Aiming to reflect the developments in the field, this edition presents a reassessment of what gave ancient Egypt its distinctive and enduring characteristics. It includes chapters on ancient Egyptian material culture, social and economic experiences, and the mindset of its people. It draws on ancient written materials and on excavation evidence.

Completely revised and updated to reflect the latest developments in the field, this new edition of Kemp's popular text presents a compelling reassessment of what gave ancient Egypt its distinctive and enduring characteristics. Ranging across ancient Egyptian material culture, social and economic experiences, and the mindset of its people, the book also includes two new chapters exploring the last ten centuries of ancient Egyptian civilization and who, in ethnic terms, the ancients were. Fully illustrated, the book draws on both ancient written materials and decades of excavation evidence, transforming our understanding of this remarkable civilization. Broad-ranging yet impressively detailed, Kemp's work is an indispensable text for all students of ancient Egypt.

Introduction.
Part I. Establishing identity.
1. Who were the ancient Egyptians?
2. The intellectual foundations of the early state
3. The dynamics of culture
Part II. The provider state.
4. The bureaucratic mind
5. Model communities
Part III. Intimations of our future.
6. New Kingdom Egypt: the mature state
7. The birth of economic man
8. Moving on
Epilogue.