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Unfortunately, the Third Intermediate and Late Periods are almost entirely overlooked in popular publications and the scholarly community has also dedicated far less research into the periods. With that said, there are a number of titles that offer excellent surveys of the periods in their entireties, as well as other books that take more specialized approaches. The following booklist is arranged according to subject’s chronology, beginning with the oldest.
1. Kitchen, Kenneth A. (1995). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/085668001X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=085668001X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=df3b1b98ecd86a67f58f6bcfc9120c4f The Third Intermediate Period in Egypt: (1100 to 650 BC)].</i> 2nd ed. Warminster, United Kingdom: Aris and Phillips.
Through the careful analysis of Egyptian, Assyrian, biblical, and Greek primary sources, eminent British Egyptologist, Kenneth Kitchen, presents the first and most accurate chronology of this often confusing period. This erudite and academically dense tome is required reading for any attempts to understand how Egypt’s New Kingdom collapsed and how political fragmentation became the norm in the Third Intermediate Period.
2. Myśliwiec, Karol. (2000). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801486300/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0801486300&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=143b7a84b838c0cd427f442edfb37ede The Twilight of Ancient Egypt: First Millennium B.C.E.]</i> Translated by David Lorton. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press.
This book is a good place to start for anyone with an interest in ancient Egypt’s Late Period as it provides a suitable survey that covers most of the important political events of the period. The book is arranged in a chronological, narrative format, beginning with the decline of the New Kingdom and ending with a brief synopsis of Greek-Macedonian rule in Egypt after Alexander’s conquest.
3. Bothmer, Bernard V. (1969). <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0282978496/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0282978496&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=4c654351a2aaaa60539fc0a9916c90f7 Egyptian Sculpture of the Late Period: 700 B.C. to A.D. 100].</i> New York: Arno Press Incorporated.
Any attempt to understand ancient Egypt’s Late Period – or any period in ancient Egyptian history for that matter – will fall short if the textual/historiographical evidence is not considered along with the art historical, and archaeological evidence. This volume is a collection of many Late Period sculptures, some are considered “masterpieces,” by one of the leading ancient Egyptian art historians of the time – Bernard Bothmer. The art historian argues in the introduction that far from being “degenerate” or “provincial,” Late Period sculpture was actually very skilled and refined and in many ways anticipated and influenced later Greek portraiture sculpture.
4. Gozzoli, Roberto B. (2006). <i> [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/095502563X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=095502563X&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=1e608e192bb2c217541ca0684680dcb0 The Writing of History in Ancient Egypt during the First Millennium BC (ca. 1070-180 BC): Trends and Perspectives].</i> London: Golden House Publications.
Any careful examination of a pre-modern culture or period should include a historiographical analysis. Understanding ancient historical texts can tell modern scholars a lot, not just about chronology, but more importantly, as Gozzoli argues, historiographical texts can give us a window into what these people were <i>thinking</i>. This book analyzes most of the important, published historiographical texts from ancient Egypt’s Late Period: the first part includes royal inscriptions, while the second part examines histories, folk tales, and eschatological texts.
