Egyptology Sources

Ancient Egypt provides a wealth of various sources for Egyptologists to study.

Monuments

The monuments of Ancient Egypt have survived well, the climate inductive to preservation. There are two types of archaeological sites: Domestic/Settlement Sites, which includes towns, villages, cities and fortresses and Cemetery Sites, these are divided into Royal, Non-Royal and animal cemteries.

The tombs and monuments were built to last forever, literal Houses of Eternity, and as such were built in durable materials such as stone. Everything else, the palaces of the king, nobles and homes of the general populace was considered replaceable and were built of materials that were easily reuseable, such as mid bricks and wood.

So much of our view of the Ancient Egyptian way of life is coloured by what building and monuments survive.

Artefacts

Artefacts are any man-made object needed for life after death, there are an abundance of funerary artefacts, from Coffins and Masks, to ordinary everyday objects such as pottery, make up containers and jewellery. Artefacts provide Egyptologists with a great deal of information regarding funerary practices, glimpses into everyday life and the technologies available.

Literature

The Ancient Egyptians have left us with an abundance of written literature, from which we are able to get into the hearts and minds of the Ancient Egyptians and give us views on how they perceived things.

Papyrus, stelae (tombstones), potshards or limestone flakes (known as ostracon or plural ostraca), tombs and temples, Pyramid Texts and the accounts of Greek travelers and other classical authors all provide Egyptologists with primary source material.

Human Remains

Egyptologists can acquire a great deal of knowledge of the Ancient Egyptians by scientific study of human remains.

Other Sources

Other sources of material come from Libraies, Museums and Egyptology and Archaeology Journals.

Snippets

Nomen

The was the name given to the crown prince at birth. The name is usually proceeded by the title 'Son of Ra'. It is used to emphasise the king's role as a representative of the solar God Ra.