Course Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction and Geography of Egypt

 

March 27: Introduction to the Course

Lecture Slides

Required Readings: None

 

March 29: Mapping and Understanding the Land of the Nile

Lecture Slides

Map Quiz Terms

Geographic Map of Egypt.jpg

Blank Map of Egypt.png

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

March 31 Section

On Zoom this week only. All remaining sections will be live and in person. See the course Canvas site for your Zoom link.

Discussion on the major myths and misconceptions about ancient Egypt in the modern day.

 

 

Week 2: Background and History of Egyptology

 

April 3: History of Egyptology

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 5: Write Like an Egyptian: Hieroglyphics and Beyond

Guest Speaker: Forrest Martin

Lecture Slides: Martin

Lecture Slides: Selover

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 7 Section

Map Quiz at the start of section; Writing hieroglyphics workshop

 

 

Week 3: Sources of Egyptology

 

April 10: What’s in a Dynasty? Chronology of Ancient Egypt

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 12: Egyptian Literature and Mythology

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 14 Section

Discussion of the story “The Tale of Sinuhe”

 

 

Week 4: Changing Temple and Tomb Architecture

 

April 17: Egyptian Mortuary Architecture in the Old Kingdom: The Pyramids!

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 19: New Kingdom Tombs

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 21 Section

Quiz 1

 

Week 5: Death and Mummies

 

April 24: Afterlife and Ritual

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

April 26: Mummification, Mummy Cults and Animal Mummies

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

Optional:  Documentary Mummifying Allen

Part I

Part II

Part III 

 

April 28 Section

A Scavenger Hunt in the Tomb of Nefertari

 

Week 6: Warfare and Foreigners

 

May 1: Foreigners in the Land of the Nile

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 3: Egyptian Warfare

Lecture Slides

Required Reading:

 

Recommended Reading:

  • Partridge, R.B., 2003 Fighting Pharaohs: Weapons and Warfare in Ancient Egypt, Peartree Publishing
  • Spalinger, A.J. (2005) War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom

 

 

May 5 Section

Debating the Battle of Kadesh

 

 

Week 7: The Domestic and the State

 

May 8: Egyptian Cities and Domestic Architecture

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 10: Egyptian Concepts of Kingship

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 12 Section

Quiz 2

 

 

Week 8: Egyptian Medicine, Science and Art

 

May 15: Medicine and Science

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 17: Not So Static: Ancient Egyptian Art

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 19 Section

Art Workshop: Learning Egyptian standards and proportions

 

 

Week 9: Everyday Life in Egypt

 

May 22: Daily Life in Egypt

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 24: Women and Children in Egypt

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

May 26 Section

Pop Culture Project due by the start of section

Reconstructing a day in the life of a commoner in Egypt

 

 

Week 10: Egypt and Egyptology in the 21st Century

 

May 29: No Class – Memorial Day

 

May 31: Modern Egyptian Mania and The Politics of Museums

Lecture Slides

Required Readings:

 

Recommended Readings:

 

June 2 Section

Quiz 3

 

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due