Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano is professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Jaen, Spain. Since 2008, he has been the director of archaeological excavations and interdisciplinary research at Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan. He is co-editor of Middle Kingdom Palace Culture and Its Echoes in the Provinces (2021) and Results of the 2019 Research Season at Qubbet el-Hawa. He is a frequent participant in television documentaries on ancient Egypt.

“Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano explores the complex cultural developments in the southernmost region of Egypt by focusing on the local leaders who governed there for generations. This work, therefore, represents a significant milestone in the endeavor to write ancient Egyptian history from a non-royal perspective. . . . well-written. . . . well-designed. . . . a significant contribution.” —Luiza Osorio G. Silva, Journal of Near Eastern Studies"The book is an exemplary study of historical analysis, considering all available evidence and employing approaches from various disciplines. . . . This multifaceted approach not only makes the book an enjoyable read but enhances understanding, supported by a variety of visual media."—Christina Geisen, Antiquity"The focus on a provincial centre and its ruling elite provides a rewarding study."—Hilary Wilson, Ancient Egypt“This book offers a novel and at times meticulously researched narrative of elites around Elephantine during the Egyptian Old through Middle Kingdoms.” —Julia Troche and Brandie Robb, Journal of the American Oriental Society“This book explores and interweaves aspects of social networks, politics, belief, ritual, and cult to present a fascinating and comprehensive portrait of the Elephantine/Qubbet el-Hawa area during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Jiménez-Serrano sheds welcome light on intriguing aspects of ancient Egyptian culture that have often been neglected. His lively writing style animates ancient families and personalities, suggesting possible motivations for their actions.”—Adela Oppenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art“This book is particularly original for the new perspective it offers on pharaonic history, far from the great capitals of ancient Egypt. Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano has led excavations for more than fifteen years in the Elephantine region, Egypt’s southern gateway at the crossroads of the tracks of the desert and the axis of the Nile. His study is therefore enriching, both for its political, social, and economic perspectives on a key region of the Egyptian world and for the history of the archaeological work carried out there for nearly two centuries.”—Pierre Tallet, Sorbonne University“This study offers a fascinating journey through the history of Aswan at the end of the Old Kingdom and during the Middle Kingdom, as Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano presents the findings of his archaeological mission at the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa and his unique thoughts here for the first time. Descendants of a Lesser God is highly recommended reading for anyone who wishes to understand the politics, religion, and evolution of ancient Egyptian society and state, and the competition for status and resources as reflected through archaeological discoveries from that period.”—Miroslav Bárta, Charles University, author of Analyzing Collapse“A refreshingly new study that focuses on the lives and deaths of the governing families in the ancient Egyptian community at Elephantine located in the First Cataract region of Egypt. Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano successfully manages to bring this long-lost community to life by telling us the histories of its local leaders and their households, based on his team’s recent archaeological discoveries at the elite necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa.”—Nadine Moeller, Yale University

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChronological Table1. Gateway to the South2. Ruling the Cataract3. From Governor to God4. Power Ran through Their veins5. Sons of a God6. Royal Artisans in Qubbet el-Hawa7. From Dynastic Crisis to Peak of Power 8. New BloodEpilogueNotesBibliographyIndex

Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano is professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Jaen, Spain. Since 2008, he has been the director of archaeological excavations and interdisciplinary research at Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan. He is co-editor of Middle Kingdom Palace Culture and Its Echoes in the Provinces (2021) and Results of the 2019 Research Season at Qubbet el-Hawa. He is a frequent participant in television documentaries on ancient Egypt.

“Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano explores the complex cultural developments in the southernmost region of Egypt by focusing on the local leaders who governed there for generations. This work, therefore, represents a significant milestone in the endeavor to write ancient Egyptian history from a non-royal perspective. . . . well-written. . . . well-designed. . . . a significant contribution.” —Luiza Osorio G. Silva, Journal of Near Eastern Studies"The book is an exemplary study of historical analysis, considering all available evidence and employing approaches from various disciplines. . . . This multifaceted approach not only makes the book an enjoyable read but enhances understanding, supported by a variety of visual media."—Christina Geisen, Antiquity"The focus on a provincial centre and its ruling elite provides a rewarding study."—Hilary Wilson, Ancient Egypt“This book offers a novel and at times meticulously researched narrative of elites around Elephantine during the Egyptian Old through Middle Kingdoms.” —Julia Troche and Brandie Robb, Journal of the American Oriental Society“This book explores and interweaves aspects of social networks, politics, belief, ritual, and cult to present a fascinating and comprehensive portrait of the Elephantine/Qubbet el-Hawa area during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Jiménez-Serrano sheds welcome light on intriguing aspects of ancient Egyptian culture that have often been neglected. His lively writing style animates ancient families and personalities, suggesting possible motivations for their actions.”—Adela Oppenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art“This book is particularly original for the new perspective it offers on pharaonic history, far from the great capitals of ancient Egypt. Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano has led excavations for more than fifteen years in the Elephantine region, Egypt’s southern gateway at the crossroads of the tracks of the desert and the axis of the Nile. His study is therefore enriching, both for its political, social, and economic perspectives on a key region of the Egyptian world and for the history of the archaeological work carried out there for nearly two centuries.”—Pierre Tallet, Sorbonne University“This study offers a fascinating journey through the history of Aswan at the end of the Old Kingdom and during the Middle Kingdom, as Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano presents the findings of his archaeological mission at the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa and his unique thoughts here for the first time. Descendants of a Lesser God is highly recommended reading for anyone who wishes to understand the politics, religion, and evolution of ancient Egyptian society and state, and the competition for status and resources as reflected through archaeological discoveries from that period.”—Miroslav Bárta, Charles University, author of Analyzing Collapse“A refreshingly new study that focuses on the lives and deaths of the governing families in the ancient Egyptian community at Elephantine located in the First Cataract region of Egypt. Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano successfully manages to bring this long-lost community to life by telling us the histories of its local leaders and their households, based on his team’s recent archaeological discoveries at the elite necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa.”—Nadine Moeller, Yale University

