The Coptic monastery and cemetery Deir el-Bachit stands on the hilltop of Dra' Abu el-Naga, the well-known necropolis in Qurna (West Bank, Luxor). It is the largest Coptic monastery complex preserved in Western Thebes and the first monastery that has been systematically investigated. The excavation of the monastery was started as a DFG-Project des Ägyptologischen Instituts der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Muenchen in close collaboration with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut Abteilung Kairo. Until the start of the investigations in 2001 with a survey, little research was done. After three seasons of preliminary research, full archaeological research was started in 2004. The leatherwork was studied in 2007, the present volume of which presents the results. The book consists of two parts: the analysis and a detailed catalogue, including colour images of all finds and, where necessary, line drawings. The finds are analysed within the framework of the excavation as well as within the frameworks of the Ancient Egyptian Leatherwork Project and the Ancient Egyptian Footwear Project (www.leatherandshoes.nl).

Cutting-edge research by twenty-four international scholars on female power, agency, health, and literacy in ancient Egypt There has been considerable scholarship in the last fifty years on the role of ancient Egyptian women in society. With their ability to work outside the home, inherit and dispense of property, initiate divorce, testify in court, and serve in local government, Egyptian women exercised more legal rights and economic independence than their counterparts throughout antiquity. Yet, their agency and autonomy are often downplayed, undermined, or outright ignored. In Women in Ancient Egypt twenty-four international scholars offer a corrective to this view by presenting the latest cutting-edge research on women and gender in ancient Egypt. Covering the entirety of Egyptian history, from earliest times to Late Antiquity, this volume commences with a thorough study of the earliest written evidence of Egyptian women, both royal and non-royal, before moving on to chapters that deal with various aspects of Egyptian queens, followed by studies on the legal status and economic roles of non-royal women and, finally, on women’s health and body adornment. Within this sweeping chronological range, each study is intensely focused on the evidence recovered from a particular site or a specific time-period. Rather than following a strictly chronological arrangement, the thematic organization of chapters enables readers to discern diachronic patterns of continuity and change within each group of women. · Clémentine Audouit, Paul Valery University, Montpellier, France · Anne Austin, University of Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, USA · Mariam F. Ayad, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt · Romane Betbeze, Université de Genève, Switzerland, and Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL, France · Anke Ilona Blöbaum, Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany · Eva-Maria Engel, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany · Renate Fellinger, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK · Kathrin Gabler, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland · Rahel Glanzmann, independent scholar, Basel, Switzerland. · Izold Guegan, Swansea University, UK, and Sorbonne University, Paris, France · Fayza Haikal, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt · Janet H. Johnson, Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Il, USA · Katarzyna Kapiec, Institute of the Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland · Susan Anne Kelly, Macquarie University Sydney, Sydney, Australia · AnneMarie Luijendijk, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA · Suzanne Onstine, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA · José Ramón Pérez-Accino Picatoste, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain · Tara Sewell-Lasater, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA · Yasmin El Shazly, American Research Center in Egypt, Cairo, Egypt · Reinert Skumsnes, Centre for Gender Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway · Isabel Stünkel, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA · Inmaculada Vivas Sainz, National Distance Education University), Madrid, Spain · Hana Vymazalová, Czech Institute of Egyptology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czeck Republic · Jacquelyn Williamson, George Mason University, Fairfax, Viriginia, USA · Annik Wüthrich, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austrian Archaeological Institute, Vienna, Austria

The ancient Egyptian city of Tell el-Amarna (or Amarna, ancient Akhetaten) was the short-lived capital built by the controversial Pharaoh Akhenaten, probably the father of the famous Tutankhamun, and abandoned shortly after his death (c. 1336 BCE). It is one of the few Pharaonic cities to have been thoroughly excavated and is a rich source of information about the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. This volume, the first of two, presents the leatherwork excavated at the site by these various expeditions. The book consists of two parts: the catalogue and the preliminary analysis. The former presents the detailed description of the objects (among which chariot leather and footwear), accompanied by colour photographs and, where necessary, line- and construction drawings. The latter includes an explanation of the Amarna Leatherwork Project as well as preliminary interpretations of the finds.

Darlene L. Brooks Hedstrom offers a new history of the field of Egyptian monastic archaeology. It is the first study in English to trace how scholars identified a space or site as monastic within the Egyptian landscape and how such identifications impacted perceptions of monasticism. Brooks Hedstrom then provides an ecohistory of Egypt's tripartite landscape to offer a reorientation of the perception of the physical landscape. She analyzes late-antique documentary evidence, early monastic literature, and ecclesiastical history before turning to the extensive archaeological evidence of Christian monastic settlements. In doing so, she illustrates the stark differences between idealized monastic landscape and the actual monastic landscape that was urbanized through monastic constructions. Drawing upon critical theories in landscape studies, materiality and phenomenology, Brooks Hedstrom looks at domestic settlements of non-monastic and monastic settlements to posit what features makes monastic settlements unique, thus offering a new history of monasticism in Egypt.

Numerous research projects have studied the Nubian cultures of Sudan and Egypt over the last thirty years, leading to significant new insights. The contributions to this handbook illuminate our current understanding of the cultural history of this fascinating region, including its interconnections to the natural world.

