No specialized history of the Old Kingdom has yet been written, therefore it is necessary to resort to the relevant sections of the more general histories of Egypt. W. Helck, Geschichte des Alien Agypten (Leiden, 1981), may be beginning to show its age, but remains by far the best concise history of ancient Egypt published in the past two or three decades. For an update on some latest ideas, it is useful to consult more recent publications of the same type, such as Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford, 1992), and especially Jean Vercoutter, L’Egypte et la vallee du Nil, i: Des origines a la fin de lAncien Empire (Paris, 1992). For more general background information, read Barry Kemp, Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization (London, 1989). Jaromir Malek’s more popularly oriented In the Shadow of the Pyramids (London, 1986) provides information on Old Kingdom economy, administration, religion, and arts and contains a spectacular collection of photographs of Old Kingdom monuments by Werner Forman. Dietrich Wildung, Die Rolle dgyptischer Kdnige im Bewujltsein ihrer Nachwelt (Berlin, 1969), gives a more unusual view of the history of the Old Kingdom.
Aspects of Old Kingdom economy, administration, and foreign policy have been discussed by W. Helck in a number of books and articles. The originality of his contribution surpasses that of any other scholar, and at least his Wirtschafisgeschichte des Alien Agypten imj. und 2. Jahrtausend vor Chr. (Leiden, 1975), Untersuchungen zu den Beamtentiteln des dgyptischen Alien Reiches (Gliickstadt, 1954), and Die Beziehungen Agyptens zu Vordera-sien im j. und 2. Jahrtausend v. Chr, 2nd edn. (Wiesbaden, 1971), must be mentioned. K. Baer, Rank and Title in the Old Kingdom: The Structure of the Egyptian Administration in the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties (Chicago, i960), is another classic that has lost little of its interest. Hans Goedicke introduced many new ideas in his Konigliche Dokumente aus dem Alien Reich (Wiesbaden, 1967) and Die privaten Rechtsinschriften aus dem Alien Reich (Vienna, 1970).
More recent specialized studies include Naguib Kanawati, The Egyptian Administration in The Old Kingdom: Evidence on its Economic Decline (Warminster, 1977), and Governmental Reforms in Old Kingdom Egypt (Warminster, 1980), although they are not entirely uncontroversial. See also Nigel Strudwick, The Administration of Egypt in the Old Kingdom: The Highest Titles and their Holders (London, 1985). E. Martin-Pardey, Unter-suchungen zur dgyptischen Provinzialverwaltung bis zum Ende des Alten Reiches (Hildesheim, 1976), deals with a difficult but very important topic. P. Posener-Krieger, Les Archives du temple Juneraire de Neferirkare-Kakai (Les Papyrus dAbousir): Traduction et commentaire, 2 vols. (Cairo, 1976), is of fundamental importance. R. Mtiller-Wollermann, Krisenfaktoren im dgyptischen Staat des ausgehenden Alten Reichs (Tubingen, 1986), is an extremely thought-provoking publication. K. Zibelius, Agyptische Sied-lungen nach Texten des Alten Reiches (Wiesbaden, 1978), is a very useful survey of the problem. B. L. Begelsbacher-Fischer, Untersuchungen zur Gdtterwelt des Alten Reiches im Spiegel der Privatgrdber der IV. und V. Etynastie (Freiburg, 1981), sets out the main parameters for the study of Old Kingdom religion.
Old Kingdom monuments and art have been discussed, with varying degrees of originality, in many publications. The following may be recommended without reservation: 1. E. S. Edwards, The Pyramids of Egypt, 5th edn. (Harmondsworth, 1993); R. Stadelmann, Die Agyptischen Pyramiden: vom Ziegelbau zum Weltwunder (Darmstadt, 1991), and W. Stevenson Smith, A History of Egyptian Sculpture and Painting in the Old Kingdom, 2nd edn. (Boston, 1949), but there are many others. Yvonne Harpur, Decoration in Egyptian Tombs of the Old Kingdom: Studies in Orientation and Scene Content (London, 1987), is noteworthy for its thoroughness, while Nadine Cherpion, Mastabas et hypogees dAncien Empire: Le Probleme de la datation (Brussels, 1989), presents an admirably audacious challenge to current thinking. Problems that currently preoccupy art historians of the Old Kingdom can be found in Kunst des Alten Reiches. Symposium in Deutschen Archdologischen Instituts Kairo am ig, und jo. Oktober iggi (Mainz, 1995), N. Grimal (ed.), Les Criteres de datation stylistiques a lAncien Empire (Cairo, 1998) and the exhibition catalogue Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids (New York, 1999). For some recent developments in Old Kingdom archaeology, one may consult Miroslav Verner, Forgotten Pharaohs, Lost Pyramids: Abusir (Prague, 1994).
Alessandro Roccati, La Litterature historique sous lAncien Empire egyptien (Paris, 1982), is an excellent survey of textual sources. Elmar Edel’s contribution to our knowledge of Old Kingdom texts has been remarkable—for example, in his Hieroglyphische Inschriften des Alten Reiches (Opladen, 1981). Raymond Faulkner’s translation of The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (Warminster, 1986) is a rich seam that will be mined for many years to come. Henry Fischer’s contribution to the study of the Old Kingdom has been outstanding, and at least his Dendera in the Third Millennium bc (Locust Valley, 1968) must be pointed out. These books will provide references to primary publications of material and to articles in specialized periodicals that cannot be listed here because of lack of space.
World History
