This book is the necessary concomitant to the first volume of the hieroglyphic edition of Ramessi... more This book is the necessary concomitant to the first volume of the hieroglyphic edition of Ramesside Inscriptions (KRI, I) and its companion set of translations (RITA, I), covering the reigns of Ramesses I (c.1295-1294 bc) and his son and successor Sethos I (c.1294-1279 bc). For each text published in KRI, I, there is a strictly corresponding Section (identically numbered and described) in this volume. Each such Section contains always two parts, and a third when needed. First (a) a basic (not exhaustive) bibliography; second (b) 'general notes' which are intended for a wide audience of scholars, students and informed layfolk, not solely for professional Egyptologists; third, when appropriate (c) 'special comments' which follow up on more technical details, mainly of interest to fellow Egyptologists (though not always exclusively). Arranged by category, this volume covers foreign wars and diplomacy (esp. dated), then internal affairs (dated documents, special topics or groups), a geographical series of royal monuments (from north to south), the principal documents of the reign (papryi, ostraca, letters, legal documents, and the like), in addition to further inscriptions pertaining to the royal family. A further twenty-eight categories are devoted to the private monuments of the principal administrators of the Empire, along with the vast store of documentation pertaining to the activities of the royal artisans from the village of Deir el-Medina in western Thebes. First published in 1993 by Blackwell Publishers (Oxford & Cambridge, Mass.), this volume has been entirely redesigned and is issued here for the first time in a handsome softback version.
In recent years, new areas of Egyptological research have opened up and aspects briefly examined ... more In recent years, new areas of Egyptological research have opened up and aspects briefly examined in the past have come under more concentrated focus. Chariot construction, harnesses and equipment, and the use of chariots, especially in battle, have been well-examined and understood, but the driving force of the chariot — the horse — has been overlooked, until now. This publication sheds light, for the first time, on the real origins of the Egyptian horse and tells the story of its journey to the valley of the Nile. Using the beauty and the informative detail contained in a myriad of tombs and temples, as well as the osteological evidence, Dr Turner has revealed the nature and appearance of the Egyptian horse and the changes that took place in it over time as the Egyptians mastered its use and adapted it to their specific needs. As Egypt began to adapt to this new resource, the horse’s ownership and use percolated through the social hierarchy from the pharaoh downwards. It avoided mundane uses and always remained a special creature, instilled with spirit, energy and prestige and a particular source of pride for those fortunate enough to possess a chariot team. Egypt was irrevocably changed by the arrival of the horse, “Equus Caballus”. Aggressive kings used massed chariot divisions to create and expand Egypt’s New Kingdom empire. New occupations and new logistical activities and technologies developed to support them, and the appreciation of the horse per se seeped into art and literature.
This inaugural volume in a new series of Deir el-Medina research presents a collection of eleven ... more This inaugural volume in a new series of Deir el-Medina research presents a collection of eleven essays by some of the leading experts on the royal workmen’s community. The studies included here explore such themes as: the composition and evolution of the royal workforce; surveys of royal tombs in the Valley of the Queens in the time of Ramesses iii; an update on an on-going project into the analysis of graffiti left by members of the community; domestic and funerary architecture; the identification of individual artistic styles; textual investigation into two new Kemyt ostraca; an overview of the working methodology of Jaroslav Černý, the grandfather of Deir el-Medina studies; an overview into the continuing work at TT 2–2B; and two studies into objects recently discovered at the workmen’s ‘col’ station by the Finnish mission (Workmen’s Huts in the Theban Mountains). This range of topics amply demonstrates how continuing work on the physical remains of the village and its textual legacy remains in rude health. Preparations for the second volume in this series is well underway, with an anticipated publication date in 2025.
This publication explores the animal husbandry practices and their relevance in the daily life of... more This publication explores the animal husbandry practices and their relevance in the daily life of the Egyptians of the Old and Middle Kingdoms and their modern day parallels, of which there are many. Such a study is paramount in understanding how the ancient Egyptians ministered to their herds and developed their unique understanding of farmed animal behaviour. By an examination of scenes of daily life taken from chapel and tomb wall art as they relate to animal husbandry practices from the Old and Middle Kingdoms, Dr Jones compares and contrasts these illustrated practices with “modern” day examples, where applicable. In many cases, his research has indicated that nothing has changed over the period of 5,000 years in many parts of the world, thus emphasising that the ancient Egyptians were highly advanced and skilled in their understanding of those animals that were the focus of their husbandry practices. These practices are the basis of many activities that are still in vogue in parts of the developed and undeveloped worlds.
The aim of Professor Kenneth Kitchen's magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple-to make avail... more The aim of Professor Kenneth Kitchen's magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple-to make available the principal historical and biographical texts of the Ramesside age (c.1300-1070 bc) in a comprehensive, compact and accurate edition that should be comprehensive but handy to use. It does not, however, include purely literary, ritual and funerary texts. This book presents the hieroglyphic texts from the long, prosperous and relatively well-sourced reign of Ramesses II (c.1279-1213 bc). The previous volume (II) made available the 'official' and royal records issued or engraved in the king's name, personifying (as he did) the effective government of ancient Egypt for his time. Here, by contrast, we have records that concern primarily , or were left us by, the king's subjects at all levels of society, from viziers and viceroys at the head of the royal administration (along with priesthoods and the military) down through society's echelons to the workmen who laboured in the royal tombs in Western Thebes (based in Deir el-Medina village) and the humble folk that served them. For Deir el-Medina, both collective ('official') records and the mementos of individuals and families have been kept together , not to split up data that in effect belong together. First published in twenty-eight individual fascicles between 1978 and 1980 by B. H. Blackwell (Oxford), this volume is reprinted here for the first time in a single, handsome, book.
