World-renowned Egyptologist Barbara Mertz explores the reality behind the bestselling fiction she writes (as Elizabeth Peters) and casts a dazzling light on a remarkable civilization. Afascinating chronicle of an extraordinary people—from the first Stone Age settlements through the reign of Cleopatra and the Roman invasions—Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs brings ancient Egypt to life as never before. Lavishly illustrated with pictures, maps, and photographs, it offers tantalizing glimpses into Egyptian society; amazing stories of the pharaohs and the rise and fall of great dynasties; a sampling of culture, religion, and folklore; stories of explorers, scientists, and scoundrels who sought to unravel or exploit the ageless mysteries; and new insights into the architectural wonders that were raised along the banks of the Nile.

The essential book on Ireland's megaliths; lavishly illustrated.

"After reviewing the topography of the site, the Strudwicks recount the history of Thebes from the city's rise in the late Old Kingdom to the peak of its power in the New Kingdom and to its gradual decline in the Graeco-Roman period.

Ancient Egypt has captivated visitors for centuries. This beautifully illustrated volume offers an intriguing insight into the religious and burial practices of the ancient Egyptians. It reveals the tombs of the three most famous ancient burial sites in Egypt: Giza, Saqqara and the Valley of the Kings, where the famous tomb of the boy-king Tuthankhamun was discovered. It also investigates the numerous temples of the pharaohs, gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. Lavishly illustrated with wonderful photographs and detailed plans of the major sites, this informative book will provide the reader with a fresh and authoritative view of this ancient civilization. * A fascinating tour of the temples built to worship the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, including Philae, Karnak and Abydos. * A detailed survey of the famous tombs of the pharaohs, their queens and their royal officials. * Compelling insights into the daily lives and religious practices of the ancient Egyptians. * Illustrated with over 500 photographs of the major sites. About the Author: Lorna Oakes is a lecturer in Egyptology at Birkbeck College, University of London. She is also a Special Assistant in the Education Service of the British Museum, and regularly takes part in public gallery talks and lectures on ancient Egypt and the Near East. She has led many study tours to Egypt, a country which she loves and where she has many friends.

This study of archaeoastronomy looks at more than 2,500 communal tombs and sanctuaries from around the Mediterranean. After a brief discussion of Hoskin's aims and the methodology for his fieldwork, individual chapters focus on evidence from particular regions: Malta, Gozo, the Balearics, Iberia, southern France, Corsica and Sardinia, Sicily and Pantelleria, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. The author concludes that in most of these regions the monuments faced sunrise, or more generally the sun when it was rising or climbing in the sky. Along the Mediterranean coast of France, however, there is a reverse sunset custom; in North Africa tombs faced downhill and in a Minoan cemetery on Crete all the tombs faced moonrise and look towards a mountain on whose peak was a sanctuary probably sacred to a lunar god. 264p, b/w figs and photos throughout, tables (Ocarina Books 2001) ` adorned with dozens of beautiful photographs, technical diagrams, and an extraordinary Corpus Mensurarum.....a living masterpiece in the field of archaeoastronomy ' - Juan Antonio Belmonte, Instituto de Astroficia de Canarias `

Discover the fascinating and mysterious world of the pharoahs with insightful text and more than 500 stunning colour photographs