A history of ancient Egypt
These fine works both reflect the increasingly interdisciplinary approach embraced over the last 20 years by Egyptology, once fiercely proud of its academic borders and rooted in philological studies. Grimal (Egyptology, Sorbonne) has written a history of Egypt from its beginnings to the conquest of Alexander, drawing upon textual and archaeological sources. Scholarly without being pedantic, this gracefully written book never becomes tedious, even in matters of chronological argument. Grimal's insight into the essence of ancient Egyptian culture and reinterpretation of its relations with outsiders throughout its history give the book additional value. Strouhal, a Czech physical anthropologist and archaeologist, has drawn upon a variety of sources, including texts, evidence from tomb reliefs and townsites, and, most remarkably, skeletal remains, to study aspects of the daily life of Egyptian farmers, craftspeople, and scribes. Arranged thematically, this work includes information on Egyptian life from childbirth to death, including such areas as education, diet, the status of women, the building of pyramids and royal tombs, and medicine. It evokes the atmosphere and feeling of Egyptian life through text and illustrations. Both books belong in collections for lay readers as well as scholars.- Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.