A companion to Abydos in the "New Aspects of Antiquity" series, this book is a remarkable evocation of an ancient city brings together for the first time the history of the site of Tell el-Amarna from its foundation by the pharaoh Akhenaten in c. 1344 bc to its abandonment just 16 or 17 years later, a few years after his death. Nine chapters cover the kings choice of the site and its development, the layout of the city and its buildings, and puts it in the context of the society of the time. Over 260 illustrations, some 50 in colour, bring to life the remains and artefacts found at the site during its excavation. Barry Kemp, Emeritus Professor of Egyptology at Cambridge University, is a world-class scholar and writer and the acknowledged expert on Amarna and Akhenaten. This is certain to become the definitive work.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Groundbreaking Archeological Writing
Dec 6 2012
By William Suddaby
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Barry Kemp's masterful account of his thirty some years excavating at Amarna is surely the definitive work for anyone piqued by the life of Egypt's heretic king, his new religion, and the city he built to glorify his revolutionary thoughts in a remote and previously uninhabited wasteland. The picture Professor Kemp draws of Akhenaten from his many years of living and thinking among the stark remains of the king's city may be the most accurate we will ever have. Years of feeling the same searing heat, watching the sun come up over the same barren hills, feeling the dry wind and gritty sand, seeing the same lovely water birds along the Nile, walking on the same paths, discovering bits of houses, palaces, and temples where Akhenaten and Neferiti lived, died, and worshiped, these could only lead to a profound insight that is inaccessible to speculation and academic isolation.
As someone who, for sixty years, has devoured anything he could find concerning the Amarna period, this reviewer is quite enthralled by Professor Kemp's considerable accomplishment. I feel like I might now know the real Akhenaten, Nefertiti (and indeed Tutankhamen) somewhat better because the good Professor has so thoroughly shared his vast and unique life-experience at Amarna. The editors and designers at Thames & Hudson also deserve commendation, as the graphics and illustrations in the book are nothing less than splendid. If you love ancient Egypt, get this book; there is nothing quite like it, and you will not be disappointed.
As someone who, for sixty years, has devoured anything he could find concerning the Amarna period, this reviewer is quite enthralled by Professor Kemp's considerable accomplishment. I feel like I might now know the real Akhenaten, Nefertiti (and indeed Tutankhamen) somewhat better because the good Professor has so thoroughly shared his vast and unique life-experience at Amarna. The editors and designers at Thames & Hudson also deserve commendation, as the graphics and illustrations in the book are nothing less than splendid. If you love ancient Egypt, get this book; there is nothing quite like it, and you will not be disappointed.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating
Nov 22 2012
By K. A. Sanders
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dr Barry Kemp has been excavating the site of Amarna for over 35 years. This book shows the results of those years and much painstaking work, really giving a glimpse of life at this unique place. A fascinating look at an ancient Egyptian site, not so much a city as a collection of neighborhoods, interwoven with each other. This book is especially interesting for me personally, being a supporter of Dr Kemp and the Amarna Trust for many years, and also having visited the site of Amarna last year. Dr Kemp's insights into how the people of Amarna lived are very enlightening, and echoes of that way of life can be seen among Egyptians today.
This book is truly about Amarna itself, and only secondarily about what the site reveals about Akhenaten. I have heard some of this information before, in lectures by Dr Kemp. It is wonderful to have it all together, with more details and up to date conclusions. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Amarna Period or life in ancient times. Dr Kemp is particularly good at breaking preconceptions and stereotypes based on modern lifestyles as to what is "normal" for a living space.
This book is truly about Amarna itself, and only secondarily about what the site reveals about Akhenaten. I have heard some of this information before, in lectures by Dr Kemp. It is wonderful to have it all together, with more details and up to date conclusions. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Amarna Period or life in ancient times. Dr Kemp is particularly good at breaking preconceptions and stereotypes based on modern lifestyles as to what is "normal" for a living space.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good view of how archaeology informs history
Jan 22 2013
By T. Randall
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
If you are already somewhat familiar with ancient Egyptian history, this will be of great interest. It is written in a style that the layperson can easily understand and is accompanied by many photos and maps of the site. Because it concerns the city built by the infamous apostate, Akhenaten, and his reportedly beautiful and beloved wife, Nefertiti, nearly everyone's interest is piqued. It is not simply about the city that was built for the pharoah in a hitherto unpopulated area of Egypt; the author skillfully weaves the story of Akhenaten's reign and the history of that period of time into the narrative giving the city's description relevance and meaning. As mentioned in the title of this review, the book is a marvelous example of archaeology's role in constructing history as the author himself led the more recent excavations at Amarna.
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