Balat Xii

In the area of Balat on the eastern Dakhla Oasis the archaeological mission of the French Institute for Oriental Archaelogy has uncovered a large area consisting of various camps dating from the early 4th Dynasty (ca. 2600 BC), which were briefly but intensively occupied. These are understood to have served as residential base camps for some of the indigenous (and not yet fully sedentary) population of the oasis, the so-called Late Sheikh Muftah group. Little is known about this rather enigmatic group, but the excavations at Balat have revealed for the first time a well-preserved intra-site stratigraphy with hitherto unknown dwelling features for Sheikh Muftah contexts. The data gathered here is based on analysis of the features, the material culture and in-depth scientific studies. The new evidence offers not only hints about local crafts, food production and environmental conditions in Balat, but also represents a new contribution to ongoing discussions on subsistence and patterns of mobility of non-sedentary groups in the Western Desert. This has given archaeologists a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Sheikh Muftah group, and also, for the first time, shone a spotlight on daily life in a camp site in the oasis depression. The date of this occupation in the Early Old Kingdom falls into a period when Egyptian Pharaonic presence was just beginning to be evident in archaeoogical data. Cross-cultural contacts between the Balat Sheikh Muftah community and the Egyptian Pharaonic population, both within the oasis and into the Nile Valley are also in evidence and contribute to the discussions on transcultural exchange and assimilation processes in the oasis.

Historical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, Third Edition covers the whole range of the history of ancient Egypt from the Prehistoric Period until the end of Roman rule in Egypt based on the latest information provided by academic scholars and archaeologists. This is done through a revised introduction on the history of ancient Egypt, the dictionary section has over 1,000 dictionary entries on historical figures, geographical locations, important institutions and other facets of ancient Egyptian civilization. This is followed by two appendices one of which is a chronological table of Egyptian rulers and governors and the other a list of all known museums which contain ancient Egyptian objects. The volume ends with a detailed bibliography of Egyptian historical periods, archaeological sites, general topics such as pyramids, languages and arts and crafts and the publications of Egyptian material in museums throughout the world.

This book focusses on ground stone tools, stone vessels, and devices carved into rock across the Near East and Egypt from prehistory to the later periods. The aim is to explore all aspects of these tools and stimulate a debate about new methodologies to approach this material.

Grouping a selection of papers from the 12th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability, this book refers to all aspects of urban environment and provides solutions that lead towards sustainability. The series maintains its strong reputation and a substantial number of contributions have been made from a diverse range of transnational delegates, resulting in a variety of topics and experiences. Urban areas face a number of challenges related to reducing pollution, improving main transportation and infrastructure systems and these challenges can contribute to the development of social and economic imbalances and require the development of new solutions. The challenge is to manage human activities, pursuing welfare and prosperity in the urban environment, whilst considering the relationships between the parts and their connections with the living world. The dynamics of its networks (flows of energy matter, people, goods, information and other resources) are fundamental for an understanding of the evolving nature of today’s cities. Large cities represent a productive ground for architects, engineers, city planners, social and political scientists able to conceive new ideas and time them according to technological advances and human requirements. The multidisciplinary components of urban planning, the challenges presented by the increasing size of cities, the amount of resources required and the complexity of modern society are all addressed. The published papers cover the following fields: Urban strategies; Planning, development and management; The community and the city; Infrastructure and society; Eco-town planning; Spatial conflicts in the city; Urban transportation and planning; Conservation and regeneration; Architectural issues; Sustainable energy and the city; Environmental management; Flood risk; Waste management; Urban air pollution; Health issues; Water resources; Landscape planning and design; Intelligent environment; Planning for risk and natural hazards; Waterfront development; Case studies.

This new volume in the Oasis Papers series marks the 40th anniversary of archaeological fieldwork in the Dakhleh Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert under the leadership of Anthony J. Mills and presents a synthesis of the current state of our knowledge of the oasis and its interconnections with surrounding regions, especially the Nile Valley. The papers are by distinguished authorities in the field and postgraduate students who specialise in different aspects of Dakhleh and presents an almost complete survey of the archaeology of Dakhleh including much unpublished, original material. It will be one of the few to document a specific part of modern Egypt in such detail and thus should have a broad and lasting appeal. The content of some of the papers is unlikely to be published in any other form elsewhere. Dakhleh is possibly the most intensively examined wider geographic region within Egypt.

