Daughters Of Isis: Women Of Ancient Egypt (1995) - Plot & Excerpts
Tyldesley's book is the perfect mid-range level for the amateur academic. Referring to material and theories that are more in-depth than the casual reader might expect, yet covering the topic in a reasonably broad manner without the lengthy exploration of detailed obscure evidence that a specialised professional academic might expect from the literature, "Daughters of Isis" is perfect for the beginner or undergraduate with existing partial or broad knowledge seeking to learn more about Egyptology, feminist theory within archaeology, or both.The book begins by covering the geographical and historical background, an introduction which sets the scene for the explored topic of the book, which was both useful and accessible. The meat of the book then begins by studying the images of women in Ancient Egypt. This is perhaps the obvious place to start as the surviving images are where we can draw much of our clues about the lives of Egyptian women. This is followed with chapters examining women's roles as wives, mothers, and work both running the household and seeking employment outside of it. After a brief look at the importance of grooming for both female and male genders in Ancient Egypt, Tyldesley finishes with an exploration of the lives of higher-ranking women in society, and some of the more notable Queens Consort and Regnant. It would have perhaps been better from a story-telling point of view to place these chapters on individuals first in the book, as they are more engaging and tell more of a story than the chapter on how we can interpret the roles of Egyptian women from the surviving images - some readers may find it a little difficult to get into the book due to the dryness of the first chapter.All round, a good read for student academics or those with an existing interest in ancient Egypt. Not the most gripping read in the world, but informative and educational. Overall a good read.
What do You think about Daughters Of Isis: Women Of Ancient Egypt (1995)?
This was an enlightening read into the society of Ancient Egypt. While a little fact heavy at times, the author did a commendable job of providing insight into the history of a society heavily influenced by the Royals, with little recorded of the "everyday" occurrences which majority of their population lived daily. Occasionally there is deviance from the title of the book, being that little information is known in some cases of a woman's life, so the author instead focuses on other facets of life. Interesting nonetheless of course, however some chapters contain little details into the actual life of a woman, although this is due to the small amount of recorded information available rather than the author's own discretion. This reader feels the book was more a general view of Egyptian society with a strong focus on the role of women rather than focusing on women exclusively.
—Amy Vicary
