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Published Jul 2010
304 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
With its spectacular temples, tombs, monuments, and mummies, as well as esoteric metaphysics, legendary historical characters, and connections to the Bible, ancient Egypt has enticed the human imagination for centuries. This search for understanding and drive to uncover a lost civilization has also been the life work of archaeologist Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D. In Beneath the Sands of Egypt, he offers an intriguing personal account of a career spent researching the remains of Egypt's past—including his headline-making rediscovery of a lost tomb in the Valley of the Kings containing the mummy of the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut.
Since his early childhood, Ryan dreamed of exploration and adventure. Inspired by his plastic dinosaurs, his books—including Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki—and his father's National Geographic collection, Ryan was determined to become an archaeologist. It is a quest that has taken him from harsh desert digs to the modern comforts of Europe's finest museums to treacherous Alpine peaks—and into the lives of his archaeological predecessors, gathering insight from obscure documents and, literally, digging in their wake.
Beneath the Sands of Egypt interweaves Ryan's captivating tales from the field with reflections into the arcane world of Egyptology, from the writings of Herodotus to the tools of the trade, the intricacies of obtaining a digging permit to the thrall of popular myths. In addition, Ryan introduces a diverse cast of eccentric colleagues, helpful locals, wily entrepreneurs, and enlightened benefactors who have touched his life, including the legendary Thor Heyerdahl, Ryan's childhood hero who eventually became his friend, mentor, and boss. Throughout, Ryan adds his unique touch, reminding us how an artifact as seemingly insignificant as a piece of rope can unlock invaluable insights and offer its own wonderful tale.
"An enthusiastically written book for readers from YA to armchair adventure lovers who dream of being archaeologists or Egyptologists." - Library Journal
"An entertaining, illuminating adventure story by a modern-day explorer." - Kirkus Reviews
"Starred Review. This wonderful adventure story should be must reading for anyone aspiring to become an archaeologist, but even those of us who harbor no such dreams will be aching to get a little dirt under our fingernails." - Booklist
"Ryan's observations are intimate, frank, and perceptive, and his spirited adventures in underappreciated avenues of exploration are a boon for armchair and budding archeologists." - Publishers Weekly
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D., is an American archaeologist, Egyptologist, and writer. He is a member of the Division of Humanities at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and a specialist in Egyptian archaeology, Polynesian archaeology, and ancient languages and scripts. He is best known for his research in Egypt, including excavations in the Valley of the Kings, where he has discovered lost tombs and controversial mummies.
He is a veteran of many expeditions and is the author of numerous scientific and popular articles on archaeological subjects as well as several books. He is a Fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, a mountaineering instructor, a long-distance runner, and a pianist. Ryan worked closely with world-renowned Norwegian explorer, archaeologist, and writer Thor Heyerdahl. Among their many projects, they excavated the mysterious PirÁmides de GÜÍmar on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, and Ryan is finishing Heyerdahl's last book about the ancient colonization of the islands of the South Pacific.
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