AUTHOR LISTING

From the book cover: Mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians - animals of all kinds were important to the ancient Egyptians in their work, leisure and religious practices. In this book, the author examines aspects of the relationship between people and animals in ancient Egypt, and identifies the animals most commonly represented in art and hieroglyphs. Surveying more than three thousand years of Egyptian history, the author draws not only on the extremely rich pictorial record, but also on the evidence from textual references, mummified animals, food offerings placed in burials and bone remains recovered from settlement sites.

From Library Journal: First published in Germany in 1982 and now in its fifth and first English-text printing, Hornung's study has been revised and updated with an annotated bibliography. It remains one of the most erudite yet accessible tours of the Egyptian royal tombs, a solid record of treasures now in peril from the depredations of tourists and the changing Nile valley climate. Not only does the distinguished Swiss Egyptologist make the tomb paintings real for readers by use of plans and 151 color plates, he also captures the panoply of ancient Egyptian belief and its impact on daily life by explicating the passages from the Books of the Dead which the paintings depict. Producing an English-text edition at this time is especially crucial; it cautions the world to pay heed to jewels it is about to lose. Intended for the lay public, it is also of interest to the scholar for its cogent discussion of ancient Egyptian thought.

Reviewed by Francesca: Pottery is an ancient craft: the Ancient Egyptians produced numerous objects with clay. This book describes the manufacture and implementation of pottery vessels from Predynastic times to the Ptolemaic era. Designs, motifs and various models of vessels are discussed. Tomb reliefs and inscriptions are a reference to the techniques employed in the production of pottery. The role of Ancient Egyptian pottery in Egyptology today is examined in detail. A well-illustrated, useful book recommenced to students and scholars.

From the publisher's website: A flint hand-ax 250,000 years old ... a kiln ca 3500 B.C. in operation... a water clock ca 200 B.C. ... a complex crane used by Roman builders ... these and other inventions are described with a focus on Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome, with side at ancient China, India and pre-Columbian America.