Tomb Families investigates the apparently random distribution of New Kingdom private tombs in the Theban Necropolis by focusing on factors that may have influenced tomb location. This research provides a deeper understanding of the necropolis and how private tombs linked to the wider sacred landscape of Thebes.

Part 1. How the tomb owners respond to the landscape -- Part 2. How the landscape affects the tombs.

This book gathers a collection of studies by leading scholars on the Tomb of the Priests of Amun (Bab el-Gasus), where the burials of 153 individuals who lived under the 21st Dynasty have been unearthed, revealing the largest undisturbed tomb ever found in Egypt. This is the first publication to present a coherent vision of this find, with papers addressing a variety of topics including: the reorganization of the Theban necropolis under the 21st Dynasty; the sociological significance of the burials, as well as the funerary goods associated with them; the history of the collections that had been given away to foreign countries in 1893, including their reception and subsequent treatment in museums around the world and in Egypt; carpentry and decoration of anthropoid coffins, using non-invasive analysis of materials; and finally, diversity and meaning of coffin decoration. The volume releases the papers first presented at the international conference held at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the discovery of the Tomb.

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. Other famous pharaoh's interred here include Hatshepsut, the only queen found in the valley, and Ramesses II, ancient Egypt's greatest ruler. Much has transpired in the study and exploration of the Valley of the Kings over the last few years. Several major discoveries have been made, notably the many-chambered KV5 (tomb of the sons of Ramesses II) and KV 63, a previously unknown tomb found in the heart of the valley. Many areas of the royal valley have been explored for the first time using new technologies, revealing ancient huts, shrines, and stelae. New studies of the DNA, filiation, cranio-facial reconstructions, and other aspects of the royal mummies have produced important and sometimes controversial results. The Oxford Handbook of the Valley of the Kings provides an up-to-date and thorough reference designed to fill a very real gap in the literature of Egyptology. It will be an invaluable resource for scholars, teachers, and researchers with an interest in this key area of Egyptian archaeology. First, introductory chapters locate the Valley of the Kings in space and time. Subsequent chapters offer focused examinations of individual tombs: their construction, content, development, and significance. Finally, the book discusses the current status of ongoing issues of preservation and archaeology, such as conservation, tourism, and site management. In addition to recent work mentioned above, aerial imaging, remote sensing, studies of the tombs' architectural and decorative symbolism, problems of conservation management, and studies of KV-related temples are just some of the aspects not covered in any other work on the Valley of the Kings. This volume promises to become the primary scholarly reference work on this important World Heritage Site.

The first economic history of ancient Egypt employing a New Institutional Economics approach and covering the entire pharaonic period, 3000-30 BCE.

"The majority of the papers in this volume were originally presented at an international conference held at the British Museum in July 2000, and reflect the current state of research on many aspects of the site. Subjects covered include the history of the necropolis at different periods, the value of archives and the history of conservation, tomb decoration, the use of specific areas of the necropolis, and certain types of material which are ubiquitous in excavations." "Not forgotten are the important issues of site management and striking a balance between caring for the monuments and responding to the needs of the modern inhabitants of the area. This book also indicates the direction that research might take in the future."--BOOK JACKET.

"In The Representations of Women in the Middle Kingdom Tombs of Officials Lubica Hudáková offers an in-depth analysis of female iconography in the decorative programme of Middle Kingdom non-royal tombs, highlighting changes and innovations in comparison to the Old Kingdom. Previously considered too uniform, the study represents the first systematic investigation of two-dimensional images of women and reveals their variability in space and time. Hudáková examines the roles appointed to women by analyzing how they are depicted in a variety of contexts. Taking into account their postures, gestures, garments, hairstyles, size of the body, age as well as attributes and tools used by them, along with the scene orientation, she traces diachronic and diatopic developments and regional traditions in the Middle Kingdom tomb decoration"--