Unwrapping Ancient Egypt

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, Art & Architecture, Art History, Anthropology
Cover of the book Unwrapping Ancient Egypt by Dr Christina Riggs, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Dr Christina Riggs ISBN: 9780857856777
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: April 10, 2014
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Language: English
Author: Dr Christina Riggs
ISBN: 9780857856777
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: April 10, 2014
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Language: English

First runner-up for the British-Kuwait Friendship Society Book Prize in Middle Eastern Studies 2015.

In ancient Egypt, wrapping sacred objects, including mummified bodies, in layers of cloth was a ritual that lay at the core of Egyptian society. Yet in the modern world, attention has focused instead on unwrapping all the careful arrangements of linen textiles the Egyptians had put in place.

This book breaks new ground by looking at the significance of textile wrappings in ancient Egypt, and at how their unwrapping has shaped the way we think about the Egyptian past. Wrapping mummified bodies and divine statues in linen reflected the cultural values attached to this textile, with implications for understanding gender, materiality and hierarchy in Egyptian society. Unwrapping mummies and statues similarly reflects the values attached to Egyptian antiquities in the West, where the colonial legacies of archaeology, Egyptology and racial science still influence how Egypt appears in museums and the press.

From the tomb of Tutankhamun to the Arab Spring, Unwrapping Ancient Egypt raises critical questions about the deep-seated fascination with this culture – and what that fascination says about our own.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

First runner-up for the British-Kuwait Friendship Society Book Prize in Middle Eastern Studies 2015.

In ancient Egypt, wrapping sacred objects, including mummified bodies, in layers of cloth was a ritual that lay at the core of Egyptian society. Yet in the modern world, attention has focused instead on unwrapping all the careful arrangements of linen textiles the Egyptians had put in place.

This book breaks new ground by looking at the significance of textile wrappings in ancient Egypt, and at how their unwrapping has shaped the way we think about the Egyptian past. Wrapping mummified bodies and divine statues in linen reflected the cultural values attached to this textile, with implications for understanding gender, materiality and hierarchy in Egyptian society. Unwrapping mummies and statues similarly reflects the values attached to Egyptian antiquities in the West, where the colonial legacies of archaeology, Egyptology and racial science still influence how Egypt appears in museums and the press.

From the tomb of Tutankhamun to the Arab Spring, Unwrapping Ancient Egypt raises critical questions about the deep-seated fascination with this culture – and what that fascination says about our own.

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book The Political Possibility of Sound by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Happy to Help by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Gordon Bennett and the First Yacht Race Across the Atlantic by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Full Stop by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Radical Skepticism and the Shadow of Doubt by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Gutted by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book The History of a Modern Millennial Movement by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Crete 1941 by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Field Guide to Invasive Plants and Animals in Britain by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book 100 Ideas for Secondary Teachers: Gifted and Talented by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Sophia by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Islam under the Palestine Mandate by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book With This Ring by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book Spoken Discourse by Dr Christina Riggs
Cover of the book How to Look at Stained Glass by Dr Christina Riggs
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy