Publisher's Synopsis
The volume assembles the contributions of a conference on the Ramesside military system that aimed to shed light on new archaeological and historical perspectives concerning the entire military outlook of Egypt at this time. The intention of the conference was to make a broad assessment of the current state of knowledge about the Ramesside military system and discuss how the new knowledge relates to previously held theories, and to provide a forum for discussion. The Egyptian military activity was very significant during the Ramesside Period of Egypt (Dynasties XIX-XX, 1310-1100 BC) and was an important part of the historical developments during the New Kingdom of Egypt as well as in the contemporary Late Bronze Age of the ancient Near East. - On the basis of archaeological, iconographical and textual evidence, Mohamed Raafat Abbas collected the attestations of the Libyan war of Ramesses II. - Mohamed Abd el-Maksoud and Elsayed Abd el-Alim discussed the fortifications at Tell Heboua (ancient Tjaru) in north Sinai which secured Egypt's eastern border at the Pelusiac branch of the Nile at the starting point of the so-called Ways of Horus to Palestine by protecting the crossing of the Nile at a strategically suitable place. - Peter J. Brand examined recurring ideological themes in the monumental military texts and reliefs of Sety I and Ramesses II and their impact on our endeavor to understand the historical context of the wars these pharaohs waged. - The fortress of Tjaru was dealt with by Ola El-Aguizy once more. It is depicted not only in the temple of Karnak, but also in the Ramesside tomb of the Generalissimo Urkhya at Saqqara. - James K. Hoffmeier discussed the fortress of Tell el-Borg, one of the bases along the Ways of Horus in north Sinai, concentrating on the reconstruction of the antique landscape in order to understand the position and the building phases of the fortress. - Jozef Hudec dealt with the fortress(es) of Tell el-Retaba east of Ismailia. Recent excavations of the Polish-Slovak Archaeological Mission revealed numerous structures inside the fortresses, and delivered new information about the defense walls and other defensive installations. - The chariot which is so prominent in the Ramesside war scenes was treated by Heidi Kopp-Junk in its historical development from the earliest evidence until the first century BC. - Alberto M. Pollastrini dealt with scale armours, which are mentioned as booty of war or diplomatic presents and occasionally depicted. - Sylvia Schoske dealt with the Stela AS 8025 from the Munich Egyptian Museum. - Steven Snape concentrated on the fortress of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham west of Marsa Matruh which was erected by Ramesses II against the Libyans for securing the coastal trade. - Finally, Anthony Spalinger showed that studies of points of view have been a revealing strategy in analysing literary compositions of the ancient world. How the author or compiler of a relatively lengthy historical account established his focus upon the narrative automatically entails a certain strategy of presentation.
