Egypt has been the land where one of the early civilizations began. Not only architecture, but also Medicine, Mathematics, and many other sciences have been developed by the ancient Egyptians. Even today the complexity of the great pyramids remains unsolved. Despite the high levels of technology and the evolution the world has achieved , there are lots of mysteries hovering around ancient Egyptian architecture. For a student who wants to learn all about ancient Egyptian architecture or experts who need to conduct a research paper, the Journal of ancient Egyptian architecture is suitable to know all related matters to Egyptian architecture.
It is a scientific and open access journal that is annually published by a great team of experts from all over the world. It discusses everything that concerns the domestic, civil, military, religious, funerary aspects of ancient Egyptians’ life. Over the years, ancient Egypt was in constant change in all conditions of life, commonly split into periods by historians. Thus, the JAEA talks about all aspects from the Predynastic Period to the Roman Imperial era. The journal covers – not only the current geographical area of Egypt – but also extends the research to Sudan, the Near East, etc. It also focuses on all that is related to construction, epigraphy, iconography, structural and material sciences through fieldwork studies and reports. (1)
The JAEA aims at encouraging the connection of expertise in different fields that will -in return- help in conveying the richness and complexity of the ancient Egyptian heritage. In this way, it tries to develop theories that help in the understanding of architecture symbolism, propaganda, the influence of climate and geology. Three volumes have already been completed and published since 2016, while the 4th volume will come out in 2020. (1)
I will briefly take you through the four volumes to get an overview of what you should expect to read about in each of them.
Volume 1
Published in 2016, The book includes five articles about five different topics. It draws your attention to some of the ancient Egyptian tools and building materials they used in their daily missions. It also discusses and raises some interesting points about the Great Pyramids, dimensions, and proportions. Moreover, it goes through some of the religious and political aspects that affected the ancient Egyptian architecture through case studies of significant architecture. (2)
Volume 2
The volume was published in 2017. The book also includes five articles. This time, the Great Pyramids take up a larger portion. The authors concentrate on evaluating the existing theories about many of the Great Pyramids mysteries as the orientation and construction, trying to clear the ambiguity the Egyptians left behind. It also opens the gate to know about the community at that time and the social hierarchy regarding living, work, rights, and rolls. And finally, the book outlines innovative ideas to use digital tools to facilitate the study and analysis of Egyptian domestic Architecture in the fieldwork. (3)
Volume 3
The third volume was published in 2018. The book comprises eight articles, which makes this volume the largest so far. It contains discussions about the satellite pyramids of Meidum and a revised re-construction for it. Furthermore, It focuses on the Egyptian tombs starting from the exterior façade of its structure to its development and a proposed method to investigate the construction method and load transportation. It also includes studies about some architectural features such as the false-door and the vaults in their buildings. (4)
Volume 4
Not published yet.
This series of books is valuable for both architects, students of architecture, and also anyone who is interested in history and intends to know about one of the greatest civilizations that are still influencing our life. This book contains a sizable amount of illustrations and graphics that help in better understanding and easier assimilation of knowledge. In my opinion, the only thing it lacks is a chronological narrative between the articles. It is not an encyclopedia that recites the development of Egyptian architecture through history. It is more of a selection of articles and reports that collects all that is significant about the architecture at that time. Therefore, it is a definite recommendation if you are looking for a validated, peer-reviewed, and free source to learn about the most interesting cases and issues regarding ancient Egyptian architecture.
References
- ©www.egyptian-architecture.com
- ©The Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture. Volume 1
- ©The Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture. Volume 2
- ©The Journal of Ancient Egyptian Architecture. Volume 3
