Naukratis I and II, Hawara, Biahmu, and Arsinoe

A pioneering Egyptologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. Ernest A. Gardner (1862-1939) was to become a leading classical archaeologist, but his first major project was carrying on the work of Petrie at Naukratis, the ancient Greek colony in the Nile Delta that Petrie had discovered in 1884. Reissued here together are Petrie’s initial excavation report of 1886 and Gardner’s 1888 continuation, each with many illustrations and material contributed by specialists on certain topics. Notably, the finds of inscribed pottery yielded significant insights into how the Greek alphabet developed. The final component included here is Petrie’s 1889 report covering recent digs, particularly his discovery of a Roman necropolis and dozens of remarkable mummy portraits at Hawara. He wrote prolifically throughout his long career, and a great many of his other publications are also reissued in this series.