A River In ‘Drought’?

Environment and cultural ramifications of Old Kingdom climate change

Written by John W. Burn

43.2055.20

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Print Book
ISBN: 9781407358109
BAR: S3036
55.20
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ISBN: 9781407358116
BAR: S3036E
43.20
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Description

While the idea of a catastrophic drought ending the Old Kingdom has been shown to be too simple an explanation, current research suggests that some climatic change was occurring at this time. Increasing aridity, developing since the third Dynasty, was punctuated with times of unseasonal rain, and both these events would have had some impact upon the environmental circumstances present in the river. This book presents ecological analyses of the riverine habitat as it may have developed in times of excess nutrient load within the river and explores possible environmental consequences. By tracing changes in the tomb decoration repertoire, the author also explores a potential cultural response to the climatic shifts occurring at that time.

About the Author

John W. Burn has a degree in Environmental Science and a Masters in Egyptian Art. His PhD combined these two fields by looking for evidence of an environmental awareness displayed by the artists who decorated the tombs at the end of the Old Kingdom.

Reviews

“I am delighted to see such a comprehensive and balanced study of this period about which much has been written. This book adds close observation and some excellent detail to the story of landscape change in Egypt and I expect that it will become an authoritative source for the topic.” Dr Judith Bunbury, University of Cambridge