Undergraduate Course: The Archaeology and History of Egypt: the Second Intermediate Period until the end of the Late Period (1650-332 BC) (ARCA10085)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
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 aims at introducing the student to the sources necessary for the study of this period, a period with great documentary evidence (notably in the New Kingdom) for daily life, administration and economy, all of which will feature in translation. Although chronologically bounded, and largely chronologically ordered, the course aims to look at broader themes, including the protection of Egypt's borders, kingship, ethnicity, and religion, and how these change over the time periods being discovered. The course also aims to give students an up to date working knowledge of Egyptian archaeology, in terms of sites being worked at today, and in recent years, as well as more established sources of our knowledge.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Archaeology courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. Enrolments for this course are managed by the CAHSS Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department. All enquiries to enrol must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
1,000 word Portfolio of object and text in translation with Commentary (20%)
3,000 word Essay (60%)
Non-Written Skills:
PowerPoint presentation with citations included on slides and with voice over (recorded) (20%) |
| Feedback |
Feedback will be given to the final essay online and students will be encouraged to discuss this feedback during office hours.
Formative/forward feedback for assessment will be provided by feedback on a plan of one of the portfolio of short reviews, midway through the semester. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate through discussions and presentations a familiarity with key sites, periods, texts and assemblages.
- Demonstrate familiarity with the ability to locate sources relating to Egyptological research, both in print and online.
- Demonstrate the ability to work and critically analyse the theories of others, with references back to the work of scholars over the past 150 years; and to appreciate the reasons why these changes have occurred and where our knowledge has advanced.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage in a balanced way when considering evidence and interpretations, and where appropriate, in reflecting on this through online group discussions.
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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 |
- An understanding of methods and skills involved in academic research
- Developing the skills to examine and evaluate textual (in translation), pictorial and other archaeological sources
- Gaining a broad understanding of the important textual documents relating to these periods, and a general understanding of how the language works and was used
- Developing the ability to identify, define and analyse archaeological problems
- Gaining experience and enhanced ability to make a critical review of discussions, articles
- Being able to critique texts by scholars in light of the time and social circumstances of their writing
- Gaining the skills to extract key points from book chapters/articles
- Developing a knowledge of the subject area that takes in changes in its development over the past 150 years, and be aware of current themes
- Gaining a good understanding and appreciation of the importance of the ancient and environment within research
- Improving ability to conduct independent research using largely electronic sources, and investigate additional online sources |
| Keywords | Egypt,New Kingdom,Thebes,Second Intermediate Period,Late Period,Nile Valley |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Joanne Rowland
Tel: (0131 6)51 1925
Email: |
Course secretary | |
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