This work presents a study of physical interpersonal violence in New Kingdom and Greco-Roman Egyp... more This work presents a study of physical interpersonal violence in New Kingdom and Greco-Roman Egypt, based on the documentary texts of the workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina and the Demotic documentary evidence, supplemented by Late Egyptian and Demotic literature. Through a comparative approach, the author questions the most relevant way of defining and studying this social phenomenon for ancient Egypt. Through the analysis of the mechanisms of expression and resolution of interpersonal violence, as well as case studies on the protagonists of violent conflicts, this study highlights the characteristics and similarities of the expression and regulation of interpersonal violence during the New Kingdom and the Graco-Roman era, offering an approach that provides a focus on the continuities of sociology over the fluctuations of politics. Christine Hue-Arcé has held a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Strasbourg since 2015, and is an associate member of UMR 7044 – Archimède. A teaching assistant at the Faculty of Historical Sciences in Strasbourg, her research centres on the social history of New Kingdom Egypt and the Greco-Roman era, with a particular focus on the family as the cornerstone of ancient Egyptian society, as well as the place of women in their kinship networks.
The late Ramesside period is often overlooked in favor of the scores of objects produced during t... more The late Ramesside period is often overlooked in favor of the scores of objects produced during the earlier parts of the New Kingdom and the succeeding Third Intermediate Period. These objects have often been neglected or given little academic attention due to the problematic understanding of the reigns of the last kings of the New Kingdom and the changes that Egypt underwent during the subsequent Third Intermediate Period. For the first time, this catalogue comprises all known examples of royal, three-dimensional statuary, including complete statues, statue fragments and statue bases, collected and studied in terms of provenance, material, inscription and stylistic analysis. Additionally, there are chapters on statues no longer considered late Ramesside and royal shabtis, as well as an introductory essay on the history of the late Ramesside Period. This catalogue brings together these objects in a cohesive volume intended for a wide spectrum of users, including Late New Kingdom specialists, art historians and general Egyptologists.
Throughout history, societies have faced threats to their stability and very existence, which was... more Throughout history, societies have faced threats to their stability and very existence, which was certainly true of the Sixth Dynasty of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. In these years the country experienced royal assassination, religious, constitutional and administrative problems, as well as economic deterioration and growing threats from neighbouring societies — factors ultimately associated with the collapse of one of the most stable societies of the ancient world. The present text seeks to understand the nature of these challenges that faced the Egyptian nation and the country’s failure to adopt corrective responses. As a result a number of lines of investigation were chosen — to marshal and organise available evidence relating to the Memphite administration of the later Old Kingdom and the provincial evidence from Upper Egypt pertaining to the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. The recent re-excavation and recording of these sites, many by the Australian Centre for Egyptology (Macquarie University), and the progress made in the study of dating and chronology, provided more accurate data and a reliable time frame for its interpretation.
The present, ninth volume of Ramesside Inscriptions, compiled and edited by Dr. Joshua A. Roberso... more The present, ninth volume of Ramesside Inscriptions, compiled and edited by Dr. Joshua A. Roberson, collects Hieratic and Hieroglyphic documents of historical and biographical interest, which have been published since 1989, when the final text volume of Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions: Historical and Biographical series first appeared. The 385 texts anthologized in this new collection are presented in Hieroglyphic transcription, typeset digitally with internal and external line numbers for easy reference, primary bibliography, and select philological and palaeographic notes. The content of this material spans the full chronological range of the Ramesside Period, from Ramesses I through Ramesses XI. The subject matter is heterogeneous, including documents relating to local administration, state-sponsored construction, execution of criminals, military actions, and the accession and death of kings, among others. A series of indices, including object numbers, toponyms, ethnonyms, private names, private titles, posthumous royal names, and divine names, round out the volume and increase its utility as a tool for research.
Lying in the most fertile region of Upper Egypt, El-Qusiya was a hugely important province during... more Lying in the most fertile region of Upper Egypt, El-Qusiya was a hugely important province during the Old Kingdom. As administrative centre for the vizier, El-Qusiya played a significant role in the politics of the Sixth Dynasty. It possesses some of the best preserved elite tombs of the period, the opulence of which bears testament to the power, influence and affluence of their owners. The two cemeteries of El-Qusiya — Quseir el-Amarna and Meir — have recently been re-excavated and recorded in full by the Australian Centre for Egyptology. This new monograph presents a detailed examination of the archaeological, artistic and inscriptional evidence from these tombs with the aim of establishing more precisely the genealogy, chronology and backgrounds of members of the local nobility. Through a studied analysis of the titles held by the governors of El-Qusiya, Dr Lashien's book also explores the extent of the involvement of these high officials in both regional and national affairs. Furthermore, considerable attention has been paid to establishing the identity of the elite craftsmen responsible for the decoration of the El-Qusiya tombs and the sources from which they drew their artistic inspiration.
Ancestor worship—both royal and private (i.e., non-royal)—formed a major part in the religious li... more Ancestor worship—both royal and private (i.e., non-royal)—formed a major part in the religious life of the inhabitants of the ancient Egyptian settlement of Deir el-Medina, and images of royal ancestors figured prominently on their private monuments. This book focuses on the post-mortem deification of royal figures—the means by which worship was enacted, what it meant for the participants involved, and the relationship between these “deities” and the living. It also discusses the position of deified royal ancestors within the ancient Egyptian divine hierarchy, as well as the effect that social status had on the degree of access that an individual could have to his/her gods. The evidence used is mainly restricted to material dating from the New Kingdom (18th–20th Dynasties), ranging from scenes in tombs at Deir el-Medina to personal stelae, offering-tables, door-jambs, and non-literary sources written on papyri and ostraca from the village. This fascinating new work also contains a detailed catalogue of those monuments from Deir el-Medina on which evidence for royal ancestor worship can be detected.
