Akhenaten: History, Fantasy and Ancient Egypt [Hardcover]

The pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt in the mid-fourteenth century BCE, has been the subject of more speculation than any other character in Egyptian history. This provocative new biography examines both the real Akhenaten and the myths that have been created around him. It scrutinises the history of the pharaoh and his reign, which has been continually written in Eurocentric terms inapplicable to ancient Egypt, and the archaeology of Akhenaten's capital city, Amarna. It goes on to explore the pharaoh's extraordinary cultural afterlife, and the way he has been invoked to validate everything from psychoanalysis to racial equality to Fascism.Theoretically astute yet engagingly written, and illustrated with many striking images, this book appeals to anyone with an interest in Akhenaten or in the archaeology of ancient Egypt.Outline Chronology; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations and Conventions; Chapter 1 Akhenaten in the Mirror; Chapter 2 Histories of Akhenaten; Chapter 3 The Archaeologies of Amarna; Chapter 4 Protestants, Psychoanalysts and Fascists; Chapter 5 Race and Religion; Chapter 6 Literary Akhenatens; Chapter 7 Sexualities; Chapter 8 Epilogue;'I can thoroughly recommend the refreshingly idiosyncratic approach to the phenomenon of Amarna in Akhenaten. Dr Montserrat has clearly read both deeply and widely in areas which for many of us are very much at the periphery of our Egyptological interests.' - Egyptian ArchaeologyUS? 2000 Dominic Montserrat