This research guide introduces selected academic publications in the field of ancient history. Use the menu on the left to navigate and feel free to contact me if you have questions. Use the book now button on the right to schedule a meeting with me.
EZBorrow and Interlibrary Loan
Use the interlibrary loan (Illiad) form to request pdf scans of book chapters from the Falvey collection.
Encyclopedias, Companions, Handbooks
The Library has a large collection of subject-specific encyclopedias, handbooks, and companions with exhaustive and well-researched articles written by subject experts. These essays are great introductions to the historiography of a topic and helpful in defining and focusing it. Look out for recommended secondary and primary sources.
The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East. Volume I, From the beginnings to Old Kingdom Egypt and the Dynasty of AkkadThe Oxford History of the Ancient Near East. Volume II, From the End of the Third Millennium BC to the Fall of BabylonThe Oxford History of the Ancient Near East. Volume III, From the Hyksos to the Late Second Millennium BCThe Oxford History of the Ancient Near East. Volume IV, The Age of AssyriaThe Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, Volume V : The Age of PersiaEncyclopedia of Ancient History (Wiley-Blackwell)Covers all civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean world including the Near East and Egypt.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient EgyptCovers ancient Egyptian civilization, from the predynastic era to its eclipse in the seventh century CE.
Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near EastGrove Art OnlineIncludes articles on artists, architects, craftsmen, patrons, movements, locations, periods, bibliographies, and more.
A Companion to Ancient Egypt (Wiley-Blackwell)A Companion to Ancient History (Wiley-Blackwell)A Companion to Women in the Ancient World (Wiley-Blackwell)Companion to the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (Wiley-Blackwell)Oxford Handbooks Online (Oxford University Press)Each handbook introduces and surveys the state of scholarship in a field of study through review articles written by leading subject specialists.
Cambridge Histories Online (Cambridge University Press)Provides online access to the well-regarded
Cambridge Histories series. Includes the
Cambridge Ancient History (12 vols., 2nd ed.) and other titles that cover ancient Egyptian history such as the
Cambridge History of Africa and the
Cambridge History of Religions in the Ancient World.
Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd. ed.Presents a cross-cultural approach that emphasizes religion's role within everyday life and as a unique experience from culture to culture.
Oxford Handbook of Egyptology Books & Book Chapters
Much of the scholarly literature in the field is published in books which are often referred to as monographs. Find books in the Library’s collection with a
Books & Media search. Start with keywords that describe your topic and use the hyperlinked subjects in the book records to reduce and focus search results. Notice
facets such as
topic and
language which will further narrow results.
Subject searches can significantly increase or decrease the number of results. For a more comprehensive review of the literature consult
WorldCat and use the integrated
Borrow from other libraries feature to request books which are not locally available.
Falvey Library Catalog (Books & Media)Keyword and
subject searches in the Library's catalog are good starting points when first exploring a topic. Search results can be narrowed with
facets such as
topic, era, language or
region. Facets are located on the right hand side of the results screen.
WorldCat (FirstSearch)Presents a combined catalog of the catalogs of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. WorldCat highlights publications available at Villanova University. Other items can be requested via an inter-library loan request form.
JSTORProvides a full text archive of academic journals and books in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics. The most recent three to five years of a journal are usually not included.
Search tips
Suggested Library of Congress subjects:
Suggested keyword searches:
magic AND religion AND Egypt
Egypt* AND pyramid*
Hyksos AND Egypt*
"Middle East Antiquities"
Academic Journals
The Library subscribes to a range of ancient history journals including the
Journal of Near Eastern Studies,
Iraq, the
Journal of Cuneiform Studies, and the
Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. Use the
Journal & Article Finder or the
Articles & more search options on the Library’s website to look up known references. Request articles from journals that are not part of the Library's collections through
interlibrary loan. The journal databases listed here index the contents of most if not all ancient history journals and are by far the best tools to discover articles published in these journals.
Articles & More SearchThis page enables you to search millions of full text articles and other electronic resources available through the Falvey Library. While it doesn't provide access to everything the library has to offer, it is an excellent starting point for your searches.
Art Full Text (EBSCO)Indexes the contents of academic journals and magazines in the fields of fine and decorative arts, architecture, and photography. Includes citations for dissertations, book reviews, and art reproductions published in indexed journals. Abstracts are available back to 1984 with selective full text available back to 1995.
Art Index Retrospective: 1929-1984 (EBSCO)Indexes the contents of academic journals and magazines in the fields of fine and decorative arts, architecture, and photography. Includes citations for dissertations, book reviews, and art reproductions published in indexed journals.
Art & Architecture ePortal (Yale University Press)Features a collection of authoritative works on art and architecture including artist monographs, surveys, museum catalogs, and catalogues raisonnés. Most works are part of the catalog of Yale University Press publications complemented by selected books from other highly regarded university and museum presses. The portal features a searchable image archive, citation and annotation tools, and a personal book shelf.
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (ProQuest)Indexes academic journals, book and exhibition reviews, interviews, and obituaries in the fields of architecture, city planning, interior design, historic preservation, and archaeology. Includes abstracts of journal articles. Published by the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University. Coverage goes back to 1934.
JSTORProvides a full text archive of academic journals and books in the humanities, social sciences, and mathematics. The most recent three to five years of a journal are usually not included.
Arts & Humanities Citation Index - Web of Science (Clarivate)Indexes core journals in the arts and humanities. Includes citing and cited references for each article. Search fields include article title word, journal title, author, cited author or reference, address word (i.e., author's institution), and funding agency. Coverage goes back to 1991.
Online Egyptological Bibliography (Oxford University) Access Instructions
Indexes publications in Egyptology and includes the records and abstracts of the
Annual Egyptological Bibliography (1947-2001), the
Bibliographie Altägypten (1822-1946), and the
Aigyptos database. Coverage goes back to 1822.
Mozilla Firefox web browser is recommended for the correct display of phonetic Unicode characters.
TOCS-IN provides the tables of contents of a selection of Classics, Near Eastern Studies and Religion journals. Covers published works from 1992-present.
Are you trying to decipher a journal abbreviation? Check the journal abbreviations list below for the full journal title: Abbreviations for titles of Classical/Medieval Studies journals based on L'Annee Philologique.
Bibliographical Abbreviations (compiled for the Egyptologists' Electronic Forum)
Citing Your Sources
Videos
Academic Video Online - AVON (Alexander Street Press)Offers streaming access to more than 68,000 titles, including documentary films, historical footage, training videos, performances, and television programs. Disciplines include business, counseling, engineering, history, nursing, literature, and music. Includes searchable transcripts and the ability to create clips and playlists.
KanopyWatch over 30000 Documentaries, Classic and Indie Films. On Desktop, Mobile and Roku for Students, Professors & Library Patrons. Trial runs through Nov. 2017