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChronological Table1. Gateway to the South2. Ruling the Cataract3. From Governor to God4. Power Ran through Their veins5. Sons of a God6. Royal Artisans in Qubbet el-Hawa7. From Dynastic Crisis to Peak of Power 8. New BloodEpilogueNotesBibliographyIndex

Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano is professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Jaen, Spain. Since 2008, he has been the director of archaeological excavations and interdisciplinary research at Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan. He is co-editor of Middle Kingdom Palace Culture and Its Echoes in the Provinces (2021) and Results of the 2019 Research Season at Qubbet el-Hawa. He is a frequent participant in television documentaries on ancient Egypt.

“Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano explores the complex cultural developments in the southernmost region of Egypt by focusing on the local leaders who governed there for generations. This work, therefore, represents a significant milestone in the endeavor to write ancient Egyptian history from a non-royal perspective. . . . well-written. . . . well-designed. . . . a significant contribution.” —Luiza Osorio G. Silva, Journal of Near Eastern Studies"The book is an exemplary study of historical analysis, considering all available evidence and employing approaches from various disciplines. . . . This multifaceted approach not only makes the book an enjoyable read but enhances understanding, supported by a variety of visual media."—Christina Geisen, Antiquity"The focus on a provincial centre and its ruling elite provides a rewarding study."—Hilary Wilson, Ancient Egypt“This book offers a novel and at times meticulously researched narrative of elites around Elephantine during the Egyptian Old through Middle Kingdoms.” —Julia Troche and Brandie Robb, Journal of the American Oriental Society“This book explores and interweaves aspects of social networks, politics, belief, ritual, and cult to present a fascinating and comprehensive portrait of the Elephantine/Qubbet el-Hawa area during the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Jiménez-Serrano sheds welcome light on intriguing aspects of ancient Egyptian culture that have often been neglected. His lively writing style animates ancient families and personalities, suggesting possible motivations for their actions.”—Adela Oppenheim, The Metropolitan Museum of Art“This book is particularly original for the new perspective it offers on pharaonic history, far from the great capitals of ancient Egypt. Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano has led excavations for more than fifteen years in the Elephantine region, Egypt’s southern gateway at the crossroads of the tracks of the desert and the axis of the Nile. His study is therefore enriching, both for its political, social, and economic perspectives on a key region of the Egyptian world and for the history of the archaeological work carried out there for nearly two centuries.”—Pierre Tallet, Sorbonne University“This study offers a fascinating journey through the history of Aswan at the end of the Old Kingdom and during the Middle Kingdom, as Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano presents the findings of his archaeological mission at the necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa and his unique thoughts here for the first time. Descendants of a Lesser God is highly recommended reading for anyone who wishes to understand the politics, religion, and evolution of ancient Egyptian society and state, and the competition for status and resources as reflected through archaeological discoveries from that period.”—Miroslav Bárta, Charles University, author of Analyzing Collapse“A refreshingly new study that focuses on the lives and deaths of the governing families in the ancient Egyptian community at Elephantine located in the First Cataract region of Egypt. Alejandro Jiménez-Serrano successfully manages to bring this long-lost community to life by telling us the histories of its local leaders and their households, based on his team’s recent archaeological discoveries at the elite necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa.”—Nadine Moeller, Yale University

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChronological Table1. Gateway to the South2. Ruling the Cataract3. From Governor to God4. Power Ran through Their veins5. Sons of a God6. Royal Artisans in Qubbet el-Hawa7. From Dynastic Crisis to Peak of Power 8. New BloodEpilogueNotesBibliographyIndex