Archaeology of Egypt: From the Scorpion King to Cleopatra
ANTH 3710
3 hours
Archaeology of Egypt: From the Scorpion King to Cleopatra
Course Description
Survey of the history and culture of Egypt from its prehistoric origins to the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (30 BC). Within a chronological framework, we will explore the evolution of political ideology, social organization and identity, writing, economy and international relations, and environment in the Nile River Valley.
Athena Title
Archaeology of Egypt
Prerequisite
ANTH 1102 or ANTH 1102E or ANTH 2120H or CLAS 1000 or CLAS 1000E or CLAS 1000H
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will gain knowledge of key sites and historical developments in ancient Egypt between Early Dynastic pharaonic administration to the Roman conquest.
Students will be able to define and describe major developments in the field of Egyptology and Egyptian archaeology.
Students will examine the geography, ecology, and climate of the Nile River Valley and evaluate how environmental context influenced Egyptian social organization and socioeconomic activities.
Students will discover how Egyptologists evaluate and use different sources of archaeological, textual, iconographic, and scientific data to answer questions about the Egyptian past.
Students will read and critically assess different types of ancient Egyptian literature in translation for information on ancient Egyptian conceptions of kingship, cultural identity, gender, religion, death, magic, and kinship.
Students will be able to compare Egyptian political ideology and social organization during different dynastic periods.
Students will examine Egyptian interactions with, and attitudes toward, neighboring “foreign” cultures in Africa and western Asia during different dynastic periods.
Students will discover and debate ethical issues related to cultural heritage management, changing attitudes toward the “ownership” of Egypt’s ancient material culture, and study and display of mummified human remains and ancient burial sites.
Students will examine and assess the perceptions and impact of ancient Egyptian history and culture on modern Egyptian society and global popular culture.
Topical Outline
History of Egyptology and Archaeological Research in Egypt
Sources of Information on Egyptian Civilization
Natural and Physical Context of Nile River Valley, Mediterranean, and Red Sea
Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt
Old Kingdom Egypt
First Intermediate Period
Hyksos Dynasty and the Egyptian Chronology Crisis
New Kingdom Egypt
Third Intermediate Period
Late Period Egypt
Alexander the Great’s Conquest of Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt
Perceptions and Management of Ancient Egyptian Heritage in the Present
