Schedule
This page was last updated December 7, 12:45 pm.
◆ This schedule is subject to change at the Professor’s discretion. It is the responsibility of each student to keep up with schedule changes, even if absent.
◆ Assignments should be completed in time for class on the day on which they are listed on the syllabus.
◆ Students should bring to class any texts assigned for the day or detailed notes.
◆ In preparing for class, consider the following:
What do the primary sources seem to be about?
Who is their audience?
Where were they located (papyrus, temple, tomb)?
Why were they created, and by whom?
What is the underlying argument, thesis, agenda, or perspective behind the secondary sources, internet sites, and films?
What are the basic "facts" and concepts presented in the secondary sources?
How do the secondary sources and primary sources complement each other?
Do the readings or multimedia assignments every contradict each other? How and why?
How does what you are reading today relate to what we have already studied in the course?
Part One: A Historical and Cultural Overview
M Aug 27 Introduction to the Course
W Aug 29 Who Were the Ancient Egyptians? Language, Chronology, and the Emergence of "Egypt"
Sakai: Cracking Codes website link in “Resources” -- UPDATED 8/27: SAKAI blew up: CLICK HERE FOR THE SITE
Mieroop, 1-21, 27-47, 50-51
Visit the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/t/the_rosetta_stone.aspx
Recommended: Check out the pre-dynastic art at the top of the page on the Metropolitan Museum's timeline for Egypt 8000-2000 BCE http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=02®ion=afe
STUDY GUIDE FOR 8/29 HERE: look at the study guide first
F Aug 31 What Was Egyptian Society? Social History, Social World, & the Emergence of "Egypt"
UPDATED 8/29: handout: selections from Hoch’s Middle Egyptian Grammar:TRY TO DO p. 16 ex. C 1-3, D a few words; use the alphabet list on pp. 6-7 and the vocab list on pp. 14-15. You don't have to read the whole thing.
Sakai: Articles on “Ethnic Diversity" and “Social Institutions from Civilizations of the Ancient Near East" (
UPDATED 8/28: Website TBA: Visit the Metropolitan Museum's site "The Art of Ancient Egypt: & click on "The People of Ancient Egypt": http://web.archive.org/web/20110201052938/http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/newegypt/htm/th_frame.htm
W Sep 5 What Were Their Religious Beliefs? Rituals, Myths, and Deities
Sakai: PDF of Egyptian deities from the Metropolitan Museum of Art UPDATED 8/28: read/click through the following Metropolitan Museum Website on "Ancient Egyptian Beliefs" instead: http://web.archive.org/web/20110201055645/http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/newegypt/htm/re_.htm
David Silverman, "Divinity and Deities in Ancient Egypt," in Byron E. Shafer, Religion in Ancient Egypt, 7-58
Leonard Lesko, "Ancient Egyptian Cosmogonies and Cosmology," in Shafer, 88-95, 116-122
Lichtheim volume II NEW KINGDOM texts, pp. 197-200, 214-223.
Additional resource: a Picture List of deities at http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html
Part 2: Old Kingdom Egypt
F Sep 7 Religion & Early OK History (Dynasties 3-5)
Mieroop, 52-55, 62-74 [refer back to the timeline on p. 55 to reinforce names and chronology]
Lichtheim I, 51-57
Shafer: Silverman, "Divinity and Deities," 58-73
Shafer: Lesko, "Ancient Egyptian Cosmogonies," 95-102 updated 9/5
Explore the Introduction and the sections on "Royalty," "Officials and their Families," "Artisans and Occupations," and "Objects from Daily Life" on the Metropolitan Museum's exhibit Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids updated 9/5
STUDY GUIDE FOR 9/7 HERE updated 9/5
Note: You will work your #$*!es off this week, too but then have some breathing room next week (9/17-21)!
