Starting on Monday 13th October for 16 weeks:

Ancient Egypt: Culture and Society
This course looks at specific aspects of ancient Egypt, comparing the archaeological and literary evidence from different periods. The course will develop students’ familiarity with Egyptian artefacts, and they are expected to visit Museums to see examples. Other subjects will be discussed using ancient written sources and depictions, with an emphasis on methods of interpreting the data.

Syllabus Plan


The Social Structure of Ancient Egypt
The Role of Pharaoh
The Role of Women in Egyptian Society
Family
Town and 'Urbanism' in Ancient Egypt
Houses and Palaces
Furniture
The Body
Personal/Body Adornment
Amulets
Feeding the Body
Healing the Body
Preserving the Body
Music and Dance
Literature

and for 20 weeks:

An Introduction to the World of Ancient Egypt
This course is intended as a background for those new to studying Egyptology, but who want to pursue the subject. It is what it says, an introduction, and should be supplemented with considerable reading in the different subject areas. The aim of the course is to provide a broad overview of Egyptian history, geography, and society as a basis for further study. The course also highlights problems and controversial areas. Students should emerge from this course familiar with the numerous place names of Egypt in use at different periods, and their location; and with the kings and dynasties that form the basis for our interpretation of Egyptian culture. The following subject areas are included:


Syllabus Plan

The subject areas covered are:
Where is Egypt? This covers issues around the geography and environment of ancient Egypt, and perceptions of Egypt.
Who were the ancient Egyptians? Considering issues around race, ethnicity, language and culture.
The Historical framework. Understanding the terms used for Egyptian historical periods and the ways in which Egyptologists have reconstructed history and chronology.
History and archaeology - Predynastic to Roman Egypt: an overview.
The main centres of ancient Egypt: 1: Thebes, Akhetaten (Amarna), Memphis and other ‘capitals’ – and what they tell us about urban centres in Egypt.
Living in ancient Egyptian towns.
Temples and worship.
Temples and the economy.
Religion and ethics in ancient Egypt.
High and low in ancient Egypt. The social structure of ancient Egypt.
Language and writing.
Egypt’s place in history.