The discovery in 1995 that a long-ignored doorway in the Valley of the Kings was actually the entrance to the largest tomb ever found in Egypt made headlines around the world. Called KV5, it contains over 150 corridors and chambers, and was used as a family mausoleum for several sons of the New Kingdom pharaoh, Ramesses II. The first edition of this preliminary report was the first comprehensive, technical publication on the work of the Theban Mapping Project in the tomb; it has now been revised and expanded to take account of the latest discoveries and analyses. It includes detailed archaeological and architectural studies, epigraphic surveys, object and pottery descriptions, discussions of conservation work, and extensive reports on the site's geology, hydrology, mineralogy, and geotechnical engineering. Copiously illustrated with photographs and line drawings, KV5 is the essential source for the study of this fascinating and important tomb.

"The Theban Mapping Project (TMP) was established in 1979 to prepare a detailed survey and archaeological database for the Theban Necropolis. As part of its work in the Valley of the Kings, it relocated KV 5. Clearing that tomb, the TMP discovered that what had been thought to be an unimportant, uninteresting, uninscribed pit tomb was actually the largest tomb ever found in Egypt. KV 5 is known to have 150 corridors and chambers on several levels and many more are likely to be discovered. The tomb is unique in size and plan and in its function as a family mausoleum for many of the sons of the pharaoh Rameses II." "This is the first technical report on KV5. It covers much of the work undertaken between 1988 and 1999. Copiously illustrated, this study is a reference for understanding one of the most important discoveries ever made in the Theban Necropolis."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The royal necropolis of New Kingdom Egypt, known as the Valley of the Kings (KV), is one of the most important - and celebrated - archaeological sites in the world. Located on the west bank of the Nile river, about three miles west of modern Luxor, the valley is home to more than sixty tombs, all dating to the second millennium BCE. The most famous of these is the tomb of Tutankhamun, first discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Across thirty-eight chapters, this handbook locates the Valley of the Kings in space and time, examines individual tombs, their construction, content, development, and significance, reviews modern research and exploration in the valley, and discusses the current status of ongoing issues of preservation and archaeology.

The sixth annual Current Research in Egyptology symposium took place from 6th-8th January 2005 at the University of Cambridge. Although the topics covered by the papers were many and varied, if there is a general theme it would be that of exploring the borders and parameters of the discipline of Egyptology.

During the New Kingdom (c. 1570-1070 BCE), the Valley of the Kings was the burial place of Egypt's pharaohs, including such powerful and famous rulers as Amenhotep III, Rameses II, and Tutankhamen. They were buried here in large and beautifully decorated tombs that have become among the country's most visited archaeological sites. The tourists contribute millions of badly needed dollars to Egypt's economy. But because of inadequate planning, these same visitors are destroying the very tombs they come to see. Crowding, pollution, changes in the tombs' air quality, ever-growing tourist infrastructure-all pose serious threats to the Valley's survival. This volume, the result of twenty-five years of work by the Theban Mapping Project at the American University in Cairo, traces the history of the Valley of the Kings and offers specific proposals to manage the site and protect its fragile contents. At the same time, it recognizes the need to provide a positive experience for the thousands of visitors who flock here daily. This is the first major management plan developed for any Egyptian archaeological site, and as its proposals are implemented, they offer a replicable model for archaeologists, conservators, and site managers throughout Egypt and the region. Published in both English and Arabic editions and supported by the World Monuments Fund, this critical study will help to ensure the survival of Egypt's patrimony in a manner compatible with the country's heavy reliance on tourism income.

Warrior, mighty builder, and statesman, over the course of his 67-year-long reign (1279-1212 BCE), Ramesses II achieved more than any other pharaoh in the three millennia of ancient Egyptian civilization. Drawing on the latest research, Peter Brand reveals Ramesses the Great as a gifted politician, canny elder statesman, and tenacious warrior. With restless energy, he fully restored the office of Pharaoh to unquestioned levels of prestige and authority, thereby bringing stability to Egypt. He ended almost seven decades of warfare between Egypt and the Hittite Empire by signing the earliest international peace treaty in recorded history. In his later years, even as he outlived many of his own children and grandchildren, Ramesses II became a living god and finally, an immortal legend. With authoritative knowledge and colorful details Brand paints a compelling portrait of this legendary Pharaoh who ruled over Imperial Egypt during its Golden Age.

The archaeological study of the ancient world has become increasingly popular in recent years. A Research Guide to the Ancient World: Print and Electronic Sources, is a partially annotated bibliography. The study of the ancient world is usually, although not exclusively, considered a branch of the humanities, including archaeology, art history, languages, literature, philosophy, and related cultural disciplines which consider the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean world, and adjacent Egypt and southwestern Asia. Chronologically the ancient world would extend from the beginning of the Bronze Age of ancient Greece (ca. 1000 BCE) to the fall of the Western Roman Empire (ca. 500 CE). This book will close the traditional subject gap between the humanities (Classical World; Egyptology) and the social sciences (anthropological archaeology; Near East) in the study of the ancient world. This book is uniquely the only bibliographic resource available for such holistic coverage. The volume consists of 17 chapters and seven appendixes, arranged according to the traditional types of library research materials (bibliographies, dictionaries, atlases, etc.). The appendixes are mostly subject specific, including graduate programs in ancient studies, reports from significant archaeological sites, numismatics, and paleography and writing systems. These extensive author and subject indexes help facilitate ease of use.