Postgraduate Course: Issues in Egyptian Archaeology: the Second Intermediate Period until the end of the Late Period (1650-332 BC) (PGHC11457)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will introduce students to the archaeology and history of ancient Egypt from the period of Asiatic prominence in Egypt, until the end of the Second Persian Period. It encompasses a time of huge variation, which includes a key period of Egyptian foreign expansion during the New Kingdom, but is bounded on both sides by periods of great foreign presence and impact on the country's rule. It will include up to date and ongoing research into key issues relevant to study of this period, as well as providing a good grounding in aspects of daily life for commoners as well as the elite and royalty. Textual sources in translation will be consulted to provide insights into the economy and administration of the New Kingdom, given the rich corpus for this period, and aspects of legitimisation will be approached through the study of archaism in statuary and representational art both in the context of Egyptian and foreign rule within Egypt. |
| Course description |
This course covers a period of time during which foreign relations are crucial. The Second Intermediate Period encompasses the period of increased Asiatic ruler in the Delta, with the New Kingdom often characterised as the great period of Egyptian empire. Foreign relations and ultimately foreign rule within Egypt are also key elements throughout the Late Period.
The course, combined with the lecture for the UG students, aims at equipping students with the key sources that are used for studying the period in question, and a knowledge of where to acquire reference material, information relating to objects, and to sites currently/recently excavated. Students will become familiar with textual sources in translation, which will also be the topic some seminar sessions. The course has a broad chronological framework, but certain themes have been picked out within this that run across the time periods, including administration and economy, foreign relations, kingship and ethnicity.
Students will also have the opportunity to become more deeply acquainted with a specific time period/theme in preparation for one of the elements of coursework, in which they write a book review of a recently published volume, or a long article.
The course aims to enable PG students to recognise objects of specific time periods, and also to gain familiarity with key sites, their archaeological evidence, and the landscape within which they existed in the past, as well as today.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
163 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
1 critical book review / review of significance of major discovery 3,000 words (80%)
1 presentation and chairing of seminar discussion and written report, in total not more than 2000 words (20%)
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| Feedback |
Formative feedback will be given midway through the semester on a plan of the review which forms the major piece of coursework.
Feedback on the online submissions of both sets of coursework. Students will be encouraged to discuss the feedback and ask any questions that they may have.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of archaeological data, including sites, artefacts and chronology from the Second Intermediate Period, New Kingdom, Third Intermediate Period and Late Period.
- Familiarity with including journal articles and online bibliographic, and museum databases, as well as in print library resources.
- A good appreciation of research issues in Egyptian archaeology, and the ability to approach these and assess the relevance and accuracy of the sources in light of our current evidence.
- To be able to present clear synoposis of book chapters and articles, and to lead discussion on key themes.
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Reading List
Arnold, D. and Shafer, B. E. 1998. Temples of Ancient Egypt. London: Tauris.
Bierbrier, M. 1982. The tomb-builders of the Pharaohs. London: British Museum Publications.
Cerny, J. 2001. A Community of Workmen at Thebes in the Ramesside Period. Cairo: IFAO.
Dodson, A. 2012. Afterglow of Empire: Egypt from the Fall of the New Kingdom to the Saite Renaissance. Cairo: AUC Press.
Lichtheim, M. 1976. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Vol II - The New Kingdom. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Kemp, B.J. 2006. Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization. London: Routledge.
Kemp, B.J. 2012. The City of Akhenaten and Nefertiti: Amarna and its People. London: Thames and Hudson.
Russmann, E. 2001. Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum. Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Wilkinson, Richard H. and Kent R. Weeks (eds) [2016]. The Oxford handbook of the Valley of the Kings. Oxford: Oxford University Press. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Fine tuning an understanding of the methods and skills involved in academic research
- Bibliographical skills for Egyptological research, largely transferrable to other research areas
- Developing the skills to examine and evaluate textual (in translation), pictorial and other archaeological sources
- Developing the ability to identify, define and analyse archaeological problems, and to present alternative viewpoints
- Confidence in critical review of articles through discussion in MSc seminars and written report
- Balanced research perspective, taking into account written sources in translation, artistic representation, architecture, mortuary practices, site data, and climatic and environmental research
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| Keywords | Egypt,New Kingdom,Late Period,Thebes,Third Intermediate Period,Archaeology |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Joanne Rowland
Tel: (0131 6)51 1925
Email: |
Course secretary | |
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