The Encyclopedia opens with a general map of the region and a chronology of periods and dynasties, providing a context for the entries. The first section of the volume then comprises 14 overviews which explore the history and significance of each period.

The main body of the text offers more than 300 alphabetically organized entries, written by some of the most eminent scholars in this field. Areas covered include:

artefacts - glass, jewellery, sculpture

archaeological practices - dating techniques, representational evidence, textual sources

biographies - Howard Carter, Gertrude Caton Thompson, Gaston Maspero

buildings - cult temples, private tombs, pyramid complexes

geographical features - agriculture, climate, irrigation

sites - Abydos, Dakhla Oasis, Thebes

social organization - kingship, law, taxation

The text is extensively illustrated with over 120 images. Each entry is followed by a selected further reading section which includes foreign language sources to supplement the available works in English.