M Sep 10 Funerary Practices
Sakai: text called "Grimal" in RESOURCES on Sakai, 102-106, 128-136
Shafer: Baines, "Society, Morality, and Religious Practice," 123-146
Lichtheim I, 15-27
Visit the Mastaba Tomb of Perneb: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/mastaba_tomb_of_perneb/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000099 (Be sure to scroll down and click on all of the “Additional Views”)
STUDY GUIDE FOR 9/10 HERE updated 9/7
Optional—more tombs:
The tomb of the "two brothers" at Saqqara
The Tomb of Ti at Saqqara:
http://egyptsites.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/tomb-of-ti/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBFNvUWrMFo
http://www.shaav.com/travel/egypt/saqqara/saqqara-tombti-statue.htm
Another OK mastaba: http://oi.uchicago.edu/gallery/pa_egypt_sak/index.php/n14420_72dpi.png?action=big&size=resize&fromthumbnail=true
W Sep 12 The Pyramids and the Sphinx
Mieroop, 55-62, 76, 82-83
Lichtheim I, 29-50
Visit the Giza complex at The PBS Nova Site on Old Kingdom Egypt www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/egypt/explore/oldkingdom.html
• Visit the Sphinx
• Fly over the pyramids and the Giza plateau
• Go inside Khufu's Pyramid
• See the solar barque that may have carried a pharaoh into the afterlife
• Visit Khafre's pyramid
Or alternatively go to the National Geographic site: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/
STUDY GUIDE FOR THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX HERE -- updated 9/10
F Sep 14 Later OK History, Literature, & Religion (Dynasties 6-8)
Mieroop, 74-92
Lichtheim I: 215-222, reread pp. 36-38: utterances 273-74 updated 9/12
STUDY GUIDE FOR SEPT 14 HERE updated 9/12
Note: 9/17-21, Dr. S. is in Rome for the International Association of Coptic Studies Conference.
M Sep 17 Paper #1 due on Sakai at 11 PM. updated 9/12
W Sep 19 Film screening in class: Film TBA. COME TO CLASS.
F Sep 21 Don't come to class. Review study guides, make sure you understand the key terms and concepts. Generally, review. updated 9/12
BELOW updated 9/14
M Sep 24 End of OK/First Intermediate Period
First Intermediate Period (Dynasties 9-10)
Mieroop, 93-96
Lichtheim I, 83-109, 149-163
Shafer: Lesko, "Cosmogonies," 102-104
W Sep 26 -- class does not meet. Get started on Friday's readings.
F Sep 28 Middle Kingdom
Mieroop, 97-119
Lichtheim I, 113-120, 134-145
Check out some Middle Kingdom art:
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
sphinx_of_king_senwosret_iii/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000400
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
face_of_senwosret_iii/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000398
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
pectoral_and_necklace_of_sithathoryunet/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000450
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
the_dolphin_vase/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100001187
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
game_of_hounds_and_jackals/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000013
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
hippopotamus/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000444
• http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/
travelling_boat_being_rowed/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000431
STUDY GUIDE AVAILABLE HERE -- updated 9/24
M Oct 1 Middle Kingdom Funerary Practices
Mieroop, 120-124
Lichtheim I, 120-133, 163-169, 193-210
Shafer: Baines, "Society, Morality, and Religious Practice," 161-168
Check out the pyramids and rock-cut tombs at the University College of London's Digital Egypt site on MK architecture http://www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk/art/mkarchi.html. Be sure you've gone to Senusret II's pyramid complex at Lahun for the site map and the pyramid; and the images and models of the rock-cut tombs at Qau el-Kebir
See a MK coffin: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/coffin_of_khnumnakht/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000564
See a MK stela: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/stela_of_montuweser/objectview.aspx?collid=10&oid=100000558
See a panel from Mentuhotep II's mortuary temple: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/egyptian_art/a_block_from_the_sanctuary_in_the_temple_of_mentuhotep/objectview.aspx?10collid=10&oid=100005053
W Oct 3 Middle Kingdom Religion and Literature Cont.
Lichtheim I, 149-163, 169-192, 211-236 updated 10/1
Mieroop, 126-135, 141-50
NO STUDY GUIDE
• bring to class questions about the readings YOU would like to discuss;
• for exam, know the basic themes of each story and know the HYKSOS from lecture (also in Mieroop pages I canceled if you want a reference) --updated 10/3
F Oct 5 NO CLASS — FALL BREAK
M Oct 8 Review for Exam
W Oct 10 EXAM 1 IN CLASS
Part 4: The New Kingdom
F Oct 12 The Tuthmosids
Mieroop, 151-177
Lichtheim II, 11-15, 29-48, 81-89
STUDY GUIDE HERE --updated 10/10
M Oct 15 Hatshepsut
Sakai: Tyldesley, Hatshepsut, 99-153
Lichtheim II, 25-29
View and compare these depictions of Hatshepsut with each other and with other statues
of pharaohs and women you have already studied:
http://web.archive.org/web/20110114033209/http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={92C8F718-137B-4AE6-9FAA-C8DA6CCE72CC}
The photo gallery at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/04/hatshepsut/
garrett-photography
STUDY GUIDE HERE --- updated 10/10
W Oct 17 Akhenaten's & Nefertiti's "Revolution"
Mieroop, 184-212
Lichtheim II, 48-51, 89-103
Check out the Amarna art from an exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Art a few years ago
Check out the current excavations at Amarna: http://www.amarnaproject.com
F Oct 19 Amarna Art and "Revolution" Continued -- updated 10/17
Bring your Mieroop and Lichtheim vol. 2 to class, plus your notes.
