Miroslav Verner Livres

Discusses the pyramids, peeling back the layers of these ancient structures to reveal something about the civilization that built them.

Result of archaeological Research at Abusir, V.th DynastyThe monograph deals with the so far unclear decline of the 4th and the legend-clouded rise of the new royal family – the Fifth Dynasty, the reign of individual kings of the dynasty and their efforts to cope with the growing power of the bureaucracy and develop principal state institutions, royal mortuary cults, etc.

The pyramid complex of Queen Khenthaus, a key personage of the 5th dynasty, was discovered by the Czech Institute of Egyptology in 1976.This handsome volume provides complete publication of the complex and includes architectural study, finds and a discussion on the role of Khentkaus and typology of her tomb when compared to other queens of the Egyptian Old Kingdom.

This comprehensive account by renowned Egyptologist Miroslav Verner explores over 70 pyramids in Egypt and Sudan, delving into their historical and political importance. The updated edition offers an in-depth analysis of these ancient structures, providing insights into their construction, cultural context, and enduring legacy. Verner's expertise illuminates the significance of these monumental achievements in the landscape of ancient civilization.

The first half-century of existence of the Czech Institute of Egyptology is described in this volume. The Institute started in Nubia, taking part in the rescue expeditions of the UNESCO campaign to save the monuments endangered by the rising waters of the Aswan dam. However, it was the site of Abusir, in the heart of the Memphis pyramid fields, which became almost synonymous with the Czech Institute of Egyptology. The excavation works in Abusir cover a wide range of archaeological treasures, from the royal pyramid necropolis, over the tombs of the 3rd millennium nobles to the 1st millennium shaft tombs. All this is presented in this lavish volume full of detailed photographic documentation. This volume if far more extensive than an updating of the book with the same title published on the 40th anniversary.

The main archaeological results of the excavation of the pyramid complex of Neferre in Abusir are published in this report. This volume deals primarily with the archaeological examination of the monuments of the complex. Chapters on the structural analysis of Neferre's mortuary temple, the chronology of the complex and the shape and meaning of the pyramid in the Old Kingdom complement the archaeology. Also discussed are: the builders' marks and inscriptions, seals and sealing, jar dockets, pottery, statues, amulets and beads, faience inlays and tablets of Egyptian blue, anthropological remains of Neferre, stone vessels, chipped lithics and micro-wear analysis of chert. There is also a chapter on the mud-brick masonry of the mortuary temple.

Despite the prominence of ancient temples in the landscape of Egypt, books about them are surprisingly rare; this new and essential publication from a prominent Czech scholar answers the need for a study that goes beyond temple architecture to examine the spiritual, economic and political aspects of these specific institutions and the dominant roles they played. Miroslav Verner presents a deeper and more complex study of major ancient Egyptian religious centers, their principal temples, their rise and decline, their religious doctrines, cults, rituals, feasts, and mysteries. Also discussed are the various categories of priests, the organization of the priesthood, and its daily services and customs. Each chapter offers the reader essential and up-to-date information about temple complexes and the history of their archaeological exploration, in the context of the spiritual dimension and cultural legacy of ancient Egypt.