Table Of ContentIntroduction to Ancient Egyptian Archaeology
University of Washington
Course: NEAR E 296/ ARCHY 212 Instructor: Stephanie Selover
Term: Spring 2018 Office Hours: Wed., 1-3pm, Denny M220E
Room: SAV 264 Email: [email protected]
Time: MW, 3:30pm-5:20pm
TA: Corinna Nichols TA Email: [email protected]
Sections: F, 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am Section Room: MLR 316
Course Description:
This course 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.
This 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.
Students are responsible for all readings, participation in Friday sections, one map
quiz, two section quizzes, a short paper about Egypt in modern culture, and a final exam.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students are expected to learn:
• An introductory understanding of ancient Egyptian archaeology, history, and
culture.
• To apply historical methods to a range of important questions in Egyptian history
through critical analysis of archaeological evidence and modern opinion and
through the construction of detailed, reasoned arguments
• To recognize the distinctive features of the Old, Middle and New Kingdom Egypt
• To recognize and contextualize a range of famous events, personalities, authors
and material remains of ancient Egypt
• To understand the role of ancient Egypt in the public imagination and the
importance of preserving and protecting Egypt’s cultural heritage
• Critical analysis of ancient textual and archaeological evidence and modern
opinions
• Archaeological excavation methods using Egyptological examples
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Course Format:
Class will meet twice a week, with a Friday section with the course TA. Each
class is expected to be a discussion rather than a straight lecture by the instructor, so
students are responsible for all readings before the start of class and are expected to
actively contribute. At times, the class will be split into smaller groups to further discuss
the themes of the class and then each group will present their collected ideas.
Each student is responsible for all assigned readings before the start of class and
must be prepared to discuss them. The discussion section of the course will utilize both a
voluntary method of question and answers, as well as a Socratic one, where the instructor
may choose who will answer the question.
In Friday sections, students will actively discuss weekly topics with the course
TA, through a variety of activities such as a short video, hands on activity, or discussion
of ancient texts. The map quiz and both course quizzes will also be given during the
Friday section. Attendance to the Friday section is mandatory.
Each week, every student is required to consider and thoughtfully answer the
given discussion question based on the weekly readings and lectures on the discussion
board on the class website. This forum will allow students to contemplate the themes of
the class and perhaps to think of new questions of their own. There are no wrong
answers, but students are asked to give thought to their responses. Students may bring in
their own experiences as they pertain to the subject. Feel free to be creative. Answers are
to be submitted to the instructor by 10pm each Wednesday. Late answers submitted
before the start of class will be given half credit. No credit will be given to submissions
after class.
In the second week of the quarter, a short map and geography quiz will be given
at the start of the Friday section. Understanding the geography of Egypt and its
surrounding area is of great importance in order to understand the various cultures and
peoples covered in this course.
A short paper on ancient Egypt and modern culture is also required. Students are
to pick a movie, TV show, or other modern popular cultural depiction of “Ancient
Egypt.” Students are then to write a short paper (2-3 pages), including the name and date
of the material watched, with a short synopsis, a discussion of the reality of the material
and a brief evaluation of the film. The paper should answer such questions as: Were the
characters based on real people? Were real events depicted? Did the makers of the
material adhere to accurate recreations? From what you have learned in this class, how
“accurate” was this depiction of Ancient Egypt? What could have been done to make this
a more accurate account? Was accuracy important to the makers of this material? This
assignment is due at the start of section at the end of Week 9 (May 25).
Two quizzes, the first in Week 4, the second in Week 7, will be administered in
the Friday section. The quizzes will each cover the content of the course since the last
quiz. A final exam will be administered during final’s week, on Thursday, June 7, 2:30-
4:20pm, in SAV 264. The final will cover material from the entire course, with an
emphasis on the final weeks of the course.
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Prerequisites:
This course is open to all students interested in archaeology, ancient Egypt, or the
ancient or modern Middle East. No prior knowledge of these areas is necessary.
Required Reading and Attendance:
The readings from this course are taken from the course textbook, listed below, as
well as from a variety of journals and book chapters. All readings except those from the
required textbook (Bard) will be made available in .pdf form on the class Canvas website.
The course textbook is for sale at the campus bookstore. Readings from course textbook
will not be found on the course Canvas website. Copies of the required textbook are also
available at Odegaard Undergraduate Library on reserve. Readings are subject to change
as determined by the instructor, with at least one week's notice.
All assigned readings are to be completed by each student before the start of each
class. Staying on top of the readings will maximize a student’s learning experience and
prepare them for in-class discussions. It also allows students to ask relevant questions
during class. The material covered in the readings will not repeat exactly the material
covered in class, so both readings and good class attendance are a must for getting the
most out of the course.
