Egyptology for grownups

[Karel Miklav]

I just watched last two episodes of the six-part BBC documentary
Egypt. They mostly revolved around Champollion's life and work
and did not really tell anything about Ancient Egypt. Ok, maybe
I'm just depressed, but what I need is information about this
interesting culture for a grownup intellectual, something
in the caliber of James Frazer or Claude Levi-Strauss. Could
somebody please give me a reference?

--

Regards,
Karel Miklav

[Eugene Griessel]

Post by Karel Miklav
I just watched last two episodes of the six-part BBC documentary
Egypt. They mostly revolved around Champollion's life and work
and did not really tell anything about Ancient Egypt. Ok, maybe
I'm just depressed, but what I need is information about this
interesting culture for a grownup intellectual, something
in the caliber of James Frazer or Claude Levi-Strauss. Could
somebody please give me a reference?

I hardly think one can call that a documentary - a docu-drama maybe.
It was a curiously unsatisfying series - considering what must have
been spent on it. More time seems to have been spent on the
personalities of the characters than on ancient Egypt.

Eugene L Griessel

Nothing in the known universe travels faster than a bad cheque.

[JTEM]

Post by Eugene Griessel
I hardly think one can call that a documentary - a
docu-drama maybe.

Don't be shy. Feel free to recommend any documentaries.
You've got an audience here. Well, at least two people
(including the one you're responding to).

[Eugene Griessel]

Post by JTEM

Post by Eugene Griessel
I hardly think one can call that a documentary - a
docu-drama maybe.

Don't be shy. Feel free to recommend any documentaries.
You've got an audience here. Well, at least two people
(including the one you're responding to).

I wish I could - but apart from one or two National Geographic
efforts, long out of date and probably unobtainable, I cant think of
any. There seems to be a paucity of documentaries on Ancient Egypt.
Or maybe I just live in a part of the world where they are difficult
to come by.

Eugene L Griessel

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe
is that it has never tried to contact us.

[Karel Miklav]

Eugene; what about books, authorities, interesting web
sites etc... Can you recommend something?

[Eugene Griessel]

Post by Karel Miklav
Eugene; what about books, authorities, interesting web
sites etc... Can you recommend something?

Books I have a plenty - but it depends really what aspect of Egypt you
are interested in - pointless recommending books on pyramids when you
are interested in religions or cults etc. As to web sites there are a
few I use from time to time but I suppose I'd get shot down here if I
mentioned them! I'll confine myself to:
http://guardians.net/hawass/

As to books - the one I would suggest is an absolute must is Mark
Lehners "Complete guide to Pyramids" and maybe Nicolas Reeves'
"Complete Tutankhamun" if you are interested in that aspect.

Some of the authors I like are:

Petrie (ancient but I still like him)
Verner
Hawass
Lehner
Reisner
Breasted - of which I only own an ancient massive illustrated German
copy of "History of Egypt" but it's one I turn to frequently -
especially for the photos of mumies-, however out of date!
Some of Margaret Murray's stuff.
I've just finished Bob Brier's "Mummies" - which was fascinating.

The one National Geographic item I would recommend is "Secrets of the
Pharoahs" - which I only have in VHS and cannot seem to find on DVD.
But IIRC it was made within the last decade so it may be obtainable.

Ok - there, I've revealed my ignorance!

Eugene L Griessel

His was the sort of career that made the Recording Angel think
seriously about taking up shorthand.

[Karel Miklav]

Eugene thanks, I'll take a look.

[JTEM]

As to web sites there are a few I use from time
to time but I suppose I'd get shot down here if I
mentioned them!

A participant recommending a website has never been
a breach of netiquette.

It's only when spammers & professional "astro turfers"(*)
post such things when they get complaints.

(*) "Astro Turfing" is fake "Grassroots." In other words,
there are a number of internet "Marketing" firms who,
for a fee, will vomit up high praise for your product or
service in usenet newsgroups/web forums/message
boards. The idea is to make it appear that "ordinary
people" have tried your product/service and are simply
sharing their good experience.

