A gift of geology : ancient Egyptian landscapes and monuments /

This clearly written volume, designed for general rather than academic audiences, effectively correlates readers' understandings of Egyptian geologic history and Egyptology. Chartered Geologist Reader (independent researcher) is a professional engineering geologist and educator with substantial experience. His 13-chapter narrative is accompanied by 73 black-and-white images, 26 color plates, and an annotated 54-entry list for further reading. Early chapters provide basic principles of geology and landscape science; elaborate on Egypt's two landscapes, upper and lower or delta and desert; and discuss geological mapping and basics of stratigraphy. Three chapters document respectively the Precambrian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras, describing the evolving Holocene landscape of rivers, cataracts, the Nile, and the Red Sea. Three further chapters characterize the Eastern and Western Deserts, climate change, floods and river dynamics, the Red Sea Hills, the Great Sand Sea, Gilf Kebir Plateau, Fayum Basin, and various caves, including rock art and painting. Other chapters focus on prehistoric mining and quarrying, including gold, metals, gemstones, and granite; building stone and monuments, including unfinished obelisks; Libyan Desert glass; the transition from mud brick to early stone buildings; major pyramids, including monument-landscape interactions; and Nile Valley resources. Overall, this is an authoritative, valuable, accessible introduction to Egypt's geology and its influence on understanding ancient Pharaonic Egyptian culture. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers. --Charles C. Kolb, independent scholar