In this book, Richard Bussmann presents a fresh overview of ancient Egyptian society and culture in the age of the pyramids. He addresses key themes in the comparative research of early complex societies, including urbanism, funerary culture, temple ritual, kingship, and the state, and explores how ideas and practices were exchanged between ruling elites and local communities in provincial Egypt. Unlike other studies of ancient Egypt, this book adopts an anthropological approach that places people at the centre of the analysis. Bussmann covers a range of important themes in cross-cultural debates, such as materiality, gender, non-elite culture, and the body. He also offers new perspectives on social diversity and cultural cohesion, based on recent discoveries. His study vividly illustrates how our understanding of ancient Egyptian society benefits from the application of theoretical concepts in archaeology and anthropology to the interpretation of the evidence.

[Note: Picture of Peirce available] Charles S. Peirce's Philosophy of Signs Essays in Comparative Semiotics Gérard Deledalle Peirce's semiotics and metaphysics compared to the thought of other leading philosophers. "This is essential reading for anyone who wants to find common ground between the best of American semiotics and better-known European theories. Deledalle has done more than anyone else to introduce Peirce to European audiences, and now he sends Peirce home with some new flare." -- Nathan Houser, Director, Peirce Edition Project Charles S. Peirce's Philosophy of Signs examines Peirce's philosophy and semiotic thought from a European perspective, comparing the American's unique views with a wide variety of work by thinkers from the ancients to moderns. Parts I and II deal with the philosophical paradigms which are at the root of Peirce's new theory of signs, pragmatic and social. The main concepts analyzed are those of "sign" and "semiosis" and their respective trichotomies; formally in the case of "sign," in time in the case of semiosis. Part III is devoted to comparing Peirce's theory of semiotics as a form of logic to the work of other philosophers, including Bertrand Russell, Wittgenstein, Frege, Philodemus, Lady Welby, Saussure, Morris, Jakobson, and Marshall McLuhan. Part IV compares Peirce's "scientific metaphysics" with European metaphysics. Gérard Deledalle holds the Doctorate in Philosophy from the Sorbonne. A research scholar at Columbia University and Attaché at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, he has also been Professor of Philosophy and Head of the Philosophy Department of the universities of Tunis, Perpignan, and Libreville. In 1990 he received the Herbert W. Schneider Award "for distinguished contributions to the understanding and development of American philosophy. In 2001, he was appointed vice-president of the Charles S. Peirce Society. Contents Introduction -- Peirce Compared: Directions for Use Part I -- Semeiotic as Philosophy Peirce's New Philosophical Paradigms Peirce's Philosophy of Semeiotic Peirce's First Pragmatic Papers (1877-1878) The Postscriptum of 1893 Part II -- Semeiotic as Semiotics Sign: Semiosis and Representamen -- Semiosis and Time Sign: The Concept and Its Use -- Reading as Translation Part III -- Comparative Semiotics Semiotics and Logic: A Reply to Jerzy Pelc Semeiotic and Greek Logic: Peirce and Philodemus Semeiotic and Significs: Peirce and Lady Welby Semeiotic and Semiology: Peirce and Saussure Semeiotic and Semiotics: Peirce and Morris Semeiotic and Linguistics: Peirce and Jakobson Semeiotic and Communication: Peirce and McLuhan Semeiotic and Epistemology: Peirce, Frege, and Wittgenstein Part IV -- Comparative Metaphysics Gnoseology -- Perceiving and Knowing: Peirce, Wittgenstein, and Gestalttheorie Ontology -- Transcendentals "of" or "without" Being: Peirce versus Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas Cosmology -- Chaos and Chance within Order and Continuity: Peirce between Plato and Darwin Theology -- The Reality of God: Peirce's Triune God and the Church's Trinity Conclusion -- Peirce: A Lateral View

Reprint of the original, first published in 1868.