Egyptology

Larry Ross

Egyptology is defined as the study of Ancient Egypt from the Badarian , circa 4500 BCE, to the Muslim invasion of Egypt in AD 641. (Identified in Upper Egypt by Brunton and Caton Thompson in 1928, the Badarian is contemporary with Fayum A in Lower Egypt.) This brought the “Great Tradition” cultural practices that had coalesced during Egyptian civilization's 5,000-year existence to an end (pyramid building and other related monumental architecture, worship of the pantheon of Egyptian deities, dynastic succession, hieroglyphic writing, and mummification). Egyptology should not be confused with “Egyptomania,” which refers to the fascination with “all things Egyptian” that took place after Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutakhenaten (who ceremonially changed his name to Tutankhamun shortly before his death), in the early 1920s. In this case, “Egyptomania” disrupted the systematic study of the artifacts by trained Egyptologists; bizarre interpretations of ancient Egyptian civilization remain with us today ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.