Product Description
Senwosret III was one of the most importantrulers of ancient Egypt, and his pyramid complex was one of the major architectural achievements of the Twelfth Dynasty. This book is the first volume of a projected series on the excavations conducted since 1990 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition at the pyramid complex of Senwosret III at Dahshur.

The volume describes and analyzes the architectural features, the construction methods, and the building history of the complex—the pyramid and the temples associated with it as well as the subsidiary pyramids and their chapels. Of particular interest are the dramatic and beautifully constructed burial apartments of the king and the royal women, including Queen Weret II, Senwosret's wife.

Senwosret III's complex reflects a period of transition between the traditional pyramid complexes of the Old and early Middle Kingdom and the royal cult installations of the New Kingdom.The author considers the complex's place within this chain of development and examines various archaistic features indicating that Senwosret III's builders were studying the architecture of the Third Dynasty Djoser complex at Saqqara, which was already one thousand years old. The book is illustrated with photographs, line drawings, and computer reconstructions. An appendix provides a preliminary report on the relief decoration of the king's temples and the chapels of the royal women, as well as the objects found in the burial apartments. ... Read more

Product Description
The newest installment of Abrams’ Discoveries series brings the reader to the last of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Pyramids of Giza, which remain among the world’s most mysterious architectural and archaeological achievements. The Great Pyramid and the two smaller pyramids that make up the Giza Necropolis, commissioned by the pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops, around 2560 BC, have fascinated scientists and historians from Antiquity to the present. Beginning with Herodotus’s fifth-century B.C. observations of these massive monuments, author Jean-Pierre Corteggiani leads the reader through historical theories, sketches, and excavations of the Pyramids, including the 2004 investigation by amateur Egyptologists Gilles Dormion and Jean-Yves Verd’hurt into a previously undiscovered room of the Great Pyramid. In addition to the central conundrum—the question of how the pyramids were built—Corteggiani examines the attraction of the site throughout the ages; many explorers, conquerors, soldiers, and pilgrims made their way to the Pyramids, often leaving their marks in graffiti on the stones. Perhaps the most famous emblems of Ancient Egypt, to this day the Pyramids of Giza continue to confound and seduce visitors and scientists alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Tour guide
This is a tiny tour guide of the pyramids of Egypt. I would not recommend it as I think for a guide it does not contain enough facts.

Great information in a small package
This short but extremely interesting history of the pyramids of Giza is one of the best bargains if you are interested in Egypt.Before I visited Egypt I had studied a lot of books and selected one travel guide (DK's Eyewitness to Egypt) to take along. If I had seen ths one, I would have taken it, too. In one small book it has highly readable text, interesting and often hard to find illustrations and photographs. It is up to date with the latest information about possible cavities in Khafre's pyramid. It also has selections from original sources about the pyramids and an extensive bibliography. All this for only $12.95. I have recommended for purchase by the library inhigh school where I teach. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Most Important Book
Peter Tompkins in this most valuable work takes you inside Ancient Mesoamerica and the archaeology done in the Yucatan by none other than Augustus Le Plongeon forerunner to the Churchward brothers, Col.Churchward and brother Albert all high degree Freemasons. This book opens up so many revelations a few paragraphs of review would not do it proper justice, get the book. Tompkins covers the theories of the Chuchwards, Edgar Cayce, Augustus Le Plongeon, Leopoldo Batres, and Don Carlos de Siguenza y Gongora.

The Olmec and Mayan cultures are covered extensively. Much of Tompkins work has been dissmissed by scholarly academia, but I think this book as well as his treatise on "Obelisks" ground breaking. This book clarifies a Canaanite-Phoenician-Carthaginian-Olmec-Moor connection. Profusely illustrated throughout this book gives you a feeling of being right there. There is a very interesting picture of Montezuma wearing an apron with a human head affixed.The title is a bit missleading, for the book is about much more than that. Part V will give the reader a scientific analysis and mathematical extrapolation of the pyramid paradigm. This book is one of the best on Mesoamerican culture and lore.

