Author: Franck Goddio
Publisher: British Museum
ISBN: 9780500292372
Category : HISTORY
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
Beneath the waters of Abukir Bay, at the edge of the northwestern Nile Delta, lie the submerged remains of once-lost ancient Egyptian cities that sank over 1,200 years ago, but were dramatically rediscovered in the last years of the 20th century. Pioneering underwater excavations, begun in 1999 and still underway, are uncovering an array of ancient buildings and artefacts. Temple ruins and monumental statuary, harbour installations (and no fewer than 69 shipwrecks), exquisite jewellery and delicate ceramics are among the intriguing remains of these cities already lifted from the sea. Through these extraordinary finds, this book tells the story of how two iconic ancient civilizations, Egypt and Greece, interacted in the late first millennium BC, from the founding of Thonis-Heracleion, Naukratis and Canopus as trading and religious centres to the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great, through the ensuing centuries of Ptolemaic (Hellenistic) rule, to the suicide of Cleopatra and the ultimate dominance of Rome. Throughout, Greeks and Egyptians lived alongside one another in these lively cities, sharing their politics, religious beliefs, languages and customs. Greek kings adopted the regalia of the pharaoh; ordinary Greek citizens worshipped in Hellenic sanctuaries next to Egyptian temples; and their ancient gods and mythologies became ever more closely intertwined. Published to accompany the blockbuster British Museum exhibition showcasing a spectacular collection of objects, this book retells the history and rediscovery of this vibrant and multi-cultural ancient society.
Author: Franck Goddio
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781902699516
Category : Alexandria (Egypt)
Languages : en
Pages : 192
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Book Description
Author: Jürgen Bischoff
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783958291799
Category : Alexandria (Egypt)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
In the spring of 1992, acknowledged pioneer of modern maritime archaeology Franck Goddio set out to locate the port facilities and palace quarter of the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria, founded in 331 BC. Equipped with cutting-edge sonar and nuclear magnetic resonance technology capable of detecting structures hidden deep in sediment, never before had maritime archaeologists put so much effort and technology into uncovering the mysteries of human history. Years later Goddio extended his search to include the Bay of Aboukir, where he discovered cities that had been swallowed up by the sea more than a thousand years before, along with huge temples, colossal statues and the world's largest ancient ship cemetery to date. Diving to the Pharaohs offers a first-hand account of this thrilling journey into the past, following Goddio's divers on their underwater ventures. It depicts life on board a research vessel and provides exciting insights into the scientific findings. What was life like for the people of the pharaonic kingdom more than 2,000 years ago? How did they celebrate their feasts and festivals? Why did their cities vanish? These and more questions are answered in this book in the original text by accomplished science writer Jürgen Bischoff, and photos by one of the world's most respected underwater photographers Christoph Gerigk, many of which appear here for the first time in print.
Author: Charles River Editors
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781793365118
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 42
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Book Description
*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Africa may have given rise to the first human beings, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later. From the Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria to the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Ancient Egyptians produced several wonders of the world, revolutionized architecture and construction, created some of the world's first systems of mathematics and medicine, and established language and art that spread across the known world. With world-famous leaders like King Tut and Cleopatra, it's no wonder that today's world has so many Egyptologists. What makes the accomplishments of the Ancient Egyptians all the more remarkable is that Egypt was historically a place of great political turbulence. Its position made it both valuable and vulnerable to tribes across the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and Ancient Egypt had no shortage of its own internecine warfare. Its most famous conquerors would come from Europe, with Alexander the Great laying the groundwork for the Hellenic Ptolemy line and the Romans extinguishing that line after defeating Cleopatra and driving her to suicide. One of the primary reasons why modern scholars know so much about Egyptian history is due to many monuments found up and down the Nile. Although some of the tombs built on the west bank of the Nile River have suffered a fair amount of wind damage and all of the great monuments have endured the ravages of time, they are amazingly well-preserved, thanks both to Egypt's arid climate and good workmanship. The Egyptian monument builders were truly a class above their contemporaries in terms of their trade, which was helped by the fact that they worked with the more permanent materials of sandstone and limestone, unlike Mesopotamian builders who were forced to primarily work with mud and brick. Of course, even the finest made Egyptian granite statues and limestone temples could do little to stop population explosions and changing weather patterns, which combined to bury most pharaonic era monuments in the Egyptian Delta. Today, the Delta is the most densely populated portion of the already densely populated country and is located on a high water table that is subject to routine flooding, just as it was in ancient times. Throughout the millennia since the pharaohs ruled Egypt, peasants have routinely used remnants of ancient monuments for new housing structures, implements, and even fertilizer, and the situation is even more pronounced closer to the Mediterranean coast. Cities that once were major ports where the various branches of the Nile River flowed into the Mediterranean are now miles off the coastline, under hundreds of feet of water. The existence of these cities was known thanks to Egyptian and Greek historical sources, but their locations could never be positively identified until the advent of modern marine technology. In 1996, adventurer and scholar Franck Goddio identified what he believed was a major site just off the Mediterranean coastline in the Abu Qir Bay, east of Alexandria. It turned out Goddio had discovered the ancient city of Heracleion, which was part of a larger metropolitan area that included the cities of Canopus and Naucratis. Although there is still much work to be done, the discovery has already yielded vital information about Heracleion's importance as a center of trade and religion from the 7th century BCE until the 8th century CE. The Lost City of Heracleion: The History of the Ancient Egyptian City Now Underwater in the Mediterranean examines the history of the city, and what life was like there. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Heracleion like never before.
