Ancient Egyptian Urbanism in a Comparative, Global Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 77-100
Author(s):  
Michael E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Urban Society ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Global History ◽  
Flexible Approach ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Urban Patterns ◽  
Competing Ideas

Abstract For more than 50 years, archaeologists have debated whether or not Egypt was a “civilization without cities.” The publication of Nadine Moeller’s book, The Archaeology of Urbanism in Ancient Egypt: From the Predynastic Period to the End of the Middle Kingdom, provides the opportunity to reconsider this issue, using a more complete record of the relevant archaeological finds. I present a new, flexible approach to urban definition, and then I examine the ways in which ancient Egyptian urbanism resembled and differed from other early urban traditions. I conclude that Egypt was indeed an urban society, and that Egyptian urban patterns were highly distinctive within the canon of ancient urban systems. I place these points within the context of competing ideas about the nature of global history.

scholarly journals Fit for the Job: Proportion and the Portrayal of Cattle in Egyptian Old and Middle Kingdom Elite Tomb Imagery

Arts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Nicolle Leary
Keyword(s):  
Visual Culture ◽  
Bos Taurus ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Middle Kingdom ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
Proportional Analysis ◽  
Vast Array ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Intrinsic Feature

Depictions of the natural world are an intrinsic feature of Egyptian visual culture, with the vast array of imagery documenting animals a testimony to the fundamental role they played. Despite the significance of animals in Egypt, an anthropocentric bias still exists in research on the methods used by practitioners during initial scene composition. To help bridge the divide, the author herein undertook an investigation to determine if proportional guides were in place when rendering animal figures in ancient Egyptian elite tomb imagery of the Old and Middle Kingdoms. A notable outcome of the proportional analysis was the identification of two distinct body-types for domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus). The aim of the current paper is to further examine these proportional differences to explore if variations in physique (namely the distance between the chest floor and withers) were rendered by Egyptian practitioners to reflect the conditions in which they appeared by considering two overarching factors: (1) biological factors and (2) contextual factors. As such, the study will employ proportional analysis to challenge the prevailing perspective of a deregulated approach when illustrating fauna in elite tomb imagery, highlighting the significance of animals within ancient Egypt.

When Ancient Egyptians Copied Egyptian Work

2020 ◽  
pp. 146-162
Author(s):  
Tamás A. Bács
Keyword(s):  
Visual Culture ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Artistic Activity ◽  
Ancient Egyptian

Repetition or the practice of copying preeminently structured artistic activity in ancient Egypt. Besides its role in training, as a technique of learning to practice an art, and also serving documentary purposes in creating record copies, it served as a conscious artistic strategy in the act of representation. Different modes of the practice coexisted, such as replication or the effort to reproduce perfect replicas, differential reproduction that encouraged variation as well as emulation and could result in transformation, and finally eclectic imitation that characterized “archaism.” What were deemed as appropriate to serve as models for imitation in ancient Egyptian visual culture at any moment depended not only on the particular aesthetic and historical contexts but also on their accessibility, be it physical or archival.

The royal mummies of ancient Egypt:An odyssey of discoveries and a fascinating source of data

1970 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Bauduer
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Age At Death ◽  
Valuable Source ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Egyptian History ◽  
Source Of Information

Thanks to mummification, the physical remains of many rulers of ancient Egypt are still observable today and constitute a valuable source of information. By evaluating the age at death and sometimes elucidating the degree of kinship and circumstances of death, our knowledge of ancient Egyptian history becomes more precise. Different pathologic conditions have been found and the evolution of the mummification process can be seen through time.The most spectacular discovery was that of Tutankhamen’s mummy, the single totally undisturbed tomb, associated with a fabulous treasure.The mummy of Ramses II has been extensively studied, the only one that flew to Paris where an irradiation was delivered in order to eradicate a destructive fungal infection.The identification of Akhenaten’s mummy and the explanation for his peculiar appearance are still unsolved problems.Noticeably, many Royal mummies remain of uncertain identity or undiscovered hitherto.

scholarly journals Spatial Measures of Urban Systems: from Entropy to Fractal Dimension

Entropy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanguang Chen ◽  
Linshan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Fractal Dimensions ◽  
Scale Dependence ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Scale Free ◽  
Spatial Entropy ◽  
Spatial Systems ◽  
Urban Patterns ◽  
Generalized Entropies