A forthcoming thoroughly revised edition of the previous version of the Visitors' graffiti; conce... more A forthcoming thoroughly revised edition of the previous version of the Visitors' graffiti; concerns visitors' texts of a New Kingdom date in the Memphite royal pyramid complexes, including history of graffiti and a systematic textual and contextual analysis of the texts. Also includes new archive material. The graffiti in the Memphite necropolis certainly pose a challenge – for new research, for a new mapping and a systematic re-editing, as well as for comparative perspectives with graffiti corpora in Assiut, Beni Hasan and Thebes. They reveal aspects of social and cultural history in the New Kingdom. It was a period that was marked by new – or newly formulated – phenomena in the Egyptian state and cultural development, and therefore may be repeatedly questioned in the context of internal changes and challenges inside Egyptian society, notably for instance, the identities of Dynasty 18 elites, the innovative archaism or tradition of the period, and also the making of skilled worker communities. Specific communities might have been characterised by graffiti making – from interested courtiers and high echelon administrators to craftsmen to apprentice administrators – “scribes”. The timing of graffiti is also not without interest, both on a macro- and micro-scale. In the larger perspective, peaks in Thutmoside graffiti production preceded major building activities of the kings; in micro-aspect, local feasts might have played a role in the actual scheduling of the visit. Graffiti were also left as a mark in the landscape – which was a combination of a memorial place and a place to be tamed – the desert and was recognised as a “memoscape” of importance for local and national memories. The spaces visitors’ graffiti were left in almost always had a degree of liminality – in macro-space a physical ambiguity of the desert, or in a micro-space the peculiar character of a doorway or a gate. There is also liminality of a cultural space – the funerary monument, the chapel where the dead meet the living. It was perhaps a daring, although in the end culturally coherent practice to commemorate oneself in this manner. The strive for personal commemoration lingered throughout the graffiti making of the New Kingdom, despite the fact that the royal identity aspect perhaps waned to be replaced by a new emphasis on local cults.
The purpose of Professor Kenneth Kitchen’s magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple—to make a... more The purpose of Professor Kenneth Kitchen’s magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple—to make available the principal historical and biographical texts of the Ramesside age (c.1300–1070 bc) in a comprehensive, compact and accurate edition that should be comprehensive but handy to use. It does not, however, include purely literary, ritual and funerary texts.
Almost all of the texts in this volume come from the very beginning of this new era in Egypt’s history at the beginning of the 13th century bc—either from the reign of Ramesses I, founding father of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty, or that of his dynamic son and successor Sethos I. As Ramesses I reigned only into his second year, and the reign of Sethos I lasted between eleven and fifteen years, virtually everything here dates within a span of only twelve/seventeen years, at most.
Arranged by category, this hieroglyphic edition covers foreign wars and diplomacy (esp. dated), then internal affairs (dated documents, special topics or groups), a geographical series of royal monuments (from north to south), the principal documents of the reign (papryi, ostraca, letters, legal documents, and the like), in addition to further inscriptions pertaining to the royal family. A further twenty-eight categories are devoted to the private monuments of the principal administrators of the Empire, along with the vast store of documentation pertaining to the activities of the royal artisans from the village of Deir el-Medina in western Thebes.
First published in eight individual fascicles between 1969 and 1975 by B. H. Blackwell (Oxford), this volume is here re-printed for the first time in a single, handsome, book.
By investigating the documentary evidence from the royal workmen’s community at Thebes, Wage Acco... more By investigating the documentary evidence from the royal workmen’s community at Thebes, Wage Accounting in Deir el-Medina provides a comprehensive overview of the processes by which the state paid its employees their monthly grain rations. The present study analyses seasonal fluctuations in the delivery schedule, the frequency of payments, the classes of workmen found listed in the ration texts, and the amounts of grain that they individually received. That so much of the pertinent material can be dated so precisely has proven invaluable to the establishment of patterns and failures within the wage payment system. The specialised terminology and vocabulary employed by the scribes responsible for compiling these payment records has also been examined in order to ascertain the specific meaning and use of words and phrases. Through an examination of the palaeography and composition of wage records it has been possible to demonstrate just how the scribes went about the work of reporting grain shipments to the village of Deir el-Medina. By way of conclusion, a model is presented that reconstructs the physical processes by which grain made its journey from harvest to the village homes of the necropolis workmen.
Marking the retirement from Waseda University of Professor Jiro Kondo, this collection of thirty-... more Marking the retirement from Waseda University of Professor Jiro Kondo, this collection of thirty-seven essays, written by friends, colleagues and former students — including many world-renowned academics — serves as a timely recognition of the career and achievements of one of Japan’s most distinguished and well-respected Egyptologists. Many of the contributions presented in this Festschrift volume are devoted to the exploration of themes which are closely aligned with Professor Kondo’s own main research areas — the archaeology of Ancient Egypt, the reign and monumental art of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III, and the development of west Theban royal and private tombs of the New Kingdom. These contributions include a wealth of new archaeological discoveries, unpublished material, and new interpretations and perspectives concerning a wide range of subjects. The volume is abundantly illustrated with colour photographs, maps and line drawings. https://www.abercrombypress.com/books/the-star-who-appears-in-thebes-studies-in-honour-of-jiro-kondo/
Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII complements the s... more Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII complements the seventh volume of Kitchen's seminal hieroglyphic texts (KRI VII) and its companion volume of translations (KRITA VII) that cover the period between Ramesses I and Ramesses XI.
