Category:  Sports & Recreation

From School Library Journal: Quoting extensively from 19th-and 20th-century Egyptologists, as well as from available ancient sources, Nardo presents a great deal of information in a smooth narrative, accompanied by archival photographs and reproductions of artifacts, illustrations from the past century or so, and even scenes taken from films and documentaries.

From Amazon.com: This fascicle covers the gaming material found in the tomb, namely the gameboxes and the playing pieces, the sets of casting-sticks, and the knuckle-bones. The several items are fully described in the catalogue, with individual comments on matters of interest, and there is a general discussion concerning the method of play. The plates incorporate Burton's original photographs, photographs made by the author, drawings of some construction details, and copies of all the inscriptions.

From the book cover: Two thousand years before the first Olympic games were held in ancient Greece, sports played a significant cultural and social role in ancient Egypt. This book, written by one of the world's leading authorities on Egyptian sport, is the most thorough treatment of the athletic and recreational activities of the people of ancient Egypt.

From School Library Journal: Grade 9 Up - This superbly researched book, arranged by geographic regions, focuses on the development of sports and games and the effect they had on the lives of people from the first Olympiad to the fall of Rome. Craig defines sports as 'rule governed' and with 'some degree of organization' and, usually, a 'victor or superior performers.' Games may use boards or dice while play stresses participation over winning, can happen whenever time allows, and doesn't require an audience. The history of the sports and games of Asia, Europe, North America, Egypt, and the Middle East have been well documented and are covered in depth. Less is known about these activities in Africa, Oceania, and Latin America; however, many are included for those regions as well. Women's roles are discussed when possible, but Craig notes a lack of verifiable information in this area. The author provides descriptions of each sport, explains essential equipment (including how to make it), and the rules of play. He provides enough information so that the activities described can be re-created, but readers will have to rely on text descriptions since there are few diagrams or photographs. Mancala, stick fighting, sumo wrestling (for both men and women), go, the log run, tejo, boomerangs, buzkashi, kabaddi, and Chinese football are among the topics covered. The material provided is not readily available in other single resources. This title will interest researchers and teachers searching for ways of extending their lessons on different cultures.

From the book:This text is based on the transcriptions by Professor Peter A. Piccione (made in his 1990 Doctoral Dissertation at the University of Chicago – “The Historical Development of the Game of Senet and Its Significance for Egyptian Religion”) along with photographs of the original copies and is a draft collation by Douglass A. White of the great essay on the Senet Game Board and the art of playing the game that was written during the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. The text survives in three versions: a papyrus in the Turin Museum, a papyrus in the Cairo Museum, and a partial wall inscription of the text in a Theban Tomb. Dr. White also has included a reconstructed ending for the text based on material from the Book of the Dead and the Pyramid Texts.

From AEB: In this book, the author deals with Egypt's sporting traditions, in which are included wrestling, rowing, boating, jousting from boats, swimming, gymnastics, and various games. Tutankhamun's love of sports is evident from the tomb equipment, which included toys, hunting chariots, models of boats, bows, arrows, boomerangs, throwsticks, slings for hunting, etc. The author argues that the king was truly a sportsman!