Tutankhamun's Egypt (Shire Egyptology)

The discovery in 1922 of Tutankhamun s tomb captured the imagination of the public. An Egyptian pharaoh surrounded by his golden funerary equipment and luxurious palace furnishings had remained hidden from sight for three thousand years, and the beauty of his gold mask and coffins and other treasures was unsurpassed. Egyptologists were equally excited about the information contained in this sealed group of objects. Meticulous excavation led by Howard Carter ensured the preservation of all the evidence, and careful study of the objects, together with contemporary material from more recent excavations, throws fresh light on the events of Tutankhamun s short reign and its historical importance. This was a time of transition: the unconventional religious and political concepts of the Amarna period were discarded in favour of the orthodox concepts of Egyptian culture. Tutankhamun moved the court from Amarna, where the monotheistic worship of the Aten with its new style of art and architecture was established, and he reinstated the Theban god Amun-re as state god. This book discusses the historical, archaeological and artistic aspects of this transition and interprets the objects in Tutankhamun s tomb, the paintings on its walls and its location, to reveal its full significance. Frances Welsh has made extensive study tours in Egypt since 1961 and has excellent knowledge of sites and material relating to Tutankhamun and the Amarna period.