This is a student-friendly introduction to the forms of writing in ancient Egypt and their useto historians.Incorporating New Historicismand examining the recent scholarly studies of Egyptian history,Gozzoli discusses all periods of Pharaonic history. With case studies focusing on the role and status of writing in Egypt - conservation of the past through writing, autobiographies, and documentation of religion - Gozzoli examines Egyptian literature as an historical source, and analyzes Egyptian daily life through hieroglyphic evidence.