Course Abstract:
“I have killed Pharaoh! And I do not fear death!” Such was the statement made by the assassin who, in 1981, took the life of Anwar Sadat, then president of the Arab Republic of Egypt. With that in mind it could be argued that Egypt’s Pharaonic history has maintained some form of presence well into the contemporary period, whether through religio-political metaphor, cultural heritage, economic resource or a foil against which to craft new identities. However, the more than two millennia that intervene between the collapse of the New Kingdom and the bullet that took the life Egypt’s second president demonstrate important transformations in the societies that have occupied the land of the Nile. This course offers an introduction to the archaeology and social history of Egypt that spans the period from Late Antiquity and the development of the Coptic Church through the Islamic dynasty of the Mamluk Sultans of the 13th-16th centuries. Some of the key themes that we will examine include the transformations in the built and natural environment of Egypt, the emergence of new political structures and religious identities, and the formation of the Pharaonic legacy as it continues into the present.
Instructor: Ian Straughn
Email: [email protected]
Office: 207 RI Hall (afternoons) and 306 Hay Library (mornings)
Office Hours: 12:30-2:30 Wed and by appt.
Course Times: 9-10:20 T and Th
Course Location: Sayles 300
Lab location: RI Hall Mezzanine
TA: Amanda Davis | [email protected]
TA office hours: 1-3 on Mondays (205 Wilbour Hall)
Course Goals | Course Requirements and Grading | Syllabus/Schedule | Assignments | Readings (password protected) | Glossary
Web Resources | Course Documents | Image Archives | PowerPoints