This newly published reference work contains the supplementary inscriptions which were not included in the original publication (vols. I-VI), as well as improved readings in KRI VII that reflect a better understanding of the ancient sources. Following a practical and efficient format, each text is presented in its historical context and includes a list of principal references, succinct introductory notes, and comments on specific points of historical, biographical, and philological interest.
Provides detailed notes and comments on the wide range of inscriptions in Kitchen’s Ramesside Inscriptions, Volume VII and Translations, Volume VII Features new readings based on current scholarship, such as the detailed accounts of mining expeditions during the first years of the reign of Ramesses VII Contains inscriptions relating to members of the Ramesside royal family, as well as civil, military, and ecclesiastical administrators. Includes discussions of graffiti, funerary monuments, and personal documents from the royal workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina
A unique source of knowledge for understanding Ancient Egypt, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII, is a must-have for academic scholars and advanced students of Egyptology
This book is the necessary concomitant to the first volume of the hieroglyphic edition of Ramessi... more This book is the necessary concomitant to the first volume of the hieroglyphic edition of Ramesside Inscriptions (KRI, I) and its companion set of translations (RITA, I), covering the reigns of Ramesses I (c.1295-1294 bc) and his son and successor Sethos I (c.1294-1279 bc). For each text published in KRI, I, there is a strictly corresponding Section (identically numbered and described) in this volume. Each such Section contains always two parts, and a third when needed. First (a) a basic (not exhaustive) bibliography; second (b) 'general notes' which are intended for a wide audience of scholars, students and informed layfolk, not solely for professional Egyptologists; third, when appropriate (c) 'special comments' which follow up on more technical details, mainly of interest to fellow Egyptologists (though not always exclusively). Arranged by category, this volume covers foreign wars and diplomacy (esp. dated), then internal affairs (dated documents, special topics or groups), a geographical series of royal monuments (from north to south), the principal documents of the reign (papryi, ostraca, letters, legal documents, and the like), in addition to further inscriptions pertaining to the royal family. A further twenty-eight categories are devoted to the private monuments of the principal administrators of the Empire, along with the vast store of documentation pertaining to the activities of the royal artisans from the village of Deir el-Medina in western Thebes. First published in 1993 by Blackwell Publishers (Oxford & Cambridge, Mass.), this volume has been entirely redesigned and is issued here for the first time in a handsome softback version.
In recent years, new areas of Egyptological research have opened up and aspects briefly examined ... more In recent years, new areas of Egyptological research have opened up and aspects briefly examined in the past have come under more concentrated focus. Chariot construction, harnesses and equipment, and the use of chariots, especially in battle, have been well-examined and understood, but the driving force of the chariot — the horse — has been overlooked, until now. This publication sheds light, for the first time, on the real origins of the Egyptian horse and tells the story of its journey to the valley of the Nile. Using the beauty and the informative detail contained in a myriad of tombs and temples, as well as the osteological evidence, Dr Turner has revealed the nature and appearance of the Egyptian horse and the changes that took place in it over time as the Egyptians mastered its use and adapted it to their specific needs. As Egypt began to adapt to this new resource, the horse’s ownership and use percolated through the social hierarchy from the pharaoh downwards. It avoided mundane uses and always remained a special creature, instilled with spirit, energy and prestige and a particular source of pride for those fortunate enough to possess a chariot team. Egypt was irrevocably changed by the arrival of the horse, “Equus Caballus”. Aggressive kings used massed chariot divisions to create and expand Egypt’s New Kingdom empire. New occupations and new logistical activities and technologies developed to support them, and the appreciation of the horse per se seeped into art and literature.
This inaugural volume in a new series of Deir el-Medina research presents a collection of eleven ... more This inaugural volume in a new series of Deir el-Medina research presents a collection of eleven essays by some of the leading experts on the royal workmen’s community. The studies included here explore such themes as: the composition and evolution of the royal workforce; surveys of royal tombs in the Valley of the Queens in the time of Ramesses iii; an update on an on-going project into the analysis of graffiti left by members of the community; domestic and funerary architecture; the identification of individual artistic styles; textual investigation into two new Kemyt ostraca; an overview of the working methodology of Jaroslav Černý, the grandfather of Deir el-Medina studies; an overview into the continuing work at TT 2–2B; and two studies into objects recently discovered at the workmen’s ‘col’ station by the Finnish mission (Workmen’s Huts in the Theban Mountains). This range of topics amply demonstrates how continuing work on the physical remains of the village and its textual legacy remains in rude health. Preparations for the second volume in this series is well underway, with an anticipated publication date in 2025.
This publication explores the animal husbandry practices and their relevance in the daily life of... more This publication explores the animal husbandry practices and their relevance in the daily life of the Egyptians of the Old and Middle Kingdoms and their modern day parallels, of which there are many. Such a study is paramount in understanding how the ancient Egyptians ministered to their herds and developed their unique understanding of farmed animal behaviour. By an examination of scenes of daily life taken from chapel and tomb wall art as they relate to animal husbandry practices from the Old and Middle Kingdoms, Dr Jones compares and contrasts these illustrated practices with “modern” day examples, where applicable. In many cases, his research has indicated that nothing has changed over the period of 5,000 years in many parts of the world, thus emphasising that the ancient Egyptians were highly advanced and skilled in their understanding of those animals that were the focus of their husbandry practices. These practices are the basis of many activities that are still in vogue in parts of the developed and undeveloped worlds.
