Asiatics in Middle Kingdom Egypt: Perceptions and Reality

Description

The ancient Egyptians had very definite views about their neighbours, some positive, some negative. As one would expect, Egyptian perceptions of 'the other' were subject to change over time, especially in response to changing political, social and economic conditions. Thus, as Asiatics became a more familiar part of everyday life in Egypt, and their skills and goods became increasingly important, depictions of them took on more favourable aspects. The investigation by necessity involves a multi-disciplined approach which seeks to combine and synthesize data from a wider variety of sources than drawn upon in earlier studies. By the same token, the book addresses the interests of, and has appeal to, a broad spectrum of scholars and general readers.

Phyllis Saretta is a visiting scholar and lecturer at the Department of Egyptian Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA.

[Saretta] takes a comprehensive approach using all the evidence available in this study ... [An] important, ground-breaking work of scholarship. * Classics for All Reviews * [This] is a story well told with something for everyone. ... [T]here are wonderful discussions of how the Amu were represented in Egyptian art, complete with detailed discussion of hair styles, and well illustrated. ... Dr. Saretta mines the information well and presents the reader with a fascinating picture of these people. * Ancient Egypt * An altogether admirable book ... a tremendous asset, combining a lot of research and (sometimes new and important) insights in a conveniently sized book, opening new venues for further research, fulfilling all the requirements one might have regarding a quality textbook. Above all it is a book that invites to be (intensively) used. * The Classical Journal * With so much evidence object- and art-based, the ample inclusion of black and white images and illustrations is both essential and appreciated ... Asiatics in Middle Kingdom Egypt ... promotes thought, which is among the most desirable outcomes of a scholarly work. * Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections * An excellent starting point for research on Asiatics/Amorites in the Middle Kingdom, since it combines a vast amount of art-historical and textual data. * Chronique d'Egypte * Phyllis Saretta opens her study with a meticulous analysis of terminology and texts related to Aamu, the "Asiatics" of Egyptian sources, but goes far beyond that. Her book presents a full-fledged analysis of a cultural encounter of peoples of the ancient Near East, including a helpful outline of previous research. The Egyptian material is in the centre of the study, but has been carefully contextualised to provide a vivid portrayal of skilled and valued artisans, soldiers, weavers, but also midwives - men and women, whose travels and transfers secured exchange of ideas and technologies. A major attraction of the volume is its truly comprehensive treatment of all aspects, however meagrely documented, of the life of the Western Asians in Egypt, including Egyptian views on them. It is a detailed, but also diversified view and captures the social and cultural identity of the people in a historical picture that fully integrates evidence of archaeology, art and text. -- Hana Navratilova, Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA A stimulating overview, backed up by much original and deep research, of a crucial period of interaction between Old and Middle Kingdom Egypt, and the world of the nomadic elements of the Amorites. Involving not only keen observations, but also challenging theoretical proposals, this book will remain an essential resource for many years to come. -- David O'Connor, Lila Acheson Wallace Professor of Egyptian Art, the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, USA