[Eugene Griessel]

Post by JTEM

As to web sites there are a few I use from time
to time but I suppose I'd get shot down here if I
mentioned them!

A participant recommending a website has never been
a breach of netiquette.

I was not particular concerned with that aspect, but in my experience
people involved in Egyptology are often very opiniated - especially as
to who they view as competent authorities. You mention a name - and
half a dozen are ready to tell you that that particluar person is
incompetent, useless, etc. etc. And I've noticed that it goes double
for websites.

Anyone can do a Google search on Egypt and it should come up with
websites which they can then judge as useful or otherwise to them
personally. In fact it's what I do most of the time when I'm looking
for some particular aspect of ancient Egypt. I have only three
websites - of which one deals exclusively with heiroglyphs -
bookmarked on the subject of Egypt!

Eugene L Griessel

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

[Karel Miklav]

Post by Eugene Griessel
Anyone can do a Google search on Egypt and it should come up with
websites which they can then judge as useful or otherwise to them
personally.

Searching on Egyptology gives more than 1.5 million hits, on page
ten there is 'Egyptology Blog'. Now where do I see who's fake,
Zahi Hawass or John Anthony West? I guess it takes more than a
search.

Newsgroups were a cheap way to get an expert advice and alternative
opinions couple of years ago. Some of them still are. Thanks.

--

Karel Miklav

[Eugene Griessel]

Post by Karel Miklav

Post by Eugene Griessel
Anyone can do a Google search on Egypt and it should come up with
websites which they can then judge as useful or otherwise to them
personally.

Searching on Egyptology gives more than 1.5 million hits, on page
ten there is 'Egyptology Blog'. Now where do I see who's fake,
Zahi Hawass or John Anthony West? I guess it takes more than a
search.
Newsgroups were a cheap way to get an expert advice and alternative
opinions couple of years ago. Some of them still are. Thanks.

Yes Google has become pretty useless lately returning far too many
hits. However start off with something like ["ancient egypt"
archaeology] and then search within the results for the aspect that
interests you. Say, progressively, -pyramid-khufu-dimensions-etc.
Or whatever aspect interests you.

Eugene L Griessel

Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world.
Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves.
All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.

[JTEM]

Now where do I see who's fake, Zahi Hawass or John
Anthony West?

People like me complain about Hawass becase he's
something of the Napoleon of egyptology. For some
time he seemed like "The Great Reformer," but in
recent years he's turned into a money-grubbing
megalomaniac hell bent on #1 Celebrity status, #2
enforcing his own personal interpretation of history.

[Jon Erlandson]

Romer's Egypt...

A little dated but still excellent.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7171/romersegypt.html

He's done several others and all are difficult to get.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7171/romer.html

Jon

Post by Karel Miklav
I just watched last two episodes of the six-part BBC documentary
Egypt. They mostly revolved around Champollion's life and work
and did not really tell anything about Ancient Egypt. Ok, maybe
I'm just depressed, but what I need is information about this
interesting culture for a grownup intellectual, something
in the caliber of James Frazer or Claude Levi-Strauss. Could
somebody please give me a reference?
--
Regards,
Karel Miklav

[Eugene Griessel]

Post by Jon Erlandson
Romer's Egypt...
A little dated but still excellent.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7171/romersegypt.html
He's done several others and all are difficult to get.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7171/romer.html

Sadly do not appear to be on DVD or VHS anywhere. I think some of his
books are still available. I think he did one on the valley of the
kings at some stage that I have seen quite recently. Well - in the
last decade......

Eugene L Griessel

Money is a powerful aphrodisiac. But flowers work almost as well.

[Mike]

Not sure if you'll find this relevant, but "Egyptian Literature comprising
Egyptian Tales, Hymns, Litanies, Invocations, The Book of the Dead, and
Cuneiform Writings", by Epiphanius Wilson (1845-1916), ought to be available
in a month or so from the (free) book-download site "gutenberg.org". It's
currently going through the last of three proof-reading stages at
Gutenberg's feeder site, "Distributed Proofreaders," but has yet to go
through final formatting. [It's a collection of detailed English
translations, with the various sources carefully cited.]