Retrato do autor

Jaromir Malek (–2023)

Autor(a) de Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt

24+ Works 1,057 Membros 8 Críticas

About the Author

Jaromir Malek holds a doctorate in Egyptology from Charles University, Prague and is the editor of the Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings. He resides in Oxford, England. (Bowker Author Biography)

Obras por Jaromir Malek

Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt (1980) — Autor — 555 exemplares
The Cat in Ancient Egypt (1993) — Autor — 127 exemplares
Egyptian Art (1999) 75 exemplares
Egypt: 4000 Years of Art (2002) 67 exemplares
The Treasures of Tutankhamun (2006) 33 exemplares
ABC of Egyptian Hieroglyphs (1994) 21 exemplares
Discovering Tutankhamun (2006) 8 exemplares
Les Trésors de Toutankhamon (2006) 2 exemplares

Associated Works

The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (2000) — Contribuidor — 1,015 exemplares

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Data de nascimento
ukjent
Data de falecimento
2023-05-23
Sexo
male
Nacionalidade
Hungary
UK
País (no mapa)
Czech Republic
Ocupações
Egyptologist

Membros

Críticas

A very nice and colorful book. Some pretty good information on many of the catalogued artifacts from the ancient dynasties.
 
Assinalado
JHemlock | Sep 9, 2022 |
This has become a definitive reference work, not only for conventional atlas features, but for the ancient Egyptian chronology, which is often referenced by other works.

We start with basic topography, then a historic list of “nomes”. “Nome” is a term for an administrative unit, perhaps roughly equivalent to a state or province; the ruler/governor of which is called a “nomarch” (a word that spell checkers frequently convert to “monarch” without asking. The nome list includes a handy reference to the nome deities, identified by their headdresses.

Then follows an account of the European discovery of Egypt, with historic maps, then the historic section. This includes a chronology and fairly complete king list (a few ephemeral and dubious kings are left out). The king list uses its own, slightly eccentric naming convention; traditionally archaeologists who approached ancient Egypt starting with a Classical education use Greek forms for royal names (Cheops, Sesostris, Amenophis) while those coming from an “excavation archeology” background use a sort of “Egyptologese”, which is a conventional spelling and pronunciation adopted after hieroglyphics were first translated in the 19th century (Khufu, Senusret, Amenhotep). To further complicate things, progress in Egyptology has resulted in more accurate transliterations of some of the names; for example Djheutymesw for the “Egyptologese” Thutmose and Greek Thothmosis. The question, then, is whether to go with the old familiar names or switch to more technically correct ones. This book can’t seem to make up its mind; some names are rendered in the Greek style (Khepren for Kha’efre, builder of the second pyramid at Giza); other use an unconventional but probably more correct substitution of “w” for “u” in some names. Thus the familiar Fifth Dynasty “Unas” is replaced by “Wenis” and the Middle Kingdom “Senusret” becomes “Senwosret”.

The historic maps here suffer from a common failing; they don’t give the ancient Egyptian names for cities. Thus the Egyptian Waset is identified by the Arabic Luxor and the Greek Thebes. This is partially corrected later in the book, where detailed maps show the ancient names (when known), but it would be nice to have them on a map of the entire country. Nevertheless, the section has useful maps of the fluctuating Egyptian boundaries, including an excellent map of the various political division in the Third Intermediate Period, where the country divided up into eight separate governments, each ruled by somebody who claimed to be the sole Pharaoh of Egypt.

The next section (and the longest) are detailed maps, starting at Aswan (the ancient Egyptians did their maps with south at the top, too) and heading up the Nile. These do include the ancient names (when known), and feature detailed maps of major antiquities sites and individual temples and monuments. This would be an excellent accompaniment for a Nile cruise or visits to the antiquities at Luxor. One thing that would be a good addition is more of the Coptic and Islamic monuments, but you can’t have everything in a reasonably priced and sized book.

The final section is a short introduction to ancient Egyptian culture, with discussions of everyday life, the army, etc., illustrated with some nice photographs.
… (mais)
2 vote
Assinalado
setnahkt | 3 outras críticas | Jan 2, 2018 |
What started the high degree of prosperity achieved by Egyptian civilization?

The unified people living in what we call the Old Kingdom enjoyed 500 years of prosperity, stability, confidence and high-mindedness we still look back to for inspiration today. This work focuses on the 3d to 8th Dynasties known as the Old Kingdom, 2658-2135 BC.

