Egyptology

Gaston MasperoProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.4

Word count: 76K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.L'égyptologie by G. MasperoAuthor: Maspero, G. (Gaston), 1846-1916,Language: French, Class: DT: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Africa, Release Date: Jan 1, 2004

Editor's review

This is a short French-language work, L'égyptologie, by the French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero, classified under African history and geography and released by Project Gutenberg as a public-domain ebook. Its core value lies in presenting the disciplinary vision of European Egyptology from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century: Maspero himself worked for years in Egyptian archaeology and the organization of documents, and in this book he sets out the object, methods, and scope of Egyptology for a general readership. Written in the original French, its language is scholarly but not forbiddingly difficult, making it suitable as a primary source for understanding the early outline of the discipline. Readers should note that some views and chronologies in the book reflect early-stage scholarship and should be compared with modern research rather than taken as current conclusions. It suits readers interested in Egyptian civilization, the history of archaeology, or French scholarly texts who are willing to read slowly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers interested in Egyptian archaeology and the history of Egyptology
People with basic French reading ability who want to read public-domain scholarly texts
Students and enthusiasts studying late-nineteenth-century European Orientalism
Readers who want to understand early ebook academic catalogues

Not a good fit for

Readers with no French who need a Chinese translation
Readers expecting the latest modern archaeological findings and chronological systems
People hoping for an illustrated, child-friendly popular science book

Reading tips

Start with the opening sections defining the field and its scope to build Maspero's overall framework for Egyptology.
Keep a French reference work at hand, focusing on archaeological and documentary terminology.
As you read, compare with a modern general history of Egyptology and note views that have since been revised.
Read a short section each day and take notes to reduce the pressure of scholarly French.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in French or English?

The information shows the book is in French, by the French scholar Gaston Maspero, and classified under African history and geography. It is not an English translation, so reading it requires some French; if you read only Chinese, you will need another translation or a related Chinese work on Egyptology.

Can the archaeological conclusions in the book still be cited directly?

Maspero was an important early Egyptologist, but the book was written long ago, and some chronologies and interpretations have been updated by later discoveries. Read it as material in the history of the discipline; before citing specific conclusions, check modern research rather than treating early views as current consensus.

How can I use this book without any French?

You can treat it as a lead for understanding the early shape of Egyptology and read it alongside a Chinese general history of Egyptology or archaeology; you can also use a dictionary to work through key chapters paragraph by paragraph. If your goal is systematic study, a modern introductory book with a Chinese translation is more efficient.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Gaston Maspero Author · French · 1846–1916

Gaston Maspero (1846–1916) was a French Egyptologist born in Paris. He directed the Egyptian Antiquities Service and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, carried out excavations at Saqqara, and organized the royal mummies, laying a foundation for modern Egyptology. The library holds 13 of his works, chiefly the multi-volume History of Egypt, Chaldæa, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, along with A Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt and L'archéologie égyptienne. Grounded in material and textual evidence, his writing is clear and well organized, combining scholarship with readability, and remains a valuable reference for the study of ancient Egypt and the ancient Near East.