An Excellent Text on Ancient Mexico
Tompkins, in this book, shows the amazing relationship between points in the entire pyramid complex to points in the heavens, and their relationship to important calender days, with much of this being so amazing that it seems to be beyond the capabilties of even modern engineers. At the same time, he takes us on a walk through time from a period when everything about the Mexican Indians was held in the utmost scorn and neglect, to the slow discovery of its importance by increasingly enlightened scholars. However, its progress seems to have taken some bad turns because some of the more important discoveries were made by people who were interested in advancing theories of Atlantis and Mu, and so the rather stodgy and Eurocentic scholars in American university circles promptly threw the baby out with the bath water at the mere mention of these topics (kind of like another reviewer here did, who admits that he stopped reading the book before he could get past that subject - nothing quite like reviewing a book that you haven't read - no?) As a result of that, the fact that archeological finds that can be easily dated back some ten thousand years just sit on a shelf somewhere just because they got mentioned in the same paragraph as Atlantis and Mu.

Tompkins never did advocate the existence of Atlantis, by the way. He simply reported the historical fact that certain scholars who visited the pyramids attempted to associate them with that myth.

Besides the wealth of information about the true nature of the Pyramids, in terms of the astronomical and calender data that they contain - which I believe is not catalogued so thoroughly anywhere else - this book also contains a wealth of historical and comparative religion data - again compiled from a wide range of little known scholarship which Tompkins does not endorse or malign - he only cites it - scholarship which I don't think you will find in such a complete and far ranging setting anywhere else. This includes archeological evidence of visits from people from other continents and the evidence of their influence on the course of the development of mesoamerican culture and religion, and on the building of the pyramids themselves.

In short, I really recommend this book, and I admire the author greatly for his tremendous contribution to the understanding of not only the Mexican pyramids themselves, but of ancient Mexican culture itself.

Excellent reference on a broad spectrum of subjects
This book covers about astrology, geodesic forcesof energy on earth, the meaning of rituals in descriptive form, acheologic findings using also intuitive sciences, relates different cultures like the egipcian, atlantis,the people of mu, etc., Talks about the chakras, the dormant serpentThisis a great book to read for the lay man as well for archeologists,historians, astrologists, phisicists or anybody intrigued by the ancientsciences and applications to the "new world."sinceramente; TMpractitioner

Good Narrative of Historical Takes
Tompkins starts with an introduction to the genocide of peoples and desecration of the ancient Mesoamerican cultural structures by theSpaniards before getting to a very readable romp about personalities whoattempted to preserve or ripoff Teotihuacan and other archeaological sites. The book presents a good overview of this site, which unlike theGiza/Egyptian pyramid complexes was not treated to in depth technical studyuntil the 1950s and later.Even now, large portions remain unexcavated. The later parts of the book delve into Atlantean connections, a naturallink with the speculations of Augustus Le Plongeon and others who appearearlier in the text.While it is not directly a history of the Maya,Olmecs, Aztecs, or others, there is enough citation within the interestingsidenotes and extensive bibliography to take serious readers into thebowels of the beast as of the 1970s, when this was published.All in all,this is a very nice little treasure.

Very interesting book about history of M. pyramid discovery
Really fun book to read, specailly the chapter about prehistoric origins of Maya.Recommend it to those who are curious about who and how the mexican pyramids were discovered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Simplicity of Devoted Genius
Last Lizard and the Language of the Great Pyramid cloaks one of the world's great mysteries in the carnival costume of myth and story. It is a wild surprise of a tale,surpassing the mere magic of Harry Potter, trading lizards for wizards, and borrowing as characters of that lizard family, the illustrious family of artists into which the author was born.

As he said in the author's note, he is first, last, and alway an artist. I agree by the results.Only the highest artistic discipline and humane devotion could have brought forth such a discovery as what the pyramid means, in a proof anyone over twelve can understand.To this point, five thousand years since construction, nobody had cracked the code.It turns out to be simple and elegant, like the formulae for the power of gravity or the source of energy.But what a spiritual climb of many years it must have been.

On the first level, the story traces the odyssey of a white lizard, the last of his race, as he follows the inspiration of a dream about spiritual reality and brings his discovery to material civilization then in turn is wowed by all he sees.

Perhaps the author was unconscious of this, but there is a story within the story, the stages of his own discovery and what the responsibility required of him to createthe proof.He began barely able to express his thoughts and feelings and became a writer in order to communicate what I can only call a work of genius.Like Euclid, Newton and Einstein, what he says in the mathematical proof is clear, complete, and elegant.And like other revolutionary visions, it should give courage for a new generation's yearning to understand its place in creation.Personally, despite my sixty years, I read it with joy.

Last Lizard may also appeal to teenagers and young readers because Last Lizard-- and secretly they themselves--see the world as something new, stupendous, overwhelming, and beautiful.I am moved by his reverence for what Robinson Jeffers described as "the great and timeless excellences of things".Bravo!