This edited volume groups research on the significance of ancient feet and footwear, much of which was presented, discussed and reviewed at the conference: Shoes, Slippers and Sandals: Feet and Footwear in Antiquity, held at Newcastle University and the Great North Museum from 29 June–1 July 2015. Ancient dress and adornment have received significant consideration in recent scholarship, though, strikingly, feet and footwear have featured relatively little in this discussion. This volume aims to rectify this imbalance through its fifteen chapters covering a wide range of aspects associated with feet and footwear in classical antiquity. Contributions are grouped under four headings: ‘Envisaging footwear’, ‘Following footprints’, ‘One from a pair’ and ‘Between representation and reality’, reflecting the broad range and interdisciplinary nature of the approaches undertaken.

The Handbook takes as its subject the complex phenomenon of Christian monasticism. It addresses, for the first time in one volume, the multiple strands of Christian monastic practice. Forty-four essays consider historical and thematic aspects of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican traditions, as well as contemporary 'new monasticism'. The essays in the book span a period of nearly two thousand years—from late ancient times, through the medieval and early modern eras, on to the present day. Taken together, they offer, not a narrative survey, but rather a map of the vast terrain. The intention of the Handbook is to provide a balance of some essential historical coverage with a representative sample of current thinking on monasticism. It presents the work of both academic and monastic authors, and the essays are best understood as a series of loosely-linked episodes, forming a long chain of enquiry, and allowing for various points of view. The authors are a diverse and international group, who bring a wide range of critical perspectives to bear on pertinent themes and issues. They indicate developing trends in their areas of specialisation. The individual contributions, and the volume as a whole, set out an agenda for the future direction of monastic studies. In today's world, where there is increasing interest in all world monasticisms, where scholars are adopting more capacious, global approaches to their investigations, and where monks and nuns are casting a fresh eye on their ancient traditions, this publication is especially timely.

This absorbing reference covers everyday life in ancient Egypt, spanning a period of more than 5,000 years—from the Stone Age to the advent of Christianity. The mysteries surrounding ancient Egypt continue to pique interest and prompt study thousands of years later. Intriguing questions—such as "Why were certain Egyptians mummified after death, while others were not?", "How were the pyramids constructed?", and "Were sexuality and courtship accurately portrayed in movies about the period?"—incite curiosity and inspire the imagination in the modern world. This comprehensive encyclopedia addresses these questions and more, revealing fascinating facts about all aspects of daily life in ancient Egypt. Starting with the beginning of the First Dynasty to the death of Cleopatra, this compendium explores the family life, politics, religion, and culture of the Nile Valley from Aswan to the Delta, as well as the peripheral areas of Nubia, the Oases, the Sinai, and the southern Levant. Each topical section opens with an introductory essay, followed by A–Z entries on such topics as food, fashion, housing, politics, and community. The book features a timeline of events, an extensive bibliography of print and digital resources, and numerous photographs and illustrations throughout.

This work tells the story of a community of fourth-century monks living in Egypt. The letters they wrote and received were found within the covers of works that changed our understanding of early religious thought - the Nag Hammadi Codices. This book seeks to contextualise the letters and answer questions about monastic life. Significantly, new evidence is presented that links the letters directly to the authors and creators of the codices in which they were discovered.

A thorough transdisciplinary archaeological study of the ancient Egyptian Theban rock-cut tombs at Sheikh ‘Abd al-Qurna In recent years, archeological research has undergone major changes. The material turn in archaeology and related disciplines prompted the adoption of sophisticated scientific, digital, and technical approaches and methods often conducted on a micro level, enhancing our understanding of depositional processes and of the creation and life of an archeological object. This volume reflects seven seasons of transdisciplinary archaeological research at a cluster of rock-cut tombs in Sheikh 'Abd al-Qurna, an ancient Egyptian hillside cemetery and part of the much larger Theban Necropolis. Organized in twelve main chapters, Life Histories of Theban Tombs presents current investigations in landscape archaeology (including recent excavations at a large debris hill previously covering a tomb), geo- and bioarcheology, the archaeology of tomb construction, burial practices, and domestic uses as well as various epigraphical, visual, and material studies. The last two sections provide additional insight into the applied recording, surveying, and visualization methods and techniques and the database system used for data recording and organization. Contributors’ Affiliations: Martina Aeschlimann-Langer, Basel, Switzerland Zulema Barahona-Mendieta, University of Basel, Switzerland Susanne Bickel, University of Basel, Switzerland Oliver Bruderer, Zurich, SwitzerlandRachael Colldeweih, Nagra, Wettingen, Switzerland Lucía Díaz-Iglesias Llanos, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain Xavier Droux, Hierakonpolis Expedition, Oxford, England Stéphane Fetler, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium Zan Gojcic, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland Charlotte Hunkeler, University of Basel, Switzerland Mahmoud Ibrahim, University of Cairo, Egypt Matjaž Kačičnik, Cairo, Egypt Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin, University of Manchester, England Lara Selina Kurmann, University of Basel, Switzerland Andrea Loprieno-Gnirs, University of Basel, Switzerland Sabrina Meyer, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland Matthias Müller, University of Basel, Switzerland Julianna K. Paksi, University of Basel and École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, France Erico Peintner, Cairo, Egypt Matthew A. Perras, York University, Toronto, Canada Lukas Richner, canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland Frank Rühli, University of Zurich, Switzerland Marina Sartori, University of Basel, Switzerland Nadine Schönhütte, Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS), Cologne, Germany Roger Seiler, University of Zurich, Switzerland Stephan M. Unter, University of Basel, Switzerland André J. Veldmeijer, American University in Cairo, Egypt Noémi Villars, University of Basel, Switzerland Andreas Wieser, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland Andrea Wolter, ETH Engineering Geology Group, Zurich, Switzerland Martin Ziegler, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland