"For the use of students and travelers," insisted the subtitle of the first publication of this wonderful book, in 1887, and it's easy to imagine the likes of Indiana Jones consulting it while adventuring near the Nile. Comprehensive in its scope but thoroughly entertaining to read, this delightful book-now an artifact itself of an earlier era of Egyptology-is a primer for the infrastructure and arts of the ancient Egyptians, much of which can still be visited and marveled at today. From a look at civil and military architecture-including private dwellings and fortresses-as well as temples and tombs, to a precis on the fine and industrial arts-from painting and sculpture to pottery, ivory, and metal-this is all you need to know to begin exploring the lost realms of ancient Egypt. This beautiful replica edition is complete with all the original illustrations. French Egyptologist SIR GASTON CAMILLE CHARLES MASPERO (1846-1916) served as director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo from 1881 to 1886, and again from 1899 to 1914. Perhaps the most prolific author on the subject ever, he also wrote The Dawn of Civilization (1884), The Struggle of Nations (1897), and The Passing of the Empires (1900)."