Ancient Egypt: A Very Short Introduction

Ancient Egypt endured for more than three millennia, leaving behind monuments, texts and objects that continue to shape modern ideas of the ancient world. In this second edition, archaeologist Ian Shaw provides a compact introduction to pharaonic Egypt, moving beyond pyramids and mummies to examine kingship, religion, ethics, writing, social organisation and the material evidence through which Egyptian history is reconstructed.

Shaw also considers how Egyptology developed and how changing archaeological methods have altered our understanding of Egyptian life. Famous monuments and rulers appear within the wider landscape of the Nile Valley, where the histories of work, belief and ordinary communities are as much a part of ancient Egypt as the royal tombs.