The aim of Professor Kenneth Kitchen's magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple-to make avail... more The aim of Professor Kenneth Kitchen's magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple-to make available the principal historical and biographical texts of the Ramesside age (c.1300-1070 bc) in a comprehensive, compact and accurate edition that should be comprehensive but handy to use. It does not, however, include purely literary, ritual and funerary texts. This book presents the hieroglyphic texts from the long, prosperous and relatively well-sourced reign of Ramesses II (c.1279-1213 bc). The previous volume (II) made available the 'official' and royal records issued or engraved in the king's name, personifying (as he did) the effective government of ancient Egypt for his time. Here, by contrast, we have records that concern primarily , or were left us by, the king's subjects at all levels of society, from viziers and viceroys at the head of the royal administration (along with priesthoods and the military) down through society's echelons to the workmen who laboured in the royal tombs in Western Thebes (based in Deir el-Medina village) and the humble folk that served them. For Deir el-Medina, both collective ('official') records and the mementos of individuals and families have been kept together , not to split up data that in effect belong together. First published in twenty-eight individual fascicles between 1978 and 1980 by B. H. Blackwell (Oxford), this volume is reprinted here for the first time in a single, handsome, book.
This work presents a study of physical interpersonal violence in New Kingdom and Greco-Roman Egyp... more This work presents a study of physical interpersonal violence in New Kingdom and Greco-Roman Egypt, based on the documentary texts of the workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina and the Demotic documentary evidence, supplemented by Late Egyptian and Demotic literature. Through a comparative approach, the author questions the most relevant way of defining and studying this social phenomenon for ancient Egypt. Through the analysis of the mechanisms of expression and resolution of interpersonal violence, as well as case studies on the protagonists of violent conflicts, this study highlights the characteristics and similarities of the expression and regulation of interpersonal violence during the New Kingdom and the Graco-Roman era, offering an approach that provides a focus on the continuities of sociology over the fluctuations of politics. Christine Hue-Arcé has held a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Strasbourg since 2015, and is an associate member of UMR 7044 – Archimède. A teaching assistant at the Faculty of Historical Sciences in Strasbourg, her research centres on the social history of New Kingdom Egypt and the Greco-Roman era, with a particular focus on the family as the cornerstone of ancient Egyptian society, as well as the place of women in their kinship networks.
The late Ramesside period is often overlooked in favor of the scores of objects produced during t... more The late Ramesside period is often overlooked in favor of the scores of objects produced during the earlier parts of the New Kingdom and the succeeding Third Intermediate Period. These objects have often been neglected or given little academic attention due to the problematic understanding of the reigns of the last kings of the New Kingdom and the changes that Egypt underwent during the subsequent Third Intermediate Period. For the first time, this catalogue comprises all known examples of royal, three-dimensional statuary, including complete statues, statue fragments and statue bases, collected and studied in terms of provenance, material, inscription and stylistic analysis. Additionally, there are chapters on statues no longer considered late Ramesside and royal shabtis, as well as an introductory essay on the history of the late Ramesside Period. This catalogue brings together these objects in a cohesive volume intended for a wide spectrum of users, including Late New Kingdom specialists, art historians and general Egyptologists.
Throughout history, societies have faced threats to their stability and very existence, which was... more Throughout history, societies have faced threats to their stability and very existence, which was certainly true of the Sixth Dynasty of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. In these years the country experienced royal assassination, religious, constitutional and administrative problems, as well as economic deterioration and growing threats from neighbouring societies — factors ultimately associated with the collapse of one of the most stable societies of the ancient world. The present text seeks to understand the nature of these challenges that faced the Egyptian nation and the country’s failure to adopt corrective responses. As a result a number of lines of investigation were chosen — to marshal and organise available evidence relating to the Memphite administration of the later Old Kingdom and the provincial evidence from Upper Egypt pertaining to the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. The recent re-excavation and recording of these sites, many by the Australian Centre for Egyptology (Macquarie University), and the progress made in the study of dating and chronology, provided more accurate data and a reliable time frame for its interpretation.
The present, ninth volume of Ramesside Inscriptions, compiled and edited by Dr. Joshua A. Roberso... more The present, ninth volume of Ramesside Inscriptions, compiled and edited by Dr. Joshua A. Roberson, collects Hieratic and Hieroglyphic documents of historical and biographical interest, which have been published since 1989, when the final text volume of Kenneth Kitchen's Ramesside Inscriptions: Historical and Biographical series first appeared. The 385 texts anthologized in this new collection are presented in Hieroglyphic transcription, typeset digitally with internal and external line numbers for easy reference, primary bibliography, and select philological and palaeographic notes. The content of this material spans the full chronological range of the Ramesside Period, from Ramesses I through Ramesses XI. The subject matter is heterogeneous, including documents relating to local administration, state-sponsored construction, execution of criminals, military actions, and the accession and death of kings, among others. A series of indices, including object numbers, toponyms, ethnonyms, private names, private titles, posthumous royal names, and divine names, round out the volume and increase its utility as a tool for research.
Lying in the most fertile region of Upper Egypt, El-Qusiya was a hugely important province during... more Lying in the most fertile region of Upper Egypt, El-Qusiya was a hugely important province during the Old Kingdom. As administrative centre for the vizier, El-Qusiya played a significant role in the politics of the Sixth Dynasty. It possesses some of the best preserved elite tombs of the period, the opulence of which bears testament to the power, influence and affluence of their owners. The two cemeteries of El-Qusiya — Quseir el-Amarna and Meir — have recently been re-excavated and recorded in full by the Australian Centre for Egyptology. This new monograph presents a detailed examination of the archaeological, artistic and inscriptional evidence from these tombs with the aim of establishing more precisely the genealogy, chronology and backgrounds of members of the local nobility. Through a studied analysis of the titles held by the governors of El-Qusiya, Dr Lashien's book also explores the extent of the involvement of these high officials in both regional and national affairs. Furthermore, considerable attention has been paid to establishing the identity of the elite craftsmen responsible for the decoration of the El-Qusiya tombs and the sources from which they drew their artistic inspiration.
