Review of A History of Ancient Egypt. From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid, by J. Rommer

CAMPAGNO, MARCELO

Bibliotheca Orientalis

The Netherlands Institute for the Near East

Lugar: Leiden; Año: 2014 vol. 71 p. 104 - 110

0006-1913

Although John Romer has made relevant contributions to the Egyptological research, he is best known by the general public as the author and presenter of a number of TV series (Romer?s Egypt, The Seven Wonders of the World). He has also published several books on general topics in Egyptology (The Great Pyramid, The Valley of the Kings), and his new book, which is announced as the first of two volumes covering the whole history of ancient Egypt, belongs in the same context. The author proposes to write a "modern history of ancient Egypt" (p. xx) that will avoid the two narratives that, in his view, dominate the scene: the traditional history; and the new archaeology, which he describes as a discipline governed by "pseudo-evolutionary" principles. In an attempt to avoid the perils of both narratives, Romer?s ambition is "to provide a guide through the intellectual quagmire that modern 'ancient Egypt' has become, and also, by careful observation, to set some of the things the ancient people made back into their original realities".