Last Lizard and the Language of the Great Pyramid
This is a unique and utterly charming novel.The protagonist, while notably different from others, touches our hearts and makes us care deeply for him because ultimately, he is all of us.

Anyone who delights in brilliant writing, extraordinary humor, delicious plot turns, and discovering a new favorite author, must not miss Last Lizard and the Language of the Great Pyramid. ... Read more

Product Description
In Three Volumes. In Which Is Shown How The Great Pyramid Of Gizeh Symbolically And By Measurement Corroborates The Philosophy And Prophetic Times And Seasons Of The Divine Plan Of The Ages As Contained In The Holy Scriptures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Even handed and responsible treatment of the subject
William Corliss was a respected scientist and science writer for NASA. He is able to both evaluate information and present it in a readable and non sensational fashion. In a series of "Catalogs of Anomalies" Corliss continues the work of Charles Fort, locating information that appears to contradict current theories and compiling that information for other researchers. The information in this book has been catagorized, evaluated and presented in an even handed manner. The prose is very much matter of fact. The illustrations ar somewhat sparse and some did not print very well, but they generally illustrate Corliss' points well enough.

This book is worth getting for the sections on the Great Pyramids alone. The other information is just as interesting.

This is a great book on a fascinating subject
This book is the nineteenth in the Catalogue of Anomalies, and has a companion entitled, Ancient Infrastructure. This book is divided into eight chapters: ancient astronomical observatories; miscellaneous ancient structures; forts; ancient furnaces, smelters, hearths; pyramids, especially the great pyramid; cities and complexes; ancient towers; and anomalous stone chambers and passage graves. Each entry has a clearly delineated description, data evaluation, anomaly evaluation, possible explanation, list of similar and related phenomena, and then an in-depth examination of the structure.

This is quite a fascinating book! Unlike some books on similar subjects, this book treats its subjects in a no-nonsense, scientific manner, providing a real understanding of the structures. My one complaint against this book is that it reads like a textbook, being too often dry, making it rather heavy for the light reader. That said, though, this is a great book on a fascinating subject. If you are interested in anomalous structures, then I cannot recommend this book too much! ... Read more

Product Description
In Three Volumes. In Which Is Shown How The Great Pyramid Of Gizeh Symbolically And By Measurement Corroborates The Philosophy And Prophetic Times And Seasons Of The Divine Plan Of The Ages As Contained In The Holy Scriptures. ... Read more

Product Description
In Three Volumes. In Which Is Shown How The Great Pyramid Of Gizeh Symbolically And By Measurement Corroborates The Philosophy And Prophetic Times And Seasons Of The Divine Plan Of The Ages As Contained In The Holy Scriptures. ... Read more

Product Description
THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Middle-school readers will enjoy learning how these intriguing buildings were created and the ancient Egyptian beliefs and rituals regarding death and burial. ... Read more

Product Description
More than 4,500 years after its completion virtually everything is known about Khufu's pyramid except for the most important fact: Its method of construction. At present there are no answers to the mysteries of this colossal monument: 146.70 meters in height (the world's tallest building until the nineteenth century). 230.60 meters square base, 2.6 million cubic meters in volume, and 5,500,000 tons in weight spread uniquely over more than 220 layers. This book solves the riddles of Khufu's pyramid by combining archaeological information from distinguished researchers, and a professional architect s approach. This monument set many precedents, such as it was the first building in history to use integrated technical means for its construction - and in its architecture. After studying in detail all of the components of the pyramid - materials, tools, transportation and human strength - Mr. Houdin pieces together the extraordinary planning and organization, the technical skill, and the machines which allowed this great pyramid to rise over a period on twenty-one years, and last until today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

UTTERLY FASCINATING!
A great book!Proposes alternative theories about how the Egyptians hauled the stones and constructed the great pyramid and WHY the grand gallery is the way it is.The book is chock full of diagrams, layer by layer to support the theory and really makes more sense than any of the others I've read. Intelligently written; no space age or fanciful ideas as is listed as "fact" in other publications.

Khufu: The Great Pyramid


As an engineer with an interest in the history of technology, I found this an interesting evaluation of a variation on an old idea.

