The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Ancient Egypt

From Abgig to Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, this book will appeal to tourists, museum visitors, armchair travelers, and scholars. All the major archaeological sites of Egypt and Sudan are described in this up-to-date guide. Ancient Egypt offers a bewildering array of kings and dynasties, gods and goddesses, temples and tombs, and this dictionary provides an authoritative reference. Each king receives a separate entry: famous pharaohs such as Ramesses the Great and Tutankhamun are discussed alongside lesser-known kings such as Rudamun and Takelot. Other entries cover ancient Egypt's most important queens and courtiers, its deities and major works of literature, as well as general cultural topics such as language and medicine. There are explanations of specialist terms and of Egyptian civilization's distinctive features, including hieroglyphs and mummification. 316 illustrations, 163 in color.