Early Dynastic Egypt [Paperback]

Toby A.H. Wilkinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0415260116 | ISBN-13: 978-0415260114 | Edition: New Ed

Early Dynastic Egypt spans the five centuries preceding the construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza. This was the formative period of ancient Egyptian civilization, and it witnessed the creation of a distinctive culture that was to endure for 3,000 years. This book examines the background to that great achievement, the mechanisms by which it was accomplished, and the character of life in the Nile valley during the first 500 years of Pharaonic rule.
The results of over thirty years of international scholarship and excavation are presented in a single highly illustrated volume. It traces the re-discovery of Early Dynastic Egypt, explains how the dynasties established themselves in government and concludes by examining the impact of the early state on individual communities and regions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'At last there is available a comprehensive, scholarly synthesis of the formative period of Egyptian history ... magisterial ... the extraordinary scope and outstanding quality of this synthesis make it a work of scholarship of the highest quality and utility and a major contribution to Egyptology. Wilkinson has established a reputation for himself as a scholar of formidable talent and productivity.' - Bruce G. Trigger, Chronique d'Egypte

About the Author

Toby A.H. Wilkinson is a fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Archaeology, University of Durham. His publications include State Formation in Egypt (1996) and Royal Annals of Ancient Egypt (2000). He has just lead a successful expedition to the desert of Eastern Egypt and unearthed some of the earliest and most extensive Egyptian rock art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; New Ed edition (August 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415260116
• ISBN-13: 978-0415260114
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent summary of a burgeoning sub-field in Egyptology, August 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Early Dynastic Egypt (Hardcover)

This book replaces W.B. Emery's Archaic Egypt as the standard English-language introduction to the early dynatic period. It is a fine synthesis of the last century of work in the field and in specialist journals, including many recent discoveries (e.g., cemetary U at Umm-el-Qaab) and the most important discussions (e.g., Seidlmayer,Renee Friedman). Especially strong in dealing with the "new" archeology, the most important original contribution of this work is its analysis of royal administration in the 1st through 3rd dynasties. If the book does have a weakness, it is in its catalog-like treatment of religion: but the major references are given for the reader to follow out even here.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Professional Reference - "General Readers" Beware, December 21, 2004

By 

Michael Gunther (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Early Dynastic Egypt (Paperback)

"Early Dynastic Egypt" is an excellent - indeed, probably indispensible - professional reference. However, it isn't necessarily suitable for most "general readers," even those who already know something about ancient Egypt.

The amount of factual detail in this book is overwhelming, as befits a scholarly work, but there is not enough interpretation or explanation to make the archaeology come alive for a non-professional reader. The book's lack of illustration (other than confusing line drawings of early dynastic seals) is another minus, both for scholars and general readers alike.

I was also surprised at Wilkinson's non-quantitative treatment of the archaeological record. Important numbers like population estimates and enclosure dimensions seem largely absent from this book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must-have for all serious Egyptology students, August 16, 2001

By 

Francesca Jourdan (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Early Dynastic Egypt (Hardcover)

In this stunning book, the author chronicles the cultural, religious, economic and political developments which led to the construction of the pyramids. Divided in three parts, the author provides convincing evidence in relation to the five topics discussed herein, i.e. administration, contacts with foreign lands, establishment of divine kingship, royal tombs, and early Egyptian religion. A remarkable publication with great photography. Highly recommended for the interested student or scholar.