The Lost Tombs of Thebes. Life in Paradise, 2009, 208 p., 201 ill. coul. -

In southern Egypt, not far from the Valley of the Kings, lie hundreds of unique and wonderfully decorated tombs from the New Kingdom belonging to the people who served the pharaohs. Many of these tombs had been lost to the eyes of the world – closed and visited only by scholars. Others had been hidden under modern villages. The Lost Tombs of Thebes gives privileged access to a selection of these extraordinary monuments. The scenes and texts that adorn their walls include some of the most exquisite examples of Egyptian art to be found anywhere in the land of the Nile. In 2008, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities finally succeeded in moving the largest of the covering villages and now archaeologists and local people are working together to save the past for the future. A number of hitherto unrecorded tombs have been discovered and rescued from oblivion. The glorious paintings and elegant reliefs depict in fascinating detail life both on earth and in paradise for the ancient Egyptians. As well as exploring tomb construction and the often lavish burial equipment that accompanied the dead, the book also looks at the eventful times the tomb owners lived through and the great rulers they served, such as Thutmose III and Ramesses the Great. Final chapters discuss the fate of the tombs and the vital ongoing work of restoration and conservation. Combining scholarship with superb photography, including numerous foldouts, this magnificent volume will bring these lost tombs back into the light and illuminate the mysterious world of ancient Thebes and the nobles who lived and died there in Egypt's Golden Age.