Please arrive on time for class. It is rude and disrespectful to both your fellow
students as well as to the instructor to arrive after the start of class, interrupting lecture or
discussion. Everyone here is an adult, please be responsible for your own time
management.
Required Textbook:
• Kathryn Bard 2015, An Introduction To The Archaeology Of Ancient Egypt
Wiley-Blackwell
Optional Additional Textbooks:
• Ikram, Salima 2010. Ancient Egypt: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press
• Shaw, Ian (ed.) 2000 The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University
Press
• Wendrich, Willeke (ed.) 2010. Egyptian Archaeology. Wiley-Blackwell
Grading Policy
• Section Participation 10%
• Reading Discussion Questions 15%
• Map Quiz (April 6) 10%
• Quiz 1 (April 20) 15%
• Quiz 2 (May 11) 15%
• Pop Culture Project (Due May 25) 15%
• Final Exam (June 7) 20%
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Grade Scale:
You can always track your grades throughout the quarter on the online grade book on
Canvas. I encourage you to do so to gauge your progress in class. Please contact us as
soon as possible if you suspect any errors.
Letter Number Percentage Letter Number Percentage Letter Number Percentage
A+ 4.0 >95% B- 2.8 83% C- 1.6 71%
A 3.9 94% B- 2.7 82% C- 1.5 70%
A- 3.8 93% B- 2.6 81% D+ 1.4 69%
A- 3.7 92% B- 2.5 80% D+ 1.3 68%
A- 3.6 91% C+ 2.4 79% D+ 1.2 67%
A- 3.5 90% C+ 2.3 78% D 1.1 66%
B+ 3.4 89% C+ 2.2 77% D 1.0 65%
B+ 3.3 88% C 2.1 76% D 0.9 64%
B+ 3.2 87% C 2.0 75% D- 0.8 63%
B 3.1 86% C 1.9 74% D- 0.7 60-62%
B 3.0 85% C- 1.8 73% E 0.0 <62 %
B 2.9 84% C- 1.7 72%
Technology in Class:
The use of laptops in class is allowed for note taking and for referencing class
readings. Surfing the web, checking emails, checking Facebook, online shopping, etc. is
prohibited. Such activity is disruptive to the individual, the instructor, and to the
remainder of the class. However, I would highly encourage students to take notes in
class by hand, as numerous studies have shown handwritten notes to be far more useful
for students than typed notes.
If I do find a student using a laptop for any purpose other than note taking, the
privilege of using the laptop in class will be revoked after one warning.
Please turn off your cellphones before coming to class; the use of cellphones is
prohibited for any reason.
Disability Resources for Students:
If you need any type of accommodation, please contact the Office of Disability
Resources for Students (http://www.washington.edu/students/drs). We are happy to work
with Disability Resources to provide appropriate accommodation.
Make-Up Policies:
No make-up exams will be allowed for the map quiz, quizzes or final exam unless
for dire situations, (kidnapped by aliens, leg caught in a bear trap at the time of midterm,
etc.), with proper documentation (e.g. doctor’s note, dated picture of the aliens).
Please be on time to class, and if for any reason you must leave early, please leave
quietly and do not disrupt the other students on your way out. No talking during class,
except during discussion periods. However, always feel free to ask the instructor a
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question at any point during class. If you have a question, chances are five other students
have a similar question, please speak up.
Academic Honesty:
Students are expected to treat their fellow classmates and instructors with honesty
and respect throughout the course. All exam answers and postings must reflect original
work. No form of cheating will be tolerated. The following link has information on
academic honesty, plagiarism, and consequences:
http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/help/academichonesty.php
Students are expected to adhere to the University of Washington Code of Student
Conduct which can be found at the following link:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=478-120
The University of Washington is committed to fostering an environment where
the free exchange of ideas is an integral part of the academic learning environment.
Disruption of classroom discussions can prohibit other students from fully engaging and
participating. Any student causing disruption may be asked to leave any class session,
and, depending on the severity and frequency of that behavior, an incident report may be
filled with Community Standards and Student Conduct. As a condition of enrollment, all
students assume responsibility to observe standards of conduct that will contribute to the
pursuit of academic goals and to the welfare of the academic community. For more
detailed information on these standards, please visit:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=478-120.