One type of fractal dimension definition is based on the generalized entropy function. Both entropy and fractal dimensions can be employed to characterize complex spatial systems such as cities and regions. Despite the inherent connection between entropy and fractal dimensions, they have different application scopes and directions in urban studies. This paper focuses on exploring how to convert entropy measurements into fractal dimensions for the spatial analysis of scale-free urban phenomena using the ideas from scaling. Urban systems proved to be random prefractal and multifractal systems. The spatial entropy of fractal cities bears two properties. One is the scale dependence: the entropy values of urban systems always depend on the linear scales of spatial measurement. The other is entropy conservation: different fractal parts bear the same entropy value. Thus, entropy cannot reflect the simple rules of urban processes and the spatial heterogeneity of urban patterns. If we convert the generalized entropies into multifractal spectrums, the problems of scale dependence and entropy homogeneity can be solved to a degree for urban spatial analysis. Especially, the geographical analyses of urban evolution can be simplified. This study may be helpful for students in describing and explaining the spatial complexity of urban evolution.

Libraries in Ancient Egypt, c.1600–800 BCE

2019 ◽  
pp. 244-318
Author(s):  
Fredrik Hagen
Keyword(s):  
Rare Case ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Archaeological Remains ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Historical Individual ◽  
Indirect Sources

The chapter surveys the evidence for ancient Egyptian libraries during the period 1600–800 BCE. It looks at both private and institutional libraries, defined as collections of papyri with literary texts, with a notable focus on archaeological context, and the use and materiality of manuscripts. Given the paucity of archaeological remains of temple and palace libraries, many indirect sources play a key role in the analysis, including book labels, administrative titles, and patterns of transmission for literary texts. Private libraries are better attested, and here the main groups are described with a particular focus on their importance for reconstructing the circulation and reception of literature. Finally, the chapter includes a rare case study where an historical individual and his family can be identified as the owners of a private library.

Ancient Egyptian Plant-Remains in the Manchester Museum

1987 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-246
Author(s):  
Renate Germer
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Plant Remains

This article provides a complete, analytical list, with provenance and date, of the plant-remains from ancient Egypt in the Manchester Museum.

A World Without Play?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Harrington
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Egyptian Iconography

Social status, religious affiliations and beliefs, wealth, power, aspirations, and desires were all expressed through ancient Egyptian iconography, but children and the process of growing up are rarely the main focus of artistic compositions. While the selectiveness of ancient sources may mean that we cannot reconstruct an accurate or comprehensive picture of the experience of childhood in ancient Egypt, figured ostraca and other imagery at least provide insights into the contribution children made to the economy and to family life in antiquity. This chapter explores the contexts in which children were depicted, to show that the lived reality of youth is accessible at least insofar as it was relevant to the medium, intended audience, or the context in which images were displayed.

Re-engineering cities: a framework for adaptation to global change

2007 ◽  
Vol 365 (1861) ◽  
pp. 3085-3098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Greenhouse Gases Emissions ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Future Challenges

Urban areas are expected to continue their rapid growth in the twenty-first century. Globally, cities are major sources of greenhouse gases emissions and their high population densities make them potential focal points of vulnerability to global environmental change. Moreover, their reach, in terms of flows of materials and resources, extends far outside their borders. Evidently, it is no longer tenable to consider urban systems to be static artefacts constructed in a stable environment, nor continue to divorce them from the global context that influences many of the climatic and socio-economic changes within cities. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the future climatic and socio-economic conditions poses significant challenges for planners. A framework is proposed for analysing urban systems with evidence-based tools over extended time scales. This forms the basis of a manifesto for future challenges and research directions for this critical subject area, which ultimately will help engineers and urban planners to better understand the areas for which they are responsible and to develop adaptation strategies that can tackle the challenges posed by long-term global change and lead to more sustainable cities.

1. Four little words

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Riggs
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Ancient Egypt ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Land Art ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Ancient Egyptian ◽  
Representational Power ◽  
Art And Architecture ◽  
Made In

‘Four little words’ analyses the meanings of ‘Ancient’, ‘Egyptian’, ‘art’, and ‘architecture’ in order to understand how Egyptian art and architecture are studied and discussed, why and how they have influenced the modern world, and whether iconic examples of Egyptian artworks and buildings are in any way representative of cultural norms and lived experience in the ancient past. When is ‘ancient’ Egypt? Where and what was ‘Egypt’ in antiquity and how did its people describe themselves and their land? Art and architecture are considered to comprise those objects made in such a way that their form and materials contribute to their representational power, social or symbolic significance, and aesthetic qualities.

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