The Burial Customs of Ancient Egypt as Illustrated by Tombs of the Middle Kingdom being A Report of Excavations made in the Necropolis of Beni Hassan during 1902-3-4

Description:

First edition. This substantial volume presents the pioneering work of John Garstang (1876-1956), a notable figure in early 20th-century Egyptology. As a professor at the University of Liverpool, Garstang was a leading advocate for systematic archaeological documentation, utilizing photography to capture detailed images of excavated tombs, artifacts, and stratigraphy. His excavations at Beni Hassan, a prominent Middle Kingdom necropolis, provided extensive insights into Egyptian burial practices, yielding hundreds of tombs and associated artifacts. This book embodies results from two winter seasons, 1902-3 and 1903-4.

Condition

Large 8vo (268x200mm), orig. green cloth, bevelled edges, gilt title to front board and spine, lightly rubbed with minor wear to extremities; top edge gilt. Some foxing to lower edge of text block, preliminaries and final few leaves of index. Very good. From the library of Professor Alexander James Edward Cave (1900-2001), a British anatomist and authority on Egyptian mummies, though without his ownership marks. The endpaper bears the signature of Grafton Elliot Smith (1871-1937), the influential anatomist and Egyptologist. A fellow of the Royal Society, Smith was instrumental in advancing theories on cultural diffusion and the origins of human religion. An important association copy of a landmark in early Egyptology. Rare in this condition and with a distinguished provenance.