Ancestor worship—both royal and private (i.e., non-royal)—formed a major part in the religious li... more Ancestor worship—both royal and private (i.e., non-royal)—formed a major part in the religious life of the inhabitants of the ancient Egyptian settlement of Deir el-Medina, and images of royal ancestors figured prominently on their private monuments. This book focuses on the post-mortem deification of royal figures—the means by which worship was enacted, what it meant for the participants involved, and the relationship between these “deities” and the living. It also discusses the position of deified royal ancestors within the ancient Egyptian divine hierarchy, as well as the effect that social status had on the degree of access that an individual could have to his/her gods. The evidence used is mainly restricted to material dating from the New Kingdom (18th–20th Dynasties), ranging from scenes in tombs at Deir el-Medina to personal stelae, offering-tables, door-jambs, and non-literary sources written on papyri and ostraca from the village. This fascinating new work also contains a detailed catalogue of those monuments from Deir el-Medina on which evidence for royal ancestor worship can be detected.
A forthcoming thoroughly revised edition of the previous version of the Visitors' graffiti; conce... more A forthcoming thoroughly revised edition of the previous version of the Visitors' graffiti; concerns visitors' texts of a New Kingdom date in the Memphite royal pyramid complexes, including history of graffiti and a systematic textual and contextual analysis of the texts. Also includes new archive material. The graffiti in the Memphite necropolis certainly pose a challenge – for new research, for a new mapping and a systematic re-editing, as well as for comparative perspectives with graffiti corpora in Assiut, Beni Hasan and Thebes. They reveal aspects of social and cultural history in the New Kingdom. It was a period that was marked by new – or newly formulated – phenomena in the Egyptian state and cultural development, and therefore may be repeatedly questioned in the context of internal changes and challenges inside Egyptian society, notably for instance, the identities of Dynasty 18 elites, the innovative archaism or tradition of the period, and also the making of skilled worker communities. Specific communities might have been characterised by graffiti making – from interested courtiers and high echelon administrators to craftsmen to apprentice administrators – “scribes”. The timing of graffiti is also not without interest, both on a macro- and micro-scale. In the larger perspective, peaks in Thutmoside graffiti production preceded major building activities of the kings; in micro-aspect, local feasts might have played a role in the actual scheduling of the visit. Graffiti were also left as a mark in the landscape – which was a combination of a memorial place and a place to be tamed – the desert and was recognised as a “memoscape” of importance for local and national memories. The spaces visitors’ graffiti were left in almost always had a degree of liminality – in macro-space a physical ambiguity of the desert, or in a micro-space the peculiar character of a doorway or a gate. There is also liminality of a cultural space – the funerary monument, the chapel where the dead meet the living. It was perhaps a daring, although in the end culturally coherent practice to commemorate oneself in this manner. The strive for personal commemoration lingered throughout the graffiti making of the New Kingdom, despite the fact that the royal identity aspect perhaps waned to be replaced by a new emphasis on local cults.
The purpose of Professor Kenneth Kitchen’s magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple—to make a... more The purpose of Professor Kenneth Kitchen’s magisterial Ramesside Inscriptions is simple—to make available the principal historical and biographical texts of the Ramesside age (c.1300–1070 bc) in a comprehensive, compact and accurate edition that should be comprehensive but handy to use. It does not, however, include purely literary, ritual and funerary texts.
Almost all of the texts in this volume come from the very beginning of this new era in Egypt’s history at the beginning of the 13th century bc—either from the reign of Ramesses I, founding father of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty, or that of his dynamic son and successor Sethos I. As Ramesses I reigned only into his second year, and the reign of Sethos I lasted between eleven and fifteen years, virtually everything here dates within a span of only twelve/seventeen years, at most.
Arranged by category, this hieroglyphic edition covers foreign wars and diplomacy (esp. dated), then internal affairs (dated documents, special topics or groups), a geographical series of royal monuments (from north to south), the principal documents of the reign (papryi, ostraca, letters, legal documents, and the like), in addition to further inscriptions pertaining to the royal family. A further twenty-eight categories are devoted to the private monuments of the principal administrators of the Empire, along with the vast store of documentation pertaining to the activities of the royal artisans from the village of Deir el-Medina in western Thebes.
First published in eight individual fascicles between 1969 and 1975 by B. H. Blackwell (Oxford), this volume is here re-printed for the first time in a single, handsome, book.
By investigating the documentary evidence from the royal workmen’s community at Thebes, Wage Acco... more By investigating the documentary evidence from the royal workmen’s community at Thebes, Wage Accounting in Deir el-Medina provides a comprehensive overview of the processes by which the state paid its employees their monthly grain rations. The present study analyses seasonal fluctuations in the delivery schedule, the frequency of payments, the classes of workmen found listed in the ration texts, and the amounts of grain that they individually received. That so much of the pertinent material can be dated so precisely has proven invaluable to the establishment of patterns and failures within the wage payment system. The specialised terminology and vocabulary employed by the scribes responsible for compiling these payment records has also been examined in order to ascertain the specific meaning and use of words and phrases. Through an examination of the palaeography and composition of wage records it has been possible to demonstrate just how the scribes went about the work of reporting grain shipments to the village of Deir el-Medina. By way of conclusion, a model is presented that reconstructs the physical processes by which grain made its journey from harvest to the village homes of the necropolis workmen.
