Valley of the Golden Mummies

by Zahi Hawass

An exploration, highlighted by hundreds of colorful photographs, of an incredible archaeological find in Egypt, from the excavation's director, discusses the hundreds of mummies, many wearing gold masks, that have been found and explains the find's historical significance. 22,000 first printing. History, QPB, & Natural Science Main. BOMC.

Genres: History, Egypt, Archaeology, Egyptology, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Degenerate Chemist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up "Valley of the Golden Mummies" from a used book store thinking it would be a typical coffee table book. I was very, very wrong.

This is one of those rare cases where the book is enhanced by the coffee table book format- some explanatory text and lots of beautiful photographs. As I mentioned before I am a very visual learner and those photos enhanced my understanding of the text.

"Valley of the Golden Mummies" was written by Dr. Zahi Hawass, archeologist and ,at the time this book was published, undersecretary for the state of all Giza monuments. It is about the discovery and excavation of a Greco-Roman era burial site at Bahariya oasis.

The book is very personal in its tone. Dr. Hawass tells us about the events that brought him to Bahariya starting from his days in college. He talks about the discoveries, but also his coworkers, the locals who he associated with, and his feelings towards the mummies he discovered.

Some stories stick with me. The donkey and the guard who first made the discovery at Bahariya is one of them. The wife buried alongside her husband whose funerary mask was tilted so she could spend eternity looking at him was a touching story.

This was a book that surprised me for how thoughtful and complex it was. I do recommend it.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one drawback -- and it's a fairly minor one -- is that this was published in 2000. I'm sure a LOT has changed since Hawass wrote this. But then, that's the occupational hazard with history books. Otherwise, this is a great look at the discoveries made around that time, especially in Baharia Oasis, where numerous tombs containing hundreds of well-preserved mummies were found. The book has a number of amazing pictures from the site, as well as a lot of the authors anecdotes about making such a discovery. There are also chapters on the ancient gods and the funerary ceremonies. One thing I like is Hawass is very careful with the conclusions he draws -- he is aware that history is very much in the making. This could make a good reference book for older students and budding Egyptologists alike.

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that I had reservations when I purchased this book. Written by Zahi Hawass, I was afraid his writing style would be as bombastic as his television appearances. Fortunately, his writing style is rather enjoyable, unlike his many media appearances.

The location of this massive find in Egypt is fairly recent. Hawass describes the initial explorations of the area then gives a more detailed account of many of the monuments, tombs and other finds in the Bahariya Oasis. This book cannot even begin to describe all that has been discovered over the last couple of decades. And there will much more to come in the future.

[John Haggstrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful photos but this coffee table book, somewhat interesting, doesn’t elevate the mummies discovery to the heights of recent Egyptian archeology.

[Lisa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love anything on ancient Egypt. This was a site I had not heard about before.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book about a very modern find in Bahariya Oasis, Egypt of some Greco-Roman era mummies and so much more--tombs and a temple to Alexander the Great as well. These discoveries are all post-1970 and revealed with an exciting immediacy by the great archaeologist and antiquties expert Zahi Hawass. I recently travelled to Egypt and saw the Golden Mummies as well as two of the ancient tombs described in this book. I highly recommend you read this book before travel to Egypt and make time to travel to the Western Desert and see some of these sights in Bawiti. A truly historic discovery. Phenomonal photos--the only thing missing is a MAP!!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this is a good book-if you like Mummies from the Greco-Roman period. Honestly, they just irritate me and I prefer the artwork for mummies up until the new kingdom.

[Marilyn Robarts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. My children love this book. It's beautifully laid out with fantastic photographs of the digs and the artifacts.