Tutankhamun And The Golden Age Of The Pharaohs: National Geographic Official Companion Book To The Exhibition

National Geographic is proud to present this volume that features many of the finest pieces from this priceless collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. Captured in lavish detail and sumptuous color, here are scores of objects dating back to the reigns and tombs of such fabled kings and queens as Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and, of course, Tutankhamun, the richest trove of all. From superbly sculpted life-sized statues to elegantly inlaid furniture to funerary urns and myriad implements that guarantee safe passage to the Afterlife, they offer vivid insights into the skillful workmanship and astonishing sophistication of Egyptian culture in the golden age of the pharaohs. Intricate golden jewelry glitters with precious gems, while bas-relief panels depict great events and religious ceremonies. Each photograph is accompanied by a precise description of materials, subject, and significance.

Zahi Hawass, an archaeologist and Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, is credited with major discoveries, including the tombs of the Giza pyramid builders. His findings at this important site have contributed significantly to our knowledge of how the pyramids were built. Also at Giza, Hawass directed the conservation of the great Sphinx, a landmark project for which he was awarded the first class award for Art and Science by President Mubarak.

In 1999 Hawass led an excavation and preservation project at Egypt's Bahariya Oasis that discovered more than 200 Greco-Roman mummies, many of them lavishly gilded. This ancient cemetery, now called the Valley of the Golden Mummies, may hold hundreds more mummies and is considered one of the most important finds in Egypt since the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Hawass studied archaeology in both Egypt and the United States and received a Fulbright scholarship in 1980. In 1987 he earned his Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Pennsylvania. Since 1988 he has taught Egyptian archaeology, history, and culture, most recently at Cairo University, the American University in Cairo, and the University of California at Los Angeles.

Hawass has been a consultant for documentaries, films, television specials, and magazine stories and has written extensively on Middle Eastern and Egyptian archaeology. He is the author of several books on ancient Egypt, including Silent Images: Women in Pharaonic Egypt - The Secrets of the Sphinx, and most recently Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt. His best-selling book, Valley of the Golden Mummies, was published in five languages. One of Egypt's most visible and effective spokespeople, he holds numerous committee appointments and lectures throughout the world.

In 2000 Hawass received the Distinguished Scholar award from the Association of Egyptian American Scholars and was one of 30 international figures to receive the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

He lives in Cairo, Egypt.