Four areas in Southern Egypt, around Lake Nasser, now contain ancient monuments that were reconstructed and moved from their original positions during the building of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s: Abu Simbel, New Amada, New Wadi al-Sebua and New Kalabsha. This guide provides an introduction to the history and culture of Nubia during the pharaonic period. It describes each monument in detail, highlighting its history, religion and art. Also included are a short bibliography and brief descriptions of the four temples that were transported and reconstructed abroad – the most notable now residing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Jewelry was worn by ancient Egyptians at every level of society and, like their modern descendants, they prized it for its aesthetic value, as a way to adorn and beautify the body. It was also a conspicuous signifier of wealth, status, and power. But jewelry in ancient Egypt served another fundamental purpose: its wearers saw it as a means to absorb positive magical and divine powers–to protect the living, and the dead, from the malignant forces of the unseen. The types of metals or stones used by craftsmen were magically important, as were the colors of the materials, and the exact positioning of all the elements in a design.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry: 50 Masterpieces of Art and Design draws on the exquisite collections in the archaeological museums of Cairo to tell the story of three thousand years of jewelry-making, from simple amulets to complex ritual jewelry to the spells that protected the king in life and assisted his journey to the Otherworld in death.

Gold, silver, carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli were just some of the precious materials used in many of the pieces, and this stunningly illustrated book beautifully showcases the colors and exceptional artistry and accomplishment that make ancient Egyptian jewelry so dazzling to this day.