Ethnic Identities in the Land of the Pharaohs deals with ancient Egyptian concept of collective identity, various groups which inhabited the Egyptian Nile Valley and different approaches to ethnic identity in the last two hundred years of Egyptology. The aim is to present the dynamic processes of ethnogenesis of the inhabitants of the land of the pharaohs, and to place various approaches to ethnic identity in their broader scholarly and historical context. The dominant approach to ethnic identity in ancient Egypt is still based on culture historical method. This and other theoretically better framed approaches (e.g. instrumentalist approach, habitus, postcolonial approach, ethnogenesis, intersectionality) are discussed using numerous case studies from the 3rd millennium to the 1st century BC. Finally, this Element deals with recent impact of third science revolution on archaeological research on ethnic identity in ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egypt was a rich tapestry of social, religious, technological, and economic interconnections among numerous civilizations from disparate lands. Ancient Egypt as perceived today was constantly changing-and changing the cultures around it. This work explores the diverse methods of interaction between Egypt and its neighbors during the pharaonic period.

The book examines the connection between identity and material culture, which forms the backbone of archaeology. The assumed direct relationship between the things of daily life and the aspects of identity such as gender, age or ethnicity to name but a few is challenged under consideration of post-colonial theories and critically applied to a case study in ancient Egypt (Tell el-Dab'a), which provides exclusively material culture for interpretation. Besides a detailed introduction to the formation and current use of aspects of identity and culture concepts with special regard to archaeology, definitions (such as 'entanglement' and 'appropriation') and a placement of fusions of material culture from various areas in the theoretical framework are proposed.

Throughout her career, Ann Macy Roth has regularly returned to well-known ancient Egyptian material and visual culture and shed new light on it by employing different approaches and methodologies. In this way, her research has led to new interpretations and readings of ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices while illustrating the importance of and need for continual questioning and re-examination within Egyptology. This volume brings together papers from around the world that follow her tradition of rethinking, reassessing, and innovating. It is intended to honour Roth’s significant career as a scholar, mentor, and teacher and to celebrate and continue her dedication to analyzing ancient Egypt from novel perspectives.

This volume challenges assumptions about—and highlights new approaches to—the study of ancient Egyptian society by tackling various thematic social issues through structured individual case studies. The reader will be presented with questions about the relevance of the past in the present. The chapters encourage an understanding of Egypt in its own terms through the lens of power, people, and place, offering a more nuanced understanding of the way Egyptian society was organized and illustrating the benefits of new approaches to topics in need of a critical re-examination. By re-evaluating traditional, long-held beliefs about a monolithic, unchanging ancient Egyptian society, this volume writes a new narrative—one unchecked assumption at a time. Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches is intended for anyone studying ancient Egypt or ancient societies more broadly, including undergraduate and graduate students, Egyptologists, and scholars in adjacent fields.

Science in the Study of Ancient Egypt demonstrates how to integrate scientific methodologies into Egyptology broadly, and in Egyptian archaeology in particular, in order to maximise the amount of information that might be obtained within a study of ancient Egypt, be it field, museum, or laboratory-based. The authors illustrate the inclusive but varied nature of the scientific archaeology being undertaken, revealing that it all falls under the aegis of Egyptology, and demonstrating its potential for the elucidation of problems within traditional Egyptology.

How did the Ancient Egyptians maintain control of their state? Topics include the controlling function of temples and theology, state borders, scribal administration, visual representation, patronage, and the Egyptian language itself, with reference to all periods of Egyptian history, from the Old Kingdom to Coptic times.