Anotace
Anotace:
This course is dedicated to reading and interpreting Middle Egyptian historical texts of the New Kingdom, which roughly corresponds to the period known as Late Bronze Age in Near Eastern history (16th-12th century BC). A good knowledge of Middle Egyptian grammar is a prerequisite, but all texts will be read in hieroglyphs, so no knowledge of hieratic is required.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will have had the opportunity to:
• read and interpret major textual sources for the reconstruction of the political and cultural history of the
New Kingdom;
• engage in text-based discussion of advanced topics and problems in New Kingdom history;
• deepen their linguistic knowledge of, and practice translation skills in Middle Egyptian;
• familiarize themselves with tools and methods to undertake research on primary textual sources in
Middle Egyptian from the New Kingdom.
Grades and assignments
• Class participation (every day): 70%
• Final