The history of ancient Egypt spans more than 5000 years. Through 12 objects all located in Australian museums, we will explore the major historical periods of ancient Egypt and themes such as the importance of the Egyptian environment, funerary beliefs, and daily life. From the largest tomb to the smallest scarab, each object offers a unique snapshot into Egyptian history. We will also consider how these objects came to be in Australia, as well as the ethical responsibilities and challenges facing archaeologists and museums today. Please note: this course will include images and discussion of human remains.
- Hybrid (Face-to-Face & Online simultaneously)
- I. Shaw, Ancient Egypt: a very short introduction, (Oxford University Press, 2004), ISBN: 9780192854193
- K. Sowada and B. Ockinga, Egyptian art in the Nicholson Museum, Sydney (Meditarch Publishing, 2006)
- Y. Trisant and E.M. Ryan, Death is only the beginning: Egyptian Funerary customs at the Museum of Ancient Cultures Macquarie University, (Aris and Phillips, 2017), ISBN: 9780856688522
For specific aspects of Egyptian material culture, the Shire Egyptology series includes a number of short, accessible studies that may be of interest e.g.
- B. Adams, Egyptian mummies (1984)
- C.A. Hope, Egyptian pottery (1987)
- P.T. Nicholson, Egyptian faience and glass (1993)
- G. Robins, Egyptian statues (2001)
- H.M. Stewart, Egyptian shabtis (1995)
- J.H. Taylor, Egyptian coffins (1989)
- A.M. Tooley, Egyptian models and scenes (1995)
- R.H. Wilkinson, Egyptian scarabs (2008)
- Overview of Egyptian Chronology
- Pre-Dynastic Egypt: siltstone fish palette
- Old Kingdom: Two heads of the Governor Memi
- First Intermediate Period: the tomb of Baqet II at Beni Hassan
- Middle Kingdom: a model boat
- Second Intermediate Period: scarab seals
- Early New Kingdom: shabti
- The Armana Period: a Talatat block
- The Ramesside Period: a strike ostracon
- Third Intermediate Period: a yellow coffin and mummified person
- Late Period: an amulet mould
- Graeco-Roman Egypt: a bilingual bank receipt
- Post-Pharaonic Egypt: a decorative spoon
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Be broadly familiar with Egyptian chronology and recognise the terms used to identify different periods
- Recognise aspects of Egyptian material culture such as materials (e.g. clay, stone, faience, wood) and techniques, and the development of typologies
- Understand the relationship between archaeology and history, and how the study of material culture can contribute to our knowledge of historical events
- Situate objects within their historical contexts
- Critically examine archaeological and museological practices regarding the acquisition and display of objects and human remains
