Scope: In this lecture, we will discuss five basic points: (1) why we should study ancient Egypt, (2) what the approaches of the course will be, (3) how we know what we know about Egypt, (4) how the course will be organized, and (5) the goals of the course—what I hope to achieve and what the student can expect from the forty-eight lectures.
Outline
I. Why should we study ancient Egypt? There is something very special about Egypt—it is an attractive escape from our everyday world.
A. Egypt is the most advanced ancient civilization in history. Its accomplishments include monumental architecture (the pyramids), medical science, monotheism, and mummification.
B. Even if the hieroglyphs are decipherable, Egypt remains one of the most mysterious civilizations in history.
C. Finally, Egyptian art is among the most beautiful of all time.
II. There are various approaches to Egyptology.
A. The philological approach—for example, that of Sir Alan Gardiner—studies the language.
B. The historical approach looks at Egypt through events and documents, often in relation to Egypt’s neighbors. This is my approach.
C. The art historical approach looks at ancient Egypt through its art. Egyptian art maintains great continuity for 3,000 years, subscribing to eternal values rather than creativity and innovation.
III. Art and literature reveal much about this civilization.
A. Tomb paintings tell us about the Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife.
B. Tombs were provisioned with an amazing variety of everyday objects.
C. Temple walls give us histories, such as records of battles and lists of kings.
D. We have religious texts on papyrus, wood, and stone. The Book of the Dead reveals what Egyptians thought about the next world.
E. Literature, especially fiction and love poetry, gives us additional insight into the beliefs of the Egyptians.
F. Herodotus, the Greek historian from the fifth century BC, provides further observations of Egypt, even if they aren’t always reliable.
IV. This course is based on the following method.
A. We will emphasize people and their achievements in an effort to make the dead come alive.
B. The course will be chronological, ending with Cleopatra, and will include a few detours along the way. One such detour will be my specialty, paleopathology.
C. Dates will be minimally important—you’re not going to remember them anyway. The relative chronology of events is what matters.
V. The course has several goals.
A. The first goal is to gain an understanding of Egyptian history, architecture, religion, and mythology.
B. The second goal is to increase your appreciation of the art of ancient Egypt.
C. The final goal is to motivate you to continue learning after the course is over.