The Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, often referred to as the Pyramid Age, was the age when the core of Egyptian thought and institution was formulated and was regarded by the ancient Egyptians as the golden age and an ideal model for future ages. Traditions were so deeply rooted that, despite its fall at the end of the Sixth Dynasty, the Old Kingdom continued to influence political and social institutions, religious beliefs and rituals, and art and architecture for the next 2500 years. This text traces the origins of the Egyptian civilization through the rise and fall of the Old Kingdom in the light of contemporary theories and recent discoveries. Two main themes are explored: the ancestor worship which lay at the root of the belief system and the cult centres which created both a common religious and cultural tradition and a reciprocal service relationship between the central government and distant communities. The every-day lives of the people are also examined.
- ISBN10 9774243927
- ISBN13 9789774243929
- Publish Date 19 February 1998 (first published 25 November 1976)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 3 October 2008
- Publish Country EG
- Imprint The American University in Cairo Press
- Edition NEW AND REV ed.
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 206
- Language English