A thoughtful conclusion and a bibliography round out this remarkable examination.
"Khufu: The Secrets Behind The Building Of The Great Pyramid" by Jean-Pierre Houdin is a unique study of the Great Pyramid of Egypt that combines historic photographs with computer generated 'blueprints' of the pyramid's structure with an informed and informative commentary text. Author and pyramid expert Jean-Pierre Houdin begins with a succinct historical summary of Egyptian pyramid building before the Khufu structure. Then provides a general introduction to the Khufu structure including the builders, building disciplines, and building technologies engaged in its planning and construction. Special attention is given to the King's Chamber, the Khufu ramps and passageways, and so much more. Of special note is the 'First Clues' section which includes microgravimetry, the northeast notch, 'ghost' ramps, and characteristics of certain course. A thoughtful conclusion and a bibliography round out this remarkable examination. "Khufu: The Secrets Behind The Building Of The Great Pyramid" is a strongly recommended and seminal addition to university level Egyptology and Archaeology reference collections. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume retraces the development and magnificent flowering of Mayan architecture in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize over the period 300 B.C.-A.D. 1500. Tikal, the earliest Mayan religious center, Palenque, famous for its ceremonial center, and Copan, with its hieroglyphic staircase featuring 2500 glyphs, are among the cites featured. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful Maya
This is basically a coffee table book.Nice pictures, easy text, not too deep.A good reference if you want to choose which Maya big spots you want to visit in your next vacation.It does suffer from not reflecting more recent advances on the interpretation on Maya history, such as the Toltec influence.But it is not apparently the objective of the book.This reviewer thinks that what the author wants is for you to get interested in the Maya civilization, to respond to the beauty and greatness of its art, to give to research and protection funds...All very commendable goals but perhaps a little too weak for the more historically minded.Yet, even this last one can have a fine time reviewing this book which is always a nice reminder of the places we saw, or want to visit someday. ... Read more

Product Description
Describes ancient Egyptian civilization and the construction and uses of the pyramids, with emphasis on the Pyramid of Cheops. ... Read more

Product Description
The Egyptian pyramids were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and today, some 4500 years later, they still inspire awe and admiration. But the first time visitor to Egypt may be surprised at the number of pyramids at Meidum, Dahsur, Saggara, Abusir and Giza, which have earned the Old Kingdom the epithet, "The Pyramid Age". Most of these monuments were constructed in the vicinity of the ancient capital city of Memphis, making nearly all the sites accessible to tourists on day trips from Cairo. Hart guides the reader through the principal pyramids, mastabas and other surviving monuments to show how and why that civilization (contemporary with the first stage of Stonehenge) produced these remarkable buildings, and what they reveal of the life of the ancient Egyptians. Containing information on the latest archeological discoveries, this is a chronological guide and a handbook to some of the most astonishing constructions ever built by man. ... Read more

Product Description
From Stonehenge to the Empire State Building, and from Angkor Wat to the Pyramids, this book surveys every continent to discover the most impressive, exotic and intriguing man-made wonders of the world. Arranged in order of longitude, and illustrated with over 100 spectacular photographs, maps and illustrations, 50 Wonders of the World reveals the awesome architectural achievements that man has created over the centuries. This is also the story of the extraordinary peoples and civilizations that created these buildings and the key roles they played as centres of religion, culture or trade.Hagia Sophia; Sydney Opera House; Altamira; Dome of the Rock; Easter Island statues; Chartres; Petra; Empire State Building; Eiffel Tower; Peterhof; Golden Gate Bridge; Neuschwanstein; Solovetsky Island; Lincoln Memorial; Florence Duomo; Minaret of Jam; Monte Alban; Colosseum; Red Fort; Chichen Itza; Pantheon; Golden Temple; Tikal; Grand Canal; Taj Mahal; Machu Picchu; Parthenon; Mahabalipuram; Nasca; Knossos; Angkor Wat; Tiahuanaco; Pyramids of Giza; Potala Palace; Brasilia; Abu Simbel; Borobodur; Clifton Suspension Bridge; St Catherine's Monastery; Great Wall of China; Stonehenge; Forbidden City; Alhambra; Djenne Mosque; Itsukushima shrine; Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; Great Zimbabwe; Todai-ji; Sagrada Familia; Lalibela. ... Read more

Product Description
Contains the locations, interiors, and exterior dimensions of all ten stone pyramids of Egypt.It discusses all theories of construction, their purpose, the sacred geometry of their design, ...etc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Informative, and iconoclastic contribution to Egyptology
Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Moustafa Gadalla's Pyramid Handbook is a unique, informative, and iconoclastic contribution to Egyptology with its focus on the pyramids of antiquity. Featured are the locations and dimensions of the interiors and exteriors of the pyramids; varied theories on the construction, purpose, and function of the pyramids; the sacred geometry that was incorporated into the design of the pyramids; and a great deal more. Pyramid Handbook is fresh, original, thorough, scholarly, completely accessible to the non-specialist general reader, and enhanced with useful illustrations of the sites and interiors of the Egyptian masonry pyramids. If you have an interest in Egyptology, the Pyramids, and iconoclastic archaeological studies, read Moustafa Gadalla's Pyramid Handbook.