Marking the retirement from Waseda University of Professor Jiro Kondo, this collection of thirty-... more Marking the retirement from Waseda University of Professor Jiro Kondo, this collection of thirty-seven essays, written by friends, colleagues and former students — including many world-renowned academics — serves as a timely recognition of the career and achievements of one of Japan’s most distinguished and well-respected Egyptologists. Many of the contributions presented in this Festschrift volume are devoted to the exploration of themes which are closely aligned with Professor Kondo’s own main research areas — the archaeology of Ancient Egypt, the reign and monumental art of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III, and the development of west Theban royal and private tombs of the New Kingdom. These contributions include a wealth of new archaeological discoveries, unpublished material, and new interpretations and perspectives concerning a wide range of subjects. The volume is abundantly illustrated with colour photographs, maps and line drawings. https://www.abercrombypress.com/books/the-star-who-appears-in-thebes-studies-in-honour-of-jiro-kondo/
Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII complements the s... more Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII complements the seventh volume of Kitchen's seminal hieroglyphic texts (KRI VII) and its companion volume of translations (KRITA VII) that cover the period between Ramesses I and Ramesses XI.
This newly published reference work contains the supplementary inscriptions which were not included in the original publication (vols. I-VI), as well as improved readings in KRI VII that reflect a better understanding of the ancient sources. Following a practical and efficient format, each text is presented in its historical context and includes a list of principal references, succinct introductory notes, and comments on specific points of historical, biographical, and philological interest.
Provides detailed notes and comments on the wide range of inscriptions in Kitchen’s Ramesside Inscriptions, Volume VII and Translations, Volume VII Features new readings based on current scholarship, such as the detailed accounts of mining expeditions during the first years of the reign of Ramesses VII Contains inscriptions relating to members of the Ramesside royal family, as well as civil, military, and ecclesiastical administrators. Includes discussions of graffiti, funerary monuments, and personal documents from the royal workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina
A unique source of knowledge for understanding Ancient Egypt, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII, is a must-have for academic scholars and advanced students of Egyptology
Making full use of the thousands of documentary texts preserved from Deir el-Medina and its envir... more Making full use of the thousands of documentary texts preserved from Deir el-Medina and its environs, this Handbook explores the methods used by the artisans in the design and creation of exquisitely-crafted tombs for their royal masters, as well as revealing the minutiae of everyday working life in the royal tombs of the Ramesside period. It has also mined this unique treasure trove of documentation in order to delve deeply into the colourful world of life within an ancient Egyptian community. It presents a society in microcosm, founded upon a highly developed system of personal piety and spirituality, an incredibly intricate and thriving network of personal business dealings, and a local legal system designed to dispense justice when the moral code was deemed to have been violated. Also featuring in this book are many well-known personalities whose actions (good or bad) are indelibly etched on the history of the village.
The present, ninth volume of Ramesside Inscriptions, compiled and edited by Joshua A. Roberson, c... more The present, ninth volume of Ramesside Inscriptions, compiled and edited by Joshua A. Roberson, collects Hieratic and Hieroglyphic documents of historical and biographical interest, which have been published since 1989, when the final text volume of Kenneth Kitchen’s Ramesside Inscriptions: Historical and Biographical first appeared. The 385 texts anthologized in this new collection are presented in Hieroglyphic transcription, typeset digitally with internal and external line numbers for easy reference, primary bibliography, and select philological and palaeographic notes. The content of this material spans the full chronological range of the Ramesside Period, from Ramesses I through Ramesses XI. The subject matter is heterogeneous, including documents relating to local administration, state-sponsored construction, execution of criminals, military actions, and the accession and death of kings, among others. A series of indices, including object numbers, toponyms, ethnonyms, private names, private titles, posthumous royal names, and divine names, round out the volume and increase its utility as a tool for research.
Identification of royal tombs in the Valley of the Queens based on ancient tomb surveys recorded ... more Identification of royal tombs in the Valley of the Queens based on ancient tomb surveys recorded on O. Strasbourg H. 112, O. BM 8505, O. IFAO 1206 and O. Turin N. 57036. An analysis of the members of the left side of the Deir el-Medina work gang.
This article presents a re-assessment of the events surrounding the plunder of the tomb of queen ... more This article presents a re-assessment of the events surrounding the plunder of the tomb of queen Isis in the Valley of the Queens by a gang of eight necropolis workmen resident at Deir el-Medina. Based on contemporary official reports (Pap. BM 10053 rto; Pap. BM 10068 rto), in combination with necropolis journals, it investigates the immediate impact of the ensuing scandal on the Deir el-Medina community, the decision of vizier Khaemwaset to reduce dramatically the strength of the workforce, and the identification of those men who lost their jobs. The division of the spoils amongst the eight thieves and their association with local accomplices will also be explored. Finally, the possibility that the gang paid with their lives for their crime will be considered.
Publication of part of the verso of O. Florence 2619, which possibly contains a case of lese-maje... more Publication of part of the verso of O. Florence 2619, which possibly contains a case of lese-majeste within the workmen's community of Deir el-Medina
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As Egypt began to adapt to this new resource, the horse’s ownership and use percolated through the social hierarchy from the pharaoh downwards. It avoided mundane uses and always remained a special creature, instilled with spirit, energy and prestige and a particular source of pride for those fortunate enough to possess a chariot team. Egypt was irrevocably changed by the arrival of the horse, “Equus Caballus”. Aggressive kings used massed chariot divisions to create and expand Egypt’s New Kingdom empire. New occupations and new logistical activities and technologies developed to support them, and the appreciation of the horse per se seeped into art and literature.