Author: Kate Sparrow
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780857637574
Category : Egypt
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
Author: Franck Goddio
Publisher: Prestel Publishing
ISBN: 9783791339702
Category : Aboukir Bay (Egypt)
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
In the shallow waters of Aboukir Bay off the coast of Egypt, the ruins of three ancient cities-Alexandria, Heraklion, and Canopus-lie along with valuable clues to the way their citizens lived and worshipped. The French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio discovered these relics, which include statuary, jewelry, pediments, stone tablets, and fragments of buildings, all lost for nearly two thousand years. In addition to remarkable photographs of the excavation process, this illuminating volume connects the artifacts to the lives of Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, and Mark Anthony. It discusses the interactions among the three cities, between Egyptians and ancient Greeks, and the influences each civilization had on the other. An exciting volume for anyone interested in ancient history, this richly illustrated book is the most comprehensive examination to date on the excavation of the lost cities below Aboukir Bay. An updated and revised edition, this book features photographs and images from a landmark underwater excavation that changed the maps of history. AUTHOR: Franck Goddio is founder and president of the European institute for Underwater Archaeology in PAris. He is the author of many books and scientific articles, and has been the subject of numerous television documentaries. ILLUSTRATIONS: 600 colour illustrations
Author: Zahi A. Hawass
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1426205457
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 260
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Book Description
Secrets unfold in the official companion book to the new national touring exhibition cosponsored by National Geographic. This richly illustrated book chronicles the life of Cleopatra and the centuries-long quest to learn more about the queen and her tumultuous era.
Author: Judith McKenzie
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300115550
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 492
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Book Description
This masterful history of the monumental architecture of Alexandria, as well as of the rest of Egypt, encompasses an entire millennium—from the city’s founding by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. to the years just after the Islamic conquest of A.D. 642. Long considered lost beyond recall, the architecture of ancient Alexandria has until now remained mysterious. But here Judith McKenzie shows that it is indeed possible to reconstruct the city and many of its buildings by means of meticulous exploration of archaeological remains, written sources, and an array of other fragmentary evidence. The book approaches its subject at the macro- and the micro-level: from city-planning, building types, and designs to architectural style. It addresses the interaction between the imported Greek and native Egyptian traditions; the relations between the architecture of Alexandria and the other cities and towns of Egypt as well as the wider Mediterranean world; and Alexandria’s previously unrecognized role as a major source of architectural innovation and artistic influence. Lavishly illustrated with new plans of the city in the Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine periods; reconstruction drawings; and photographs, the book brings to life the ancient city and uncovers the true extent of its architectural legacy in the Mediterranean world.
Author: Franck Goddio
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781902699585
Category : Alexandria (Egypt)
Languages : en
Pages : 88
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Book Description
Explaining how archaeologists reconstructed Alexandria's ancient harbour topography, this volume provides reports of excavations in neighbouring Aboukir Bay, where remains have been discovered off the coast belonging to cities that predate the founding of Alexandria.
Author: Steven Snape
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 050077241X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 595
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Book Description
From early towns to booming metropolises, The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt explores every facet of urban life in ancient Egypt with a leading authority in the field as a guide Ancient Egyptian cities and towns have until recently been one of the least-studied and least-published aspects of this great ancient civilization. Now, new research and excavation are transforming our knowledge. This is the first book to bring these latest discoveries to a wide audience and to provide a comprehensive overview of what we know about ancient settlement during the dynastic period. The cities range in date from early urban centers to large metropolises. From houses to palaces to temples, the different parts of Egyptian cities and towns are examined in detail, giving a clear picture of the urban world. The inhabitants, from servants to Pharaoh, are vividly brought to life, placed in the context of the civil administration that organized every detail of their lives. Famous cities with extraordinary buildings and fascinating histories are also examined here through detailed individual treatments, including: Memphis, home of the pyramid–building kings of the Old Kingdom; Thebes, containing the greatest concentration of monumental buildings from the ancient world; and Amarna, intimately associated with the pharaoh Akhenaten. An analysis of information from modern excavations and ancient texts recreates vibrant ancient communities, providing range and depth beyond any other publication on the subject.