Assignment: bring to class a newspaper article that somehow talks about ANTIQUITIES in Egypt and the CURRENT political situation (dating from the January 2011 revolution)
M Oct 22 Tutankhamun-- updated 10/19
Review Mieroop on Akhenaten's successors (including Tutankhamun): pp. 206-209 ("Akhenaten's successors" section + box on Tutankhamun's stela) and the box 8.1 on p. 211
Visit Tutankhamun's tomb: go to http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_876.html
- read about the tomb
- click to look at the site drawings (on right)
- click on the
link to launch the tomb in the Atlas (lower right)
- in the Atlas: watch the movie; after watching the movie, click on the "Description" tab and then click around the map to read about the tomb and see photos
View photographs of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb (click on Image Gallery for the photos): http://oi.uchicago.edu/museum/special/tut/
Study Guide Here -- updated 10/22
W Oct 24 The Ramessid Era
Mieroop, 212-225, 230-32
Lichtheim II, 52-78
Visit the Temple of Abu Simbel and Sety I's/Ramses II's Temple at Abydos:
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/abusimbel/ramses/ramses.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/abusimbel/nefertari/nefertari.html
http://www.pbs.org/empires/egypt/special/virtual_egypt/abydos.html
Study Guide Here -- updated 10/22
F Oct 26 Ramessid Era continued
TBA: continue Wednesday's readings/discussion, begin Monday Readings
BRING MIEROOP AND VOL. 2 OF LICHTHEIM TO CLASS
M Oct 29 Monumental Temples and the Priesthood
Sakai: Grimal 261-267, 293-308 (LABELED GrimalTemples.pdf on Sakai under resources)
Sakai: Gerald Haeny, "New Kingdom 'Mortuary Temples,'" 86-90 (Labeled HaenyIntro.pdf on Sakai)
Visit temples at:
Luxor Temple (divine temple) at: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/luxor/luxor.html
Karnak Temple (divine temple) at: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/karnak/karnak.html
The Ramesseum (Rameses II's Mortuary Temple) at: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/thebes/ramesseum/ramesseum.html
Medinet Habu (Rameses III's Mortuary Temple) at: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/egypt/thebes/medhabu/medhabu.html
Optional: You can spend a lot of time at the UCLA digital Karnak site: http://dlib.etc.ucla.edu/projects/Karnak/
Study Guide Available Here -- updated 10/26
Wed 10/31 New Kingdom Funerary Practices
Visit and spend a LONG time at the best site for the Valley of the Kings at http://www.kv5.com/
• Open the Atlas for the Valley of the Kings to view movie, read the "Description" overview, and click on KV 14 on the map to take the 3D tour of a tomb (UPDATE: To get to the 3D tour, click on the bar on the top of the Atlas that says "Valley of the Kings" for a drop down menu of the tombs. Selcect tomb KV 14 for Tausert and Setnakht.)
