How well do we really know ancient Egypt? The world of the Egyptians seems so familiar to us: exhibitions of ancient art and archaeological discoveries in the desert sands continue to generate interest and amazement, while Egyptian motifs appear in architecture, in literature, in art works, in advertising and in films. And yet, so much of what we take for granted is based on quite wildly inaccurate information that has been spreading since the days of classical antiquity and the Renaissance. It is only in the last 200 years ...
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How well do we really know ancient Egypt? The world of the Egyptians seems so familiar to us: exhibitions of ancient art and archaeological discoveries in the desert sands continue to generate interest and amazement, while Egyptian motifs appear in architecture, in literature, in art works, in advertising and in films. And yet, so much of what we take for granted is based on quite wildly inaccurate information that has been spreading since the days of classical antiquity and the Renaissance. It is only in the last 200 years that we have even been able to read for ourselves the writings of the ancient Egyptians - so it is hardly surprising that the myths which have built up in the preceding 2,000 years are so tough to dispel. But this is what the internationally acclaimed Egyptologist Thomas Schneider here attempts to do: he asks What are the 101 single most important questions about ancient Egypt? The questions he has chosen - and the answers he provides - challenge almost everything we thought we knew about the ancient civilisation in the Nile valley. They range from the surprising (Why did upper class Egyptians never wear a beard?) to the profound (Was ancient Egypt a culture of death? ) and the provocative (What do we NOT know about ancient Egypt?) but all the answers will surprise, inspire and challenge a wide range of readers. In the process, they provide a completely fresh way of looking at all aspects of ancient Egypt - from history, art and everyday life to religion and ancient attitudes to death and the afterlife.
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