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Classical Civilization 304 C Introduction to Ancient Egypt Fall, 2010

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Classical Civilization 304 C Introduction to Ancient Egypt Fall, 2010 Classical Civilization 304 C Introduction to Ancient Egypt Fall, 2010 Instructor: William R. Nethercut ([email protected]) Office Hours: M W F, 12-1 PM, and by appointment Waggener Hall 115 Textbooks: 1. The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt Bill Manley, editor (Thames & Hudson, Ltd. London, 2003) 2. The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt Bill Manley (Penguin Books, 1996) Course Description: This will be a comprehensive introduction to the story of ancient Egypt, beginning with the earliest evidence at Nabta Playa, ca. 6000 BC, and continuing as far down as the Greco-Roman centuries (300 BC – AD 300). In each era we shall emphasize the culture distinctive of the time. Our first text (MYSTERIES) will bring us up to date on the “hot” issues of historical and archaeological resarch; the second text (ATLAS) provides informative historical analysis grounded in detailed maps. These will enable you to become familiar with locations in Egypt, the Near East, and Africa, which are important for our study. We shall build in, also, an inroduction to Egyptian hieroglyphics, as our regular class work makes this relevant. LECTURES W Aug. 25 Introduction. F Aug. 27 African Backgrounds. Skulls, Stars, the Flight of Souls M Aug. 30 FILM: The Stone Circle at Nabta Playa, 6000 BC. Review of Film W Sept. 1 The flowering of Predynastic Nilotic Civilization (4000-3000 BC). Reading : Seventy Mysteries, pp. 17-23 F Sept. 3 The Protodynastic Period (3500-3100 BC). Hierakonpolis (Nekhen), Capital of the DAY-FALCON; the first “Mummy”; the SEREKH; the SCORPION KING; Dynasty 0; Hieroglyphics Reading: Atlas of Ancient Egypt, pp. 12-23. M SEPT. 6 LABOR DAY No Class W Sept. 8 The Archaic Period: the First and Second Dynasty (3100 ? – F Sept. 10 2686 BC). “Menes”, the “Establisher”, King “Catfish Chisel” (Narmer), Human Sacrifices, Burial Alive – King Djer, King Aha, King Qaa, Queen Meryt Neit. Funeral Architecture: the Mastaba; Khasekhemwy’s Enclosures as a link to the pyramids Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 33-41, 111-112. M Sept. 13 FILM: The Step Pyramid of King Djoser (Dynasty Three, - W Sept.15 ca. 2650 BC). Heliopolis and the god RA. A new burial orientation. Who was IMHOTEP ? Egyptian Medicine. Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 42-48; Atlas, pp. 24-29. F Sept. 17 FILM: Building the Great Pyramid (1). Dynasty Four (2500-2400 BC), King KHUFU (“Cheops”) Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 49-56, 61-66. M Sept.20 Building the Great Pyramid (2). Review of film. W Sept.22 FILM: Opening a shaft in the Great Pyramid; Archaeology at the Workmen’s Village by the Great Pyramid F Sept.24 Discussion of the film and “star-shafts”: Skewing the Pyramids at Giza. ORION and OSIRIS. The under- ground island and cenotaph of Osiris. Off-setting (skewing) the Red and Bent Pyramids by King Snefru at Dahshur. Sky Images mirrored at Giza + Dahshur and the scene on Narmer’s Palette. Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 57-60, 71-73. M Sept.27 Khafra (Cephren). In religion, RA joins OSIRIS. For the dead King as “Osiris”, we have the CARTOUCHE of King Unas (Wenis) Dynasty Five, mid 2300’s BC. See the Pyramid inscriptions and W Sept.29 the “Cannibal Text”. Riddles of the Sphinx: Whose face do we see? What is the date and purpose of the Sphinx? King Djed -ef-ra (Djed-ef-Re), son of Khufu, brother of Khaf-ra. Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 67-70. F Oct. 1 Menkaura (Men-Kau-Re, or “Mycerinos”) and the goddess HAT- HOR. The third pyramid at Giza. M Oct. 4 Faces from the Old Kingdom. W Oct. 6 REVIEW FOR FIRST HOUR EXAMINATION F Oct. 8 FIRST HOUR EXAMINATION M Oct. 11 The First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom (2100’s to W Oct. 13 1700’s BC, Dynasties 11-13). A new creation story, a new morality. Changes in the Egyptian language. The begin- nings of western literature. Osiris as Judge for the individual. Magic for the tomb. Reading: Atlas of Ancient Egypt, pp. 30-31, 42-43, 34-37, and 44-51; Seventy Mysteries, pp. 224-231. F Oct. 15 FILM: The Book of the Dead (1) M Oct. 18 “ “ The Book of the Dead (2). Review of film. W Oct. 20 Egypt and Palestine. The story of Joseph in Genesis. The fusion of Canaanite and Egyptian languages. The HYKSOS. The Fifteenth Dynasty (1640-1540 BC). The city of Avaris. King Apophis. The revolt of the Seventeenth Dynasty at Wast (Thebes). Ahmose establishes the Eighteenth Dynasty founding the New Kingdom (Dynasties 18-20, 1539-1069 BC) Reading: Atlas of Ancient Egypt, pp. 37-41, 52-55, 58- 60, and 66; Seventy Mysteries, pp. 162-169, 239-242, 271-273 F Oct. 22 Women in Egyptian Society. Egypt compared with Greece and Rome. Tetishari, Ahmose’s grandmother and divine first lady of the New Kingdom; Ahhotep, Ahmose’s mother and fellow- commander of the army of Wast; Ahmose-Nefertari, sister and wife of Ahmose and grand sorceress. Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 74-79. M Oct. 25 Hatshepsut. FILM (1). Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 114-121; Atlas, pp. 74-75. W Oct 27 FILM Hatshepsut (2). Discussion of Film. Tutmosis I, Tutmosis III, and Senenmut. F Oct. 29 FILM: The AM DUAT (“What Lies in the Underworld”) M Nov. 1 Review of Egyptian occult thought W Nov. 3 REVIEW FOR SECOND HOUR EXAMINATION F Nov. 5 SECOND HOUR EXAMINATION M Nov. 8 Amenhotep III, father; Queen Tiy, mother; Akhenaten, son; the beautiful Nefertiti. Akhetaten. The Amarna revolution. Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 84-87, 122-126, 137- 139, 274-276. W Nov. 10 FILM: “Nefertiti Resurrected” (1) F Nov. 12 “Nefertiti Resurrected” (2) Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 127-131 M Nov. 15 The Amarna Survival (1): Children of the Ark. Meryt Aten. “SCOTA” (She who came from the Sea”) W Nov. 17 The Amarna Survival (2): King Tut (Tut-Ankh-Aten, Tut-Ankh -Amen). The discovery of Kiya’s tomb (?) The cause of Tut’s death. The Imagery of his burial. The Nineteenth Dynasty ( ca. 1300-1200 BC). Seti I and Ramesses II. Reading: Seventy Mysteries, pp. 132-136 F Nov. 19 FILM “Women Pharaohs”. The “Wives of God” M Nov. 22 Hatshepsut and Tutmoses III, Ramesses the Great and Nefertari, the Twenty-Fifth (Nubian) Dynasty, Amen Irdis and Taharqa. The Sack of Thebes in 664 BC. Occupied Egypt and the 26th Dynasty (later 600’s BC). Reading: Atlas of Ancient Egypt: pp. 110-114, 118-119, 124-125; Seventy Mysteries, pp. 142-145. W Nov. 24 The Ptolemaic occupation of Egypt (322-30 BC). New gods: SERAPIS. Underwater archaeology off Alexandria. CLEOPATRA. The fusion, or syncretism, of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian elements in the Catacombs of Alexandria. The syncretism of Greek and Egyptian in the Coptic language and iconography. ISIS, and IO from Greek mythology, and the Madonna, as Comforters. Reading: Seventy Mysteries pp. 148-151. F NOV. 26 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY M Nov. 29 Conclusion. Wrap-up of the course. CLASS EVALUATION. W Dec. 1 REVIEW FOR THIRD HOUR EXAMINATION F DEC. 3 THIRD HOUR EXAMINATION .
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