenaten did attack the name of Amun, even to the point of attacking his own father's name in order to remove the Amun element.
Of course, there are many unknowable elements to Ancient Egypt, in particular the Amarna period, to his credit, Kemp does point these elements out when they arise. He is also open about when he's offering his opinion in place of fact.
At first flick-through, it becomes clear that Barry Kemp's The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People is a must-have resource on the Amarna period. Reading the book only confirms such a view, as it gives readers a chance to see Amarna come alive.
Kemp covers a broad range of topics, including clothing, households, industry, palace apartments, and spiritual life. In doing so, readers are given an intense look at daily life at Amarna during its brief life as the cult-centre for the Aten. Kemp's image of the city is realistic and believable, in spite of the fascination and the general weirdness associated with Akhenaten.
The text of the book is complimented by numerous illustrations. Rarely is an item or image referenced without it also appearing in the book. A decent percentage of these illustration are either reconstructions or photographs of models, really allowing the reader the envision the city in its heyday.
It should be obvious that the book is focused Amarna as a city, rather than its kings or innovation. Reading this book will bring the city to life, but it is unlikely to provide great amounts of insight on Akhenaten's reign or personality, and those looking for that should look elsewhere. However, it does compliment other resources that do, and allows for greater insight on Akhenaten and his "revolution". This is often accomplished by producing evidence that quietly contradicts some of the myths about Akhenaten and Amarna.
For example, we are conditioned to assume that Akhenaten was a monotheist, that he tolerated no other gods but the Aten (and other, select solar gods, such as Re). However, Kemp produces evidence of that the old, faithful household gods of Bes, Taweret and even Hathor were still being worshipped openly in Amarna. Kemp even mentions an object bearing the name of Amun-Re, a god that was seemingly taboo in Akhenaten's eyes. However, with all of this comes question why Akhenaten did attack the name of Amun, even to the point of attacking his own father's name in order to remove the Amun element.
Of course, there are many unknowable elements to Ancient Egypt, in particular the Amarna period, to his credit, Kemp does point these elements out when they arise. He is also open about when he's offering his opinion in place of fact.
At first flick-through, it becomes clear that Barry Kemp's The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People is a must-have resource on the Amarna period. Reading the book only confirms such a view, as it gives readers a chance to see Amarna come alive.
March 10, 2013
Excellent technical review of both the excavations and the knowledge acquired. Does go into some depth regarding inferences, such as daily life. Not really for a causual reader because it is so detailed. The reader should have a deep interest in the subject. Well-written and challenging, I recommend it to anyone interested in Akhenaten or the time period.
November 8, 2015
Usually I expect most 'history' reads to be dry and force one to nod off every other line or do with it's energy-sapping ways... This book surprised me in that, it wasn't dry at all! It wasn't un-put-down able either but it engaged the reader in a way a lot of history books fail in, making the subject interesting without trying to hard to sticking too close to 'just the facts'.
May 17, 2019
I am pretty deceived by this book. I hoped to find answers to the history of Akhenaten and the Amarna period. I am halfway through the book and all I read is description of the what may have been buildings with very little historical value. Unless you are interested where Akhenaten MIGHT HAVE taken a bath or received his guests I strongly suggest to skip this book.
January 8, 2024
The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People by Barry J. Kemp is a detailed and comprehensive account of Professor Kemp’s findings during the 35 years he spent excavating the ancient city of Akhetaten, known as Tell el-Amarna, in Egypt.
Professor Kemp explores every aspect of this ancient site. He begins with Akhenaten’s vision to establish a city in the middle of the desert dedicated to the worship of Aten, the sun-god. From there he goes on to explore the city’s available resources; its physical lay out; the pharaoh’s palaces/apartments; the city’s inhabitants, including their quality of life, clothing, food, and spiritual lives. He concludes with an overall view of the city’s very nature.
This is not a study of the lives Akhenaten and Nefertiti. It is very much an analysis of the site’s excavations and what they reveal about its structure, architecture, and inhabitants. Professor Kemp describes in painstaking detail the size of buildings and records the measurements of even the smallest objects. He analyzes each item and describes its composition and the location of its discovery. The extensive technical details can get overwhelming in their intricacy, but the work as a whole is fascinating. Although we are introduced to some prominent characters who lived and worked in Amarna, the focus is squarely on the archaeological findings. Included in this comprehensive study are drawings, extraordinarily beautiful color plates, and photographs of reconstructions and models of the city. There is also an extensive bibliography, notes, index, and list of illustrations.