Christine Hue-Arcé has held a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Strasbourg since 2015, and is an associate member of UMR 7044 – Archimède. A teaching assistant at the Faculty of Historical Sciences in Strasbourg, her research centres on the social history of New Kingdom Egypt and the Greco-Roman era, with a particular focus on the family as the cornerstone of ancient Egyptian society, as well as the place of women in their kinship networks.
Almost all of the texts in this volume come from the very beginning of this new era in Egypt’s history at the beginning of the 13th century bc—either from the reign of Ramesses I, founding father of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty, or that of his dynamic son and successor Sethos I. As Ramesses I reigned only into his second year, and the reign of Sethos I lasted between eleven and fifteen years, virtually everything here dates within a span of only twelve/seventeen years, at most.
Arranged by category, this hieroglyphic edition covers foreign wars and diplomacy (esp. dated), then internal affairs (dated documents, special topics or groups), a geographical series of royal monuments (from north to south), the principal documents of the reign (papryi, ostraca, letters, legal documents, and the like), in addition to further inscriptions pertaining to the royal family. A further twenty-eight categories are devoted to the private monuments of the principal administrators of the Empire, along with the vast store of documentation pertaining to the activities of the royal artisans from the village of Deir el-Medina in western Thebes.
First published in eight individual fascicles between 1969 and 1975 by B. H. Blackwell (Oxford), this volume is here re-printed for the first time in a single, handsome, book.
https://www.abercrombypress.com/books/the-star-who-appears-in-thebes-studies-in-honour-of-jiro-kondo/
This newly published reference work contains the supplementary inscriptions which were not included in the original publication (vols. I-VI), as well as improved readings in KRI VII that reflect a better understanding of the ancient sources. Following a practical and efficient format, each text is presented in its historical context and includes a list of principal references, succinct introductory notes, and comments on specific points of historical, biographical, and philological interest.
Provides detailed notes and comments on the wide range of inscriptions in Kitchen’s Ramesside Inscriptions, Volume VII and Translations, Volume VII
Features new readings based on current scholarship, such as the detailed accounts of mining expeditions during the first years of the reign of Ramesses VII
Contains inscriptions relating to members of the Ramesside royal family, as well as civil, military, and ecclesiastical administrators.
Includes discussions of graffiti, funerary monuments, and personal documents from the royal workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina
A unique source of knowledge for understanding Ancient Egypt, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII, is a must-have for academic scholars and advanced students of Egyptology
As Egypt began to adapt to this new resource, the horse’s ownership and use percolated through the social hierarchy from the pharaoh downwards. It avoided mundane uses and always remained a special creature, instilled with spirit, energy and prestige and a particular source of pride for those fortunate enough to possess a chariot team. Egypt was irrevocably changed by the arrival of the horse, “Equus Caballus”. Aggressive kings used massed chariot divisions to create and expand Egypt’s New Kingdom empire. New occupations and new logistical activities and technologies developed to support them, and the appreciation of the horse per se seeped into art and literature.
Christine Hue-Arcé has held a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Strasbourg since 2015, and is an associate member of UMR 7044 – Archimède. A teaching assistant at the Faculty of Historical Sciences in Strasbourg, her research centres on the social history of New Kingdom Egypt and the Greco-Roman era, with a particular focus on the family as the cornerstone of ancient Egyptian society, as well as the place of women in their kinship networks.
Almost all of the texts in this volume come from the very beginning of this new era in Egypt’s history at the beginning of the 13th century bc—either from the reign of Ramesses I, founding father of the Egyptian 19th Dynasty, or that of his dynamic son and successor Sethos I. As Ramesses I reigned only into his second year, and the reign of Sethos I lasted between eleven and fifteen years, virtually everything here dates within a span of only twelve/seventeen years, at most.
Arranged by category, this hieroglyphic edition covers foreign wars and diplomacy (esp. dated), then internal affairs (dated documents, special topics or groups), a geographical series of royal monuments (from north to south), the principal documents of the reign (papryi, ostraca, letters, legal documents, and the like), in addition to further inscriptions pertaining to the royal family. A further twenty-eight categories are devoted to the private monuments of the principal administrators of the Empire, along with the vast store of documentation pertaining to the activities of the royal artisans from the village of Deir el-Medina in western Thebes.
First published in eight individual fascicles between 1969 and 1975 by B. H. Blackwell (Oxford), this volume is here re-printed for the first time in a single, handsome, book.
https://www.abercrombypress.com/books/the-star-who-appears-in-thebes-studies-in-honour-of-jiro-kondo/
This newly published reference work contains the supplementary inscriptions which were not included in the original publication (vols. I-VI), as well as improved readings in KRI VII that reflect a better understanding of the ancient sources. Following a practical and efficient format, each text is presented in its historical context and includes a list of principal references, succinct introductory notes, and comments on specific points of historical, biographical, and philological interest.
Provides detailed notes and comments on the wide range of inscriptions in Kitchen’s Ramesside Inscriptions, Volume VII and Translations, Volume VII
Features new readings based on current scholarship, such as the detailed accounts of mining expeditions during the first years of the reign of Ramesses VII
Contains inscriptions relating to members of the Ramesside royal family, as well as civil, military, and ecclesiastical administrators.
Includes discussions of graffiti, funerary monuments, and personal documents from the royal workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina
A unique source of knowledge for understanding Ancient Egypt, Ramesside Inscriptions: Translated and Annotated Notes and Comments, Volume VII, is a must-have for academic scholars and advanced students of Egyptology
decision of vizier Khaemwaset to reduce dramatically the strength of the workforce, and the identification of those men who lost their jobs. The division of the spoils amongst the eight thieves and their association with local accomplices will also be explored. Finally, the possibility that the gang paid with their lives for their crime will be considered.