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Course Outline:
Week 1: Introduction and Geography of Egypt
March 26: Introduction to the Course
Required Readings: None
March 28: Mapping and Understanding the Land of the Nile
Required Readings:
• Bard, Chapter 3 “The Environmental Background to Pharaonic Civilization:
Geography, Environment, Agriculture and Natural Resources,” pages 47-68
Recommended Readings:
• Ikram, S. (2010) Ancient Egypt. Chapter 1, “The Black and the Red: Geography
and Environment”, pages 1-22, Chapter 4, “Shadows in the Sand: Egypt’s Past”
pages 69-114
March 30 Section
Discussion on the major myths and misconceptions about ancient Egypt in the modern
day
Week 2: Background and History of Egyptology
April 2: History of Egyptology
Required Readings:
• Bard, Chapter 1 “Egyptian Archaeology: Definitions and History” pages 1-24
Recommended Readings:
• David, R. (2008) The Experience of Ancient Egypt, Chapter 6, “Classical and
Medieval Interest in Egypt” pages 51-61
• Ikram, S. (2010) Ancient Egypt: Chapter 2, “Travellers, Thieves and Scholars: the
history of Egyptology and Egyptomania” pages 23-52
• Jones, M. (2008) “Monuments and Site Conservation” Egyptology Today, R.H.
Wilkinson, ed., pages 98-120
• Wendrich, W. ed. (2010). Egyptian Archaeology, Chapter 1, “Egyptian
Archaeology: From Text to Context” pages 1-14
April 4: Write Like an Egyptian: Hieroglyphics and Beyond
Required Readings:
• Bard Chapter 2, “Hieroglyphs, Languages and Pharaonic Chronology” pages 25-
46
Recommended Readings:
• David, R. (2008) The Experience of Ancient Egypt, Chapter 8, “The
Decipherment of Egyptian Hieroglyphs”, pages 71-88
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• Szpakowska, K. (2008). Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. Chapter 6, “Learning,
Earning and Leisure” pages 102-121
April 6: Section
Map Quiz at the start of section; Writing hieroglyphics workshop
Week 3: Sources of Egyptology
April 9: What’s in a Dynasty? Chronology of Ancient Egypt
Required Readings:
• Ward, W.A. (1992) “The Present Status of Egyptian Chronology” Bulletin of the
American Schools of Oriental Research 288, pages 53-66
Recommended Readings:
• Hornung, E., Krauss, R., Warnurton, D.A. (2006) Ancient Egyptian Chronology,
“Methods of Dating and the Egyptian Calendar” pages 45-51
April 11: Egyptian Literature and Mythology
Required Readings:
• Ikram, S (2010) Ancient Egypt: An Introduction, Chapter 5 “Maintaining Egypt:
Religion” pages 115-164
• Wallis Budge E.A., Legends of the Gods: The Egyptian Texts” Entire book is up
on Chalk. Pick a myth and read it before class.
Recommended Readings:
• Kemp, B. (1995) “How Religious were the Ancient Egyptians?” Cambridge
Archaeological Journal 5:1, pages 25-54.
• Snape, S. (2011) “Osiris, Lord of Abydos” Ancient Egyptian Tombs: The Culture
of Life and Death, pages 117-135
• Szpakowska, K. (2008). Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. Chapter 7 “Religion” pages
122-149
• Teeter, E. (2011) Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt “Chapter 6: In the
Presence of the Gods: How the Gods Communicated with Men” pages 104-118
April 13 Section
Discussion of the story “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor”
• Read “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor” in The Tale of Sinuhe and Other
Ancient Egyptian Poems, R.B. Parkinson, translator, pages 89-102, before
coming to section
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Week 4: Changing Temple and Tomb Architecture
April 16: Egyptian Ritual Architecture from the Predynastic to the Middle
Kingdom: The Pyramids!
Required Readings:
• Bard, Chapter 6 “The Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate Period,” pages
133-165 only
Recommended Readings:
• Lehner, M. (1983) “Some Observations on the Layout of the Khufu and Khafre
Pyramids” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
• Lehner, M. (1985) “The Development of the Giza Necropolis: The Khufu
Project” MDAIK 41, pages 109-143
• Lehner, M. (1992) “Reconstructing the Sphinx.” Cambridge Archaeological
Journal 2(1), pages 3-26
• O’Conner, D. (1998) “Interpretation of the Old Kingdom Pyramid Complex,” in
Stationen: Beitrage zur Kulturgeschichte Agyptens, Eds. H. Guksch and D. Polz.
