The Spirit of Ancient Egypt

Exotic Ancient Egypt ... Deciphering Egypt's past, from pre-historic times until Rome's conquest in AD 30, Ana Ruiz reveals countless details about one of the earliest civilizations, piecing together a mosaic that accumulates to give an intriguing portrait of this ancient people, from pharaohs to families to priests, and outlines their achievements in science and culture. Man settled along the banks of the Nile River as long ago as 7000 BC; over the next four millennia he learned to read, write, and develop and expand as a community. For the next 3000 years, Egypt prospered despite hardships, internal conflicts and foreign invasion. Was it "the gift of the Nile," as Herodotus called Egypt, or the gift of the Egyptian people to humanity, towards the evolution of civilization? The book examines family life, homes and furnishings, food, drink, dress, jewelry, wigs and cosmetics, work and play, trade and transportation, law and government. It explores the people's beliefs regarding death and immortality, magic, dreams and divination, deities and the priesthood, creation myths, animal worship, symbolism, traditions of mummification, and festivals. Finally, it looks at the achievements of Egyptian kings and queens, including military successes and architectural feats like the pyramids and the Great Sphinx, along with art, language and hieroglyphics, discoveries in medicine, astronomy and engineering, and early developments toward the modern calendar. Ana Ruiz's fascination with ancient Egypt began 25 years ago, and her delight is clear as she reconstructs and interprets for us the documentary images of life along the Nile. She provides a fascinating description of the customs and achievements of the nation, interspersed with quixotic details and charming tales that convey a sense of Egypt's shimmering spirit as well as its famous and less-famous monuments. She is a member of the Staffordshire Egyptology Society based in England and of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities, in Canada.