The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt Author:Ian Shaw (Editor) The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt describes the emergence and development ofthe distinctive civilization of the ancient Egyptians, from their prehistoric origins to their conquest by the Persians, Greeks, and Romans. It details the changing nature of life and death in the Nile valley, which gave rise to some of the earliest masterpiec... more »es of art, architecture, and literature in the ancient world. This is the only history of ancient Egypt to provide detailed historical coverage from the early Stone Age to its incorporation into the Roman Empire. The lively essays and illustrations portray the emergence and development of the distinctive civilization of the ancient Egyptians, covering the period from 700,000 BC to AD 311. Leading experts in this field outline the principal sequence of political events, including detailed examinations of the three so-called Intermediate Periods previously regarded as 'dark ages'.
Against the backdrop of the rise and fall of ruling dynasties, cultural and social patterns, including stylistic developments in art and literature are also examined. The pace of change in such aspects of Egyptian culture as monumental architecture, funerary beliefs, and ethnicity was not necessarily tied to the rate of political change.
Authors reveal the underlying patterns of social and political change, and to describe the changing face of ancient Egypt, from the biographical details of individuals to the social and economic factors that shaped the lives of the population as a whole.« less