• Go to the "Articles" section and read at least 2 articles of your choice
• Continue to explore the other images and aspects of the site
Visit the most decorated tomb, Nefertari's tomb in the Valley of the Queens http://www.swarthmore.edu/Humanities/pschmid1/essays/Nefertari/nefertari.html
STUDY GUIDE for Wed & Fri Here
Fri 11/2 Continuation of NK Funerary Practices
UPDATED AGAIN 10/31: UPDATE --MOVED: Lichtheim II, 15-24, 119-132
UPDATE --ADDED: Mieroop, 233-247
STUDY GUIDE for Wed & Fri Here
Mon 11/5 The Book of the Dead & Colonial Egypt in Popular Culture
Sakai: Said, Orientalism selections (in Resources on Sakai)
View The Mummy (1932) -- CHECK SAKAI for details
there will be a quiz
STUDY GUIDE HERE -- read the study guide BEFORE Said
Wed 11/7: Popular Culture and Popular Religion in the New Kingdom Part 1
Mieroop, 233-259 updated 11/5
Shafer: Baines, "Society, Morality, and Religious Practice," 168-186, 194-200 CHANGED 11/5
Lichtheim II, 104-116, 200-203, 211-213
Sakai: Romer, Ancient Lives, "Oracle," 100-105
Sakai: Foster, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 90 (a love spell)
STUDY GUIDE here
Fri 11/9: Popular Culture and Popular Religion in the New Kingdom Part II
Sakai: Readings on Magic (Pinch_Magic.pdf)
No additional study guide: bring questions about the readings for the class to discuss.
REMINDER: Field Trip Saturday Nov 10. Meet at BURNS TOWER: Bus leaves promptly at 11 am. We will return by around 6 pm.
Part 5: The End of the Pharaohs
Mon 11/12 The Third Intermediate Period and Late Period
Read the study guide FIRST
Mieroop, 260-69, 274-81, 310-315 --updated
Lichtheim II, 224-230 updated 11/9
Sakai: Lichtheim III: 66-84 -- WILL BE HANDED OUT IN CLASS; not on Sakai: updated 11/11/12
Wed 11/14 Cleopatra and Egypt under Greek Rule--updated 11/12/2012
Mieroop, 316-336, 341-43
Sakai: Selections from ancient sources
Visit the Ptolemaic Temple of Isis at Philae http://www.memphis.edu/egypt/aswan.htm near Aswan
Learn about Cleopatra at the British Museum http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/egypt/cleopatra_history_to_myth/cleopatra_of_egypt_from_histo.aspx
Read about Isis in the Greco-Roman period in an excerpt from the novel "The Golden Ass": Lucius (a Roman man) has been turned into a donkey through magic; at the end of the book he encounters Isis: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/lucius-assa.asp
See Greco-Roman Egyptian mummy masks here: (click on the 3 mummies and mummy masks): http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_egypt39.htm
Fri 11/16 Short Field Trip Paper Due on Sakai
Class does not meet -- Dr. S is at a conference
Mon 11/19 Second paper due on Sakai
Class does not meet -- Dr. S is at a conference
Part 6: Ancient Egyptian Religion in Popular Culture
Mon 11/26 The Exodus Narrative in History & Culture --updated 11/14Exodus 1:1-6:13, 6:28-7:13, 11:1-14:31 in a Christian or Jewish Bible (if you don't have a bible, click HERE for Exodus chapters 1-14)
View Prince of Egypt (2 copies on reserve in library, also on Amazon Instant Video): take notes! esp. see study guide below
Sakai: Selections on slave spirituals
Bring Lichtheim II to class (for referencing pp. 73-78)
Bring a Bible (Christian or Jewish) to class if you have one for reference, plus slave spirituals and Lichtheim and notes
STUDY GUIDE available here
Wed 11/28 Afrocentrism and Egypt in African American Culture --updated 11/26
Sakai: Albert J. Raboteau, "Exodus, Ethiopia, and Racial Messianism: Texts and Contexts of African American Chosenness" in Many are Chosen: Divine Election and Western Nationalism
Sakai: Berlinerblau, Heresy in the University, selections
STUDY GUIDE here
F 11/30 Ancient Egypt and Modern America --updated 11/26
View Stargate movie (1994): 2 copies on reserve at library, screening TBA
In class: lecture and discussion on archaeology and antiquities law--probably will move to Monday
Start reading Crocodile on the Sandbank
STUDY GUIDE here
M 12/2-W 12/5
Fantasies about Egyptology
Peters, Crocodile on the Sandbank
: through Chapter 6 by Monday; finish book by Wednesday -- updated 12/1
STUDY GUIDE here
F 12/7 Ancient Egypt in Modern Egypt's Culture, Conclusions
Al Mummia ("The Mummy"), 1969
Watch in class and on YouTube:
Part 1 (viewed 17 minutes in class Monday)
Part 2
Study Guide HERE
Second Exam is in our regular classroom at NOON Wednesday 12/12. Bring a bluebook.
