Discovering Tutankhamun : from Howard Carter to the Golden City /
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"Penned by one of the world's best known Egyptologists, former Egyptian minister of state for antiquities Zahi Hawass, who was personally involved in research into the enigmatic young pharaoh, this revised and updated edition of Discovering Tutankhamun reviews the current state of our knowledge about the life, death, and burial of Tutankhamun in light of the latest investigations and newest technology, including the CT scans that finally revealed the identity of Tutankhamun's mother. Hawass places the king in the broader context of Egyptian history, unraveling the intricate and much debated relationship between various members of the royal family, and the circumstances surrounding the turbulent Amarna period. He also succinctly explains the religious background and complex beliefs in the afterlife that defined and informed many features of Tutankhamun's tomb. The history of the exploration of the Valley of the Kings is discussed, as well as the background and mutual relationships of the main protagonists. The tomb and its most important treasures are described and illustrated, and the modern X-raying and CT-scanning of the king's mummy are presented in detail. The description of the latest DNA examination of the mummies of Tutankhamun and members of his family, much of which was never made known to the public, is one of the most absorbing parts of the book and demonstrates that scientific methods may produce results that cannot be paralleled by traditional Egyptology. This updated and revised edition recounts untold stories from 1922 about Howard Carter and his momentous discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. It also includes a whole new chapter dedicated to the Golden City, which was founded by Amenhotep III, shedding new light on our knowledge of Thebes' landscape in the reign of Tutankhamun and the end of the New Kingdom."-- Provided by publisher.
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"A book for the centennial of the discovery." :
317 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 29 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9781649034632
Instructions for the netherworld : the Orphic gold tablets /
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Orphic gold tables are key documents for the knowledge of rites and beliefs of Orphics, an atypical group that configured a highly original creed and that influenced powerfully over other Greek writers and thinkers. The recent discovery of some tablets has forced a noteworthy modification of some points of view and a review ofthe different hypothesis proposed about them. The book presents a complete edition of the texts, their translation and some fundamental keys for their interpretation, in an attempt at updating our current knowledge on Orphic ideas about the soul and the Afterlife stated in those texts. The work is improved with an appendix of iconographic annotations in which some plastic representations in drawings are reproduced related to the universe of tablets, selected and commented on by Ricardo Olmos.
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1 online resource (xii, 379 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047423744 :
0927-7633 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Zar : spirit possession, music, and healing rituals in Egypt /
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"Zar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by causing ailments for their hosts, which require ritual reconciliation, a private sacrificial rite practiced routinely by the afflicted devotees. Originally spread from Ethiopia to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf through the nineteenth-century slave trade, in Egypt zar has incorporated elements from popular Islamic Sufi practices, including devotion to Christian and Muslim saints. The ceremonies initiate devotees-the majority of whom are Muslim women-into a community centered on a cult leader, a membership that provides them with moral orientation, social support, and a sense of belonging. Practicing zar rituals, dancing to zar songs, and experiencing trance restore their well-being, which had been compromised by gender asymmetry and globalization.This new ethnographic study of zar in Egypt is based on the author's two years of multi-sited fieldwork and firsthand knowledge as a participant, and her collection and analysis of more than three hundred zar songs, allowing her to access levels of meaning that had previously been overlooked. The result is a comprehensive and accessible exposition of the history, culture, and waning practice of zar in a modernizing world"--Front flap of book jacket.
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xi, 180 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 24 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-171) and index. :
9789774166976