In his analysis of the site’s excavations, Professor Kemp contests modern notions of cities, work places, homes, and living space. He provides an intense and penetrative view of the life at Amarna, a place he describes as an “urban village.” The study does not provide insight into the person of Akhenaten or the aftermath of his brief reign. But Professor Kemp does dispel some of the mythology surrounding Akhenaten, specifically that Akhenaten required strict and exclusive worship of Aten. Evidence has been unearthed that demonstrates former household gods were still worshipped in Amarna, suggesting there was more flexibility in spiritual leanings than had previously been assumed.
This definitive study of Amarna is highly recommended. It is an invaluable resource for information on a fascinating interlude in the civilization of ancient Egypt.
My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com
Professor Kemp explores every aspect of this ancient site. He begins with Akhenaten’s vision to establish a city in the middle of the desert dedicated to the worship of Aten, the sun-god. From there he goes on to explore the city’s available resources; its physical lay out; the pharaoh’s palaces/apartments; the city’s inhabitants, including their quality of life, clothing, food, and spiritual lives. He concludes with an overall view of the city’s very nature.
This is not a study of the lives Akhenaten and Nefertiti. It is very much an analysis of the site’s excavations and what they reveal about its structure, architecture, and inhabitants. Professor Kemp describes in painstaking detail the size of buildings and records the measurements of even the smallest objects. He analyzes each item and describes its composition and the location of its discovery. The extensive technical details can get overwhelming in their intricacy, but the work as a whole is fascinating. Although we are introduced to some prominent characters who lived and worked in Amarna, the focus is squarely on the archaeological findings. Included in this comprehensive study are drawings, extraordinarily beautiful color plates, and photographs of reconstructions and models of the city. There is also an extensive bibliography, notes, index, and list of illustrations.
In his analysis of the site’s excavations, Professor Kemp contests modern notions of cities, work places, homes, and living space. He provides an intense and penetrative view of the life at Amarna, a place he describes as an “urban village.” The study does not provide insight into the person of Akhenaten or the aftermath of his brief reign. But Professor Kemp does dispel some of the mythology surrounding Akhenaten, specifically that Akhenaten required strict and exclusive worship of Aten. Evidence has been unearthed that demonstrates former household gods were still worshipped in Amarna, suggesting there was more flexibility in spiritual leanings than had previously been assumed.
This definitive study of Amarna is highly recommended. It is an invaluable resource for information on a fascinating interlude in the civilization of ancient Egypt.
My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com
July 13, 2023
Barry Kemp provides an authoritative and detailed view of the city of Akhetaten, the city of Pharaoh Akhenaten, now Amarna in Middle Egypt.
The text is accessible for the general reader, covering the main aspects of the city, while explaining the reasons behind the city’s construction and ultimate decline. The many plates, maps and diagrams provide visual support for Kemp’s text. Kemp succeeds in bringing to life the lost city of Akhenaten, with his in depth knowledge of the period and of the site itself.
The text is accessible for the general reader, covering the main aspects of the city, while explaining the reasons behind the city’s construction and ultimate decline. The many plates, maps and diagrams provide visual support for Kemp’s text. Kemp succeeds in bringing to life the lost city of Akhenaten, with his in depth knowledge of the period and of the site itself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2019
A good clear account of more than 30 years digging on the site of Amarna. For what is essentially a final archaeological report on the site this is a well written piece, interesting and engaging and really looking at the people of the city rather than the pharaoh himself and the royal family. I learned a lot from this book and really feel like I have a better understanding of the archaeological site itself.
Want to read
January 17, 2013932.014 KEMP
September 5, 2013
The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and Its People by Barry Kemp is an outstanding book! The colour photos are wonderful and the book itself is well written and informative.
June 11, 2018
Excellent book! Well worth the read. 4****
Want to read
April 29, 2018on OhioLink
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews