Schedule of Assignments
Students should check the Blackboard course
page for the most recent announcements or schedule changes for the course.
Students also should regularly check their email for class discussion
questions from their peers.
(E) indicates readings on e-reserve
(CP) indicates readings in the course pack
# indicates media on reserve at the library
I. Introduction to Ancient Egypt
Th August 29: Introduction to the Course
Introductions
Studying ancient Egypt
Syllabus & assignments
Tu September 3: Who Were the Ancient Egyptians?
Peoples, Prehistory, and Language
Visit and thoroughly explore the British Museum's exhibit "Cracking Codes" about
the Rosetta Stone
Grimal, 17-39
(E) Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, 25-30; exercises on p.
30: b) all, c) 1, 3, 4, 8
(CP) "Ethnic Diversity" in Civilizations of
the Ancient Near East, 225-234
Recommended: Check out pre-dynastic
art at the Metropolitan Museum's collection highlights #1, #2,
#3
Th September 5: What Was Egyptian Society?
Social History and Social World
(E) Gardiner, Egyptian Grammar, 30-37; exercises on p.
37: a) 1-5, b) 1, 2
(CP) "Social Institutions"and "Private Life" in Civilizations
of the Ancient Near East, 345-62, 363-81
Explore The Art of Ancient Egypt: A Web Resource from the Met;
in particular click on "Themes" and look at the section on "The People
of Ancient Egypt"
Tu September 10: What Were Their Religious Beliefs?
Rituals, Myths, and Deities
Grimal, 41-48
(CP) David Silverman, "Divinity and Deities in Ancient Egypt,"
in Byron E. Shafer, Religion in Ancient Egypt, 7-73
For help visualizing the major deities, see The Art of Ancient Egypt: A Web Resource from the Met;
in particular click on "Themes" and look at the section on "Ancient Egyptian
Beliefs"
II. The Old Kingdom
Th September 12: History of the Old Kingdom
Grimal, 63-84
Lichtheim I, 18-27
(CP) map from Shafer, Religion in Ancient Egypt:
start memorizing major cities and natural landmarks
Tu September 17: Religion and Literature of the Old Kingdom
Grimal, 84-101
Lichtheim I, 28, 51-80
Check out some Old Kingdom art at the Met's collection highlights #4, #5
Th September 19: Funerary Practices
Lichtheim I, 15-27
Grimal, 102-106, 128-136
Explore the sections on Metropolitan Museum's exhibit Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids
Visit Old Kingdom tombs at
Tu September 24: The Pyramids and Sphinx
Grimal, 107-128
Lichtheim I, 29-50
Visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx:
III. The Middle Kingdom
Th September 26: First Intermediate Period
Grimal, 137-154
Lichtheim I, 83-109
Tu October 1: Middle Kingdom History and Politics
Grimal, 155-181
Lichtheim I, 135-145, 222-235
Recommended: Check out some Middle Kingdom art
at the Met's collection highlights #7-#18
Paper #1 due in the Blackboard drop box before class
Th October 3: Middle Kingdom Funerary Practices
and Literature
Lichtheim I, 113-133, 163-169, 193-215
Tu October 8: Second Intermediate Period
Exam #1 in class
Lecture on the Second Intermediate Period and the transition
to the NK
IV. The New Kingdom
Th October 10: The Tuthmosids
Grimal, 199-225
Lichtheim II, 29-48, 81-89
Recommended: Check out some New Kingdom art at
the Met's collection highlights #19-28
Tu October 15: Hatshepsut
Lichtheim II, 25-29
(E) Tyldesley, Hatshepsut, 99-153
View and compare these depictions of Hatshepsut with each
other and with other statues of pharaohs and women you have already
studied:
Visit Hatshepsut's temple:
Th October 17: Fall Break
No class!!
Tu October 22: Akhenaten's and Nefertiti's "Revolution"
Grimal, 226-244
Lichtheim II, 48-51, 89-103
View and thoroughly explore the Pharaohs of the Sun
Exhibit at the Boston MFA's website
Th October 24: The Ramessid Era
Grimal, 245-261, 267-292
Lichtheim II, 52-78, 214-223
Tu October 29: Monumental Temples and the
Priesthood
Grimal 261-267, 293-308
(ER) Gerald Haeny, "New Kindom 'Mortuary Temples,'" 86-90,
107-126
Visit the temples of Luxor & Karnak in Luxor; Abu Simbel;
Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum, and the Colossi in Thebes:
Th October 31: Funerary Practices
Lichtheim II, 11-24, 119-132, 197-199
Visit and spend a LONG time at the best site for the Valley
of the Kings at http://www.kv5.com/
- Open the Atlas to view movie, read the overview, and take the
3D tour of a tomb
- 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
Tu November 5: The Book of the Dead in American
Popular Culture
(E) Said, Orientalism selections
#View The Mummy (1932) at scheduled screening (TBA) or
on your own
Th November 7: Popular Culture and Popular
Religion
(E) Pinch, Magic in Ancient Egypt, 90-103, 120-32 ("Figurines
& Statues" and "Fertilitiy")
Lichtheim II, 104-116, 181-186
(E) Romer, Ancient Lives, "Oracle," 100-105
(CP) Foster, Ancient Egyptian Literature, 90 (a love
spell)
V. The End of Pharaonic Egypt
Tu November 12: The Late Periods
Powerpoint demonstration on the Third Intermediate Period
and the Late Period (check website as date approaches)
Lichtheim III, 13-41, 66-84, 86-89
Paper #2 due in Blackboard drop box before class
Th November 14: Egypt under Greek Rule
(E) Lloyd, "The Ptolemaic Period" in Shaw, Oxford
History of Ancient Egypt
(CP) Selections from Herodotus
Visit the Ptolemaic Temple of
Isis at Philae near Aswan
Explore an exhibit of Greco-Roman mummies at the Met
Learn about Cleopatra
at the British Museum (click on the links with the blue dots in the
lower right to follow the exhibit)
Tu November 19: The Romanization and Christianization
of Egypt
(E) Peacock, "The Roman Period" in Shaw, Oxford
History of Ancient Egypt
(CP) Selections from The Golden Ass
(CP) Selections from Plutarch, On Isis and Osiris
VI. Egypt in Popular Culture
Th November 21: Introduction to Egypt in American
Culture
Exam #2 in class
Lecture introducing the image of ancient Egypt in American popular culture
Tu November 26: Thanksgiving Break
No class!!
Th November 28: Thanksgiving Break
No class!!
Tu December 3: The Exodus Tradition
Exodus 1:1-6:13, 6:28-7:13, then skim the first 9 plagues,
& 11:1-14:31
Reread Lichtheim II, 73-78
#View Prince of Egypt at the scheduled screening (TBA) or on
your own.
In-class screening of select scenes from The Ten Commandments
Th December 5: Egypt in the African American
Consciousness
Slave spirituals, selections in handout
(E) Cone, The Spirituals and the Blues, selections
(E) Albert J. Raboteau, "Exodus, Ethiopia, and Racial Messianism:
Texts and Contexts of African American Chosenness" in Many are Chosen:
Divine Election and Western Nationalism
Mon December 9: Final Project outlines and bibliographies due in
Blackboard by noon.
Tu December 10: Egyptology and Egyptologists
Grimal, 1-13
(CP) Peters, Crocodile on the Sandbank, selections
#View Stargate in scheduled screening (TBA) or on your
own
Thursday December 12: Wrap-up
Course evaluations in class
Students will present their final project topics to the class
Final Projects Are Due Thursday December
19 at 1 pm in the Blackboard Drop Box