Nefertiti, queen and pharaoh of Egypt : her life and afterlife /
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During the last half of the fourteenth century BC, Egypt was perhaps at the height of its prosperity. It was against this background that the "Amarna Revolution" occurred. Throughout, its instigator, King Akhenaten, had at his side his Great Wife, Nefertiti. When a painted bust of the queen found at Amarna in 1912 was first revealed to the public in the 1920s, it soon became one of the great artistic icons of the world. Nefertiti's name and face are perhaps the best known of any royal woman of ancient Egypt and one of the best recognized figures of antiquity, but her image has come in many ways to overshadow the woman herself. 0Nefertiti's current world dominion as a cultural and artistic icon presents an interesting contrast with the way in which she was actively written out of history soon after her own death. This book explores what we can reconstruct of the life of the queen, tracing the way in which she and her image emerged in the wake of the first tentative decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs during the 1820s-1840s, and then took on the world over the next century and beyond. 0All indications are that her final fate was a tragic one, but although every effort was made to wipe out Nefertiti's memory after her death, modern archaeology has rescued the queen-pharaoh from obscurity and set her on the road to today's international status.
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xii, 172 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 25 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789774169908
Tutankhamun, King of Egypt : his life and afterlife /
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"The spectacular discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 has given him an afterlife that has all but eclipsed the young king's real career. This authoritative yet accessible book tells the story of Tutankhamun, from his own lifetime in the fourteenth century BC, down to modern times. It explores the various theories as to his parentage, his role in the 'counter-reformation' that followed the religious revolution of Akhenaten, and his premature death. It also looks at the monuments built during the king's reign, his key officials, and the arrangements made for his funeral. Moving forward in time, Tutankhamun, King of Egypt considers the way in which Tutankhamun was written out of official history. The story is then picked up again in the early nineteenth century AD when, with the first decipherment of hieroglyphs, Tutankhamun's name could once again be read, and the problem of his place in history considered by Egyptologists. Aidan Dodson traces possible solutions through the decades as more and more data came to light, culminating in the discovery of the king's tomb. Yet, dazzling as that discovery was, many matters regarding Tutankhamun remain obscure today, even with the aid of genetic data. Dodson also looks at how the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb brought about the first of many outbreaks of "Tut-mania," and explores some of its manifestations. Richly illustrated in full color throughout, this fascinating book by a leading Egyptologist will be essential reading for anyone interested in the life and enduring legacy of ancient Egypt's most famous king."--
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xiii, 202 pages : illustrations (some color), color maps ; 25 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9781649031617