A Gift of Geology: Ancient Egyptian Landscapes and Monuments

Although the Greek historian Herodotus called ancient Egypt “the gift of the Nile,” author Colin Reader, an engineering geologist, makes the case that the country’s auspicious geology became another crucial source for the glories of pharaonic Egypt (3000-30 BCE). Beginning with an introduction describing how geological principles shaped the Egyptian landscape, Reader sweeps us along 2 billion years of geologic history that brings long-vanished environments to life while vividly explaining the dramatic formation of the Nile River Valley. In the latter chapters, Reader chronicles the sources of stones and minerals, as well as the methods ancient Egyptians used for mining them. Over centuries, Egyptians unearthed granite, limestone, gold and other raw materials that craftsmen transformed into jewelry, statuary, obelisks, temples and pyramids marveled at today. Abundantly illustrated with photographs and maps, this book offers new perspectives on the sources of ancient Egypt’s magnificence.