The fish-filled stream flows on its journey north through Nubian sandstone which gives way to limestone and divides into numerous fan like fingers creating the alluvial land known as the Nile Delta.[13] The hills to the east were rich in copper and gold, to the south were the forests providing wood. On the whole, the natural geography provided the safety of frontiers and self-sufficiency nourished by a regular annual inundation of fertility along a valley 600 miles long, and rarely more than 12 miles wide.[16-17]

The negroid inhabitants (look at the tightly-curled hair, wide lips, flat noses) began decorating tombs and the artistic effort directed to grave goods created a prosperous middle class.[24-25] Advantages accrue from planned planting along dikes and canals led by local chiefs. By gradual expansion and annexation, not by large-scale confrontation, Egypt formed a united polity under King Narmer around 2950 BC which lasted 800 years.[26]

The art is not entirely "religious". The early ithyphallic depictions of Min are the only monumental scupltures of the Predynastic Period, and they are reproduced for the rest of ...history.[25]

The sphinx of Gisa is some 60 metres long, with a body of a lion and head of a king with a headcloth. The concept is the reverse of the way all other deities were represented--with a human body and animal/bird head. [10,56] There is no evidence it was worshiped in its own right, and it is not mentioned for a 1000 years after it was made.

The highest Old Kingdom office was that of chief justice (vizier -- taity zab tjaty) whose control extended over all departments of state administration and the judiciary, and who was directly responsible to the king.[94]

Departments of the state administration had large staffs of scribes, and the degree of control over the smallest transactions must have been considerable. [yet] none of these documents has so far been found.[96]

The idea of justice and administering the law was closely connected with the concept of world order (maet). There were no written laws during the Old Kingdom, but royal decrees issued for institutions as well as to private individuals were recorded and kept in royal archives. [96]

Chapter Nine: The Collapse

What caused the first Egyptian civilization to disintegrate after 500 years? (2658-2135 BC)

The author explains that a "general malaise ripped apart the fabric of its society at the end of the Sixth Dynasty". [117] Pepy II ruled over 90 years, followed by strife in his succession, with over 17 rulers, one of which was a woman, in only 16 years. Confusion permeated the system and the country split. Monumental building reduced and slowly ground to a halt. Climatic conditionsbegan worsening with the Sixth Dynasty. Texts describe famine--"everybody eating his children". "Indeed many dead are buried in the river". [118]

Many factors account for the decline. Gigantic building enterprises used up huge amounts of contemporary resources. There was a growing power of the temples resulting from endowments exempt from state obligations, but the numbers of priests were quite small.[119]

The Old Kingdom was not brought to its knees by popular uprising. No large-scale invasion from abroad took place. [119]

Egypt had previously had succession issues--the perduration of Pepy II may have aggravated the situation, but could not have been its cause.

But the seeds of its dissolution were at its birth, the dynamics in the system. A gradual shift in the ownership of land from central authority to independent cult and temple establishments. Private tomb endowments undermined the state by weakening royal authority until the situation was comparable to the situation before the creation of the state. [120]

Privatization of land made the state economy unworkable, and the king unable to enforce its continuation. Weather apparently dealt the decisive blow.

Chapter Ten - EPILOGUE

The Old Kingdom left an indelible mark on Egyptian consciousness. Features of the OK were studied as Egypt experienced new periods of prosperity, but it never regained the same confidence displayed in the Old Kingdom.
… (mais)
1 vote
Assinalado
keylawk | 1 outra crítica | Apr 1, 2011 |
Despite my appreciation of Jaromir Malek's writing, I resisted getting 'The Treasures of Tutankhamun' because I already have seemingly similar replica books: 'The Ancient Egypt Pack' and 'Egyptology' by Emily Sands, which includes delightful memorabilia typical of the twenties era. Although Malek simply recycles the title, 'The Treasures of Tutankhamun,' like the 1970s exhibition of that name, he recycles history more unusually. Collages enliven the narrative and tucked-in scholars' genuine notes. This book rewarded my wistfully impulsive capitulation.

Probably too arcane for all but a precocious child, the myriad documents offer insight into some of the archaeological moments of discovery during the prolonged documentation of the tomb. Some of the pieces are gratuitous contemporary trivia of Carter's day notes [e.g., Lett's... Rough Diary 1922 & 1923 which are hieroglyphic themselves in their nearly indecipherable long hand script], which nonetheless illicit a time and cultural context for the Tut discoveries. Other sheets duplicate Carter's expert drawings of seals or impressions -- impressive in themselves.

Oxford offers Carter's notes on the Anatomy of an Excavation site, and here in this book a few note cards can be held in hand and pondered. Carter's handwriting may be mostly illegible, but his drawings speak clearly. He methodically records the astonishing layers of amulets on the king's body. And a chariot horse's detailed bridle and saddle harness.

The general reader may glimpse in condensed form highlights of the ten years of clearing the tomb. The specialist may study the precise royal chariot rigging, as envisioned by Carter. The esteemed Egyptologist author offers something to please everyone. If you have imagined a career in Egyptology or archaeology, this will appease the desire while allowing you to return to whatever pragmatic profession actually supports you.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
seshet | Apr 11, 2009 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
24
Also by
1
Membros
1,057
Popularidade
#24,366
Avaliação
3.9
Críticas
8
ISBN
71
Línguas
8

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