Cross-listed as both ARCHY 212 and NEAR E 209. Students can enroll under either listing.
"Archaeology of Ancient Egypt" is an introductory survey of the archaeology, art and architecture of ancient Egypt, from the first prehistoric cultures of the Nile Valley (~10,000 BCE) until the end of the New Kingdom (~1000 BCE). Through the lens of archaeology, we will explore Egyptian gods, animal deities, divine kings, pyramids, temples, mummification, society and government. We will untangle common Egyptian beliefs about identity, religion, medicine, magic, sex, childbirth, slavery and death through the archaeological remnants of this great civilization.
The course is not a history of Egypt, but rather an introduction to the various cultural aspects of the region across time. We will not be covering Egypt chronologically, but by topic. The course begins with a look at the geography of the region and the history of Egyptology, the study of ancient Egypt. We will then move onto topics such as writing and literacy, monumental and domestic architecture, death and preparation for the afterlife, religion, urban and rural life, art, and the place of women and children in Egyptian culture.