Description
For more than three thousand years, the mysterious events surrounding the death of Ramesses III have puzzled historians and students of ancient Egypt. Now, archaeologist Susan Redford investigates the circumstances of the ancient pharaoh's death and discovers among the women of his harem the threads of a murder conspiracy.
From new translations of ancient papyri and careful readings of temple carvings, Redford identifies the suspects in the assassination--wives, concubines, and attendants. She evaluates the evidence against them and outlines a possible murder plot that turns upon a shocking revelation about the pharaoh's immediate family. On the basis of new discoveries relating to the identity of Ramesses III's queens and their sons, she uncovers a primary motive for regicide and presents persuasive evidence of a palace revolt. Divisions between clans and rival lineages, she argues, gave rise to a plot to murder the king.
Richly illustrated with thirty photos and diagrams, Redford's groundbreaking investigation of the plot to murder the last of the great pharaohs offers an extraordinary vision of the ancient Egyptian world.
Author: Susan Redford
Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
Published: 08/28/2008
Pages: 200
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.50d
ISBN13: 9780875806204
ISBN10: 0875806201
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Historical
- History | Ancient | Egypt
- Social Science | Women's Studies
About the Author
Susan Redford, a research affiliate of Pennsylvania State University, directs the Theban Tomb Survey in the Valley of the Nobles at Luxor. She lives with her two sons and her husband, Donald, in State College, Pennsylvania.