Egyptomaniacs

The Greek historian Hecataeus of Abdera declared during the 4th century BCE that the Egyptian civilization was unsurpassed in the arts and in good governance, surpassing even that of the Greeks. During the Renaissance, several ecclesiastical nobles, including the Borgia Pope Alexander VI claimed their descent from the Egyptian god Osiris.

In the 1920s, the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings prompted one of the first true media frenzies in history. For thousands of years, the Pharaonic culture has been a source of almost endless fascination and obsession. But to what extent is the popular view of ancient Egypt at all accurate? In "Pyramidiots: How We Became Obsessed With Ancient Egypt", Egyptologist Dr Nicky Nielsen examines the popular view of Egypt as an exotic, esoteric, mystical culture obsessed with death and overflowing with mummies and pyramids.

The book traces our obsession with ancient Egypt throughout history and methodically investigates, explains and strips away some of the most popular misconceptions about the Pharaohs and their civilization.

About the Author

Dr Nicky Nielsen is a Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester and has published extensively both in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Egyptian Archaeology and Antiquity as well as Egyptology magazines including Papyrus, Nile Magazine and Ancient Egypt Magazine. He is the author of Pharaoh Seti I: Father of Egyptian Greatness (Pen & Sword, 2018) and is a regular contributor to The Conversation. He has on several occasions been accused of being part of a cover up to conceal the alien origins of the pyramids. He is not.

15 colour illustrations