The Complete Pyramids is the first fully illustrated survey of all the major pyramids of ancient Egypt.

Mark Lehner surveys the history, building and use of these mysterious monuments in unprecedented scope and detail, looking at both the practical aspects – the quarries, ramps and tools used in building them – as well as the conceptual – the cosmology and iconography of the pyramids and the intriguing Pyramid Texts.

• ‘Tomb and Temple: the Meaning of the Pyramid’ looks at the the rituals and mythology surrounding the death and burial of the pharaohs in ancient Egypt, ideas of the Netherworld and the symbolism of the pyramid as an icon.

• ‘Explorers and Scientists’ tells the story of the explorers, looters and archaeologists, from the later Egyptians, Greeks and Romans to the great explorations of the 19th century and the present day.

• ‘The Whole Pyramid Catalogue’ is a unique survey and description of the pyramids and their development, from their origins in simple pit-graves, through experiments in pyramid building at Saqqara, Meidum and Dahshur, to the sublime great pyramids of Giza and the less well-known, later pyramids of Nubia – a span of almost 3,000 years.

• ‘Building a Pyramid’ and ‘The Living Pyramid’ examine how the pyramids were built with such pinpoint accuracy and the communities that served them. ‘The Legacy of the Pyramids’ looks at the pyramid in art and examples in modern architecture.

Also of interest:

The Complete Valley of the Kings

The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Ancient Egypt

Chronicle of the Pharaohs