Everything in one easy book
This book contains a complete synopsis about the pyramids.Finally, thereis a book that gives all the information about the pyramids, theirlocations, dimensions, profiles, why they were built, and how.The sacredgeometry of the pyramids and pyramid power are very interesting.Wellresearched, and well written.

All the guide you need
From having traveled to Egypt myself, I can tell you that this is one ofthe best books on the pyramids I've ever read.If only I had this when Iwas there, I could have been so much more fullfilled.I was especiallyinterested in the writtings on sacred geometry.I can't wait for for thenext time I get a chance to go to Egypt and visit the pyramids armed withGadalla's book.This is a must own for anyone traveling to Egypt or hasever wanted to know the truth about antient Egypt and the pyramids. ... Read more

Product Description
Browsers and young students alike will enjoy these lively question and answer books with their unique mix of realistic illustration and engaging cartoons. The enticing questions will amaze, amuse and inspire, while the highly visual format encourages kids to keep reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A wonderful book!
Realistic illustrations and clear text not only explain the pyramids and embalmment, but also show people going about their everyday lives.

A fantastic book
Thsi was agreat book, it told about the Egyotian people of the early years of civilization lived their lives.It will give you facts like why the Egyptians shoes wore out and how they built their graves.This is a great book if you are interested about the Egypian style of life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Worth the price for Alexander alone...
I have read (in detail) the four original Ellis books. Each one is fascinating in a different way, mainly because of Ellis' vaunted 'lateral thinking' mode.

Ellis posits that the Khufu (Great) pyramid is a map in stone of the world's landmass, and devotes a significant part of this book to a 'loner' quest to get as close to a supposed knowledge-vault at the base of K2 - delineated in the pyramid -as he can. This part of the book is akin to a 'go long' football throw.

(I have read a fair amount on pyramid theories, and - so far - the overall 'feeling' of the Khufu pyramid brought out in "The Giza Power Plant: Technologies of Ancient Egypt" by Christopher Dunn comes closest to my truth. I do not really believe in Dunn's actual 'power plant' mechanism, but his handling of the otherwise-obscure details of a 'purpose-built' pyramid rings very true. It is very emphatically not a tomb...)

To me, the real gem in K2 is Ellis' treatment of Alexander the Great. Alexander was an amazing man, who faced down one of the world's greatest (or at least most sizable) armies in it's own territory - and won, repeatedly. Then, rather than settling down into his spoils - one of the world's richest and most cultured countries - he basically took off into one of the planet's most barren and inhospitable areas: the ever-growing, mountainous foothills by the Afghanistan-Pakistan borders. (Interesting that Cheney/Bush,Sr patrols are scouting that region now, for you conspiracy buffs...) When he could go no further, only then did Alexander turn south into India.

Ellis does an excellent job of explaining this 'strange' behavior by weaving evidence that Alexander was actually on a purposeful quest to discover a 'God'-base or immortality-station disclosed by old-religion priests during his mysterious 'side-trip' to Siwa Oasis in Egypt. Since Alexander was obviously extremely intelligent and purpose-driven, he was unlikely to be 'rattling around' such an impoverished area with an entire Macedonian army. Ellis provides a plausible scenario for Alexander's presence there - and a good read, to boot.

(In my mind, the main question is whether the priests gave accurate information as best they could, or simply devised a plan to send Alexander [their conqueror] off as far away and long as they could...)

I recommend this part of the book highly, and look forward to any further facts coming to light on this issue.

Not worth the paper
I couldn't finish the book.Too much peripheral adventurism and little science.Ralph makes a big deal over certain geometric phenomena any good first year instructor would cover.The parallels between the chambers of the Great Pyramid and maping of the earth's mountains is intriguing.But devoting pages to Alexander's escapades for which no one has an explanation is useless filler.So is the detailed travelog incorporating the execution of a goat.In the end, Ralph doesn't find the Hall of Records because he is totally unprepared for investigating such in a glacial zone of K2.Doesn't speak well of planning and research.Save your money.There's nothing of any scientific value to learn, and the story telling really sucks. ... Read more