The Lost Tombs of Thebes: Ancient Egypt: Life in Paradise
The foothills of the Theban massif, not far from Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, are filled with hundreds of impressive tombs from the New Kingdom belonging to the people who served the pharaohs. Just a handful are open to the public; many others are closed and can be visited only by scholars; still others have been hidden under villages built over the past centuries and have only recently been discovered.\ Written by world-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and illustrated with spectacular new...
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Illuminates the intriguing and mysterious landscape of Thebes and the lives of the nobles who lived there in Egypt's Golden Age.Library JournalHawass (secretary-general, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt; King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb) has a down-to-earth approach to Egyptology that makes his subject readily accessible. Again working with photographer Vannini, he turns his attention to the tombs of the nobles in the Theban necropolis, selecting those of 81 officials who served the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (c.1539–1069 B.C.E.), presenting them with full-color illustrations (some panoramic foldouts) in coffee table-book format. The titular "lost tombs" refer to the inclusion not only of tombs normally visited by tourists but of many that are rarely accessible—and then only to scholars. Hawass authoritatively discusses the function and architecture of the tombs, their decoration, the items buried with their owners, the cultic aspects of the quest for eternal life, and the detrimental effects of explorers and vandals, ancient and modern. In the final chapter, he focuses on current attempts to save the Valley of the Nobles (by relocating villages) and presents a survey of international expeditions now engaged in epigraphic and preservation efforts. VERDICT This spectacular publication is highly recommended for anyone, general or specialist, with an interest in ancient Egypt.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL
\ Library JournalHawass (secretary-general, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt; King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb) has a down-to-earth approach to Egyptology that makes his subject readily accessible. Again working with photographer Vannini, he turns his attention to the tombs of the nobles in the Theban necropolis, selecting those of 81 officials who served the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (c.1539–1069 B.C.E.), presenting them with full-color illustrations (some panoramic foldouts) in coffee table-book format. The titular "lost tombs" refer to the inclusion not only of tombs normally visited by tourists but of many that are rarely accessible—and then only to scholars. Hawass authoritatively discusses the function and architecture of the tombs, their decoration, the items buried with their owners, the cultic aspects of the quest for eternal life, and the detrimental effects of explorers and vandals, ancient and modern. In the final chapter, he focuses on current attempts to save the Valley of the Nobles (by relocating villages) and presents a survey of international expeditions now engaged in epigraphic and preservation efforts. VERDICT This spectacular publication is highly recommended for anyone, general or specialist, with an interest in ancient Egypt.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL\ \