Mainz: Verlag, pages 135-144
• Reader, C. (2001) “A Geomorphological Study of the Giza Necropolis, with
Implications for the Development of the Site.” Archaeometry 43(1): 149-165
April 18: New Kingdom Tombs
Required Readings:
• Bard Chapter 8, “The New Kingdom”, pages 225-274 only
Recommended Readings:
• Kemp (2007) Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization, Chapter 6 “New
Kingdom Egypt: The Mature State” pages 247-301
April 20 Section
Quiz 1
Week 5: Death and Mummies
April 23: Afterlife and Ritual
Required Readings:
• Baines, J. and P. Lacovara (2002). “Burial and the Dead in Ancient Egyptian
Society: Respect, Formalism, Neglect” Journal of Social Archaeology 2(1) pages
5-36
Recommended Readings:
• Anderson, W. (1992) “Badarian Burials: Evidence of Social Inequality in Middle
Egypt During the Early Predynastic Era” American Research Center in Egypt 29,
pages 51-66
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• Teeter, E. (2011). Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt, Chapter 7, “Death and
Funerals Rites” pages 119-147, Chapter 8, “Communicating with the Dead”
• Szpakowska, K. (2008). Daily Life in Ancient Egypt. Chapter 9 “Death” pages
179-207
• Wendrich, W. ed. (2010). Egyptian Archaeology, Chapter 12 “Changes in the
Afterlife” pages 220-240
April 25: Mummification, Mummy Cults and Mummymania
Required Readings:
• Ikram, S (2010) Ancient Egypt: An Introduction, Chapter 9: “The Living and the
Dead: Mummies, Tombs and Mortuary Cults” pages 275-300
Recommended Readings:
• Buckley, S. and Evershed, R. (2001). “Organic Chemistry of Embalming Agents
in Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman Mummies” Nature 413, pages 837-841
• David, R. (2000). “Mummification.” Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology,
Ed. P. Nicholson and I. Shaw, pages 372-385
• Ikram, S. and Dodson, A. (1998). The Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the
Dead for Eternity. Chapter 3, “Mummies and the Art of Mummification”, pp.
103-136
April 27 Section
Selections from the documentary Mummifying Allen, followed by discussion
Week 6: Warfare and Foreigners
April 30: Egyptian Warfare
Required Reading:
• Spalinger, A.J. (2011) “Military Institutions and Warfare: Pharaonic” in A
Companion to Ancient Egypt: Volume 1, A.B. Lloyd, ed., pages 425-445
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 2: Foreigners in the Land of the Nile
Required Readings:
• Schneider, T. (2003) “Foreign Egypt: Egyptology and the Concept of Cultural
Appropriation” Egypt and the Levant 13, pages 155-161
• Wendrich, W. ed. (2010). Egyptian Archaeology, Chapter 8, “Foreigners in
Egypt: Archaeological Evidence and Cultural Context,” pages 143-163
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Recommended Readings:
• Friedman, R. (2001) “Nubians at Hierakonpolis: Excavations in the Nubian
Cemeteries” Sudan and Nubia 5, pages 29-38
• Panagiotopoulus, D. (2006) “Foreigners in Egypt in the Time of Hatshepsut and
Thutmose III” in Thutmose III: A New Biography, E.H. Cline, ed., pages 370-412
• Smith, S.T. (2003) Wretched Kush: Ethnic Identities and Boundaries in Egypt’s
Nubian Empire
May 4 Section
Discussion on the meaning of race and ethnicity, racism and xenophobia, in the ancient
world
Week 7: The Domestic and the State
May 7: Egyptian Cities and Domestic Architecture
Required Readings:
• Ikram, S. (2010). Ancient Egypt. Chapter 7, “Town Life and Country Life” pages
189-218
Recommended Readings:
• Mumford, G.D. (2011) “Settlements: Distribution, Structure, Architecture:
Pharaonic”, in A Companion to Ancient Egypt: Volume 1, A.B. Lloyd, ed., Wiley-
Blackwell, pages 326-349
• Strauhal, E. (1996), Life of the Ancient Egyptians, Chapter 6, “Homes and
Communities,” pages 63-76
• Wendrich, W. ed. (2010). Egyptian Archaeology, Chapter 5, “Villages and the
Old Kingdom” pages 85-101, Chapter 7 “Tradition and Innovation: the Middle
Kingdom,” pages 119-142
May 9: Divine Kingship and the State
Required Readings:
• Brier, B., and Hobbs, H. (2008), Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians, Chapter 3:
“Government and Society,” pages 65-82
Recommended Readings:
• Bard, K. (2001) “The Emergence of the Egyptian State c. 3200 BC” in The
Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Ed. I. Shaw, pp. 61-88
• Graves-Brown, C (2010). Dancing for Hathor: Women in Ancient Egypt. London:
Continuum International Publishing. Chapter 7, “Queens and Harems” pages 129-
160
• Ikram, S. (2010). Ancient Egypt. Chapter 6, “Kings and Commoners: Egyptian
Society and Government” pages 165-188
• O’Conner, D. and D. Silverman. eds. (1995). Ancient Egyptian Kingship. Leiden:
Brill. Chapter 1, “Kingship, Definition of Culture, and Legitimation”, pages 3-47
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Description:This course is an introductory survey of the archaeology, art and architecture of ancient Egypt and a brief evaluation of the film. The paper Ancient Egypt: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. • Shaw, Ian (ed.) 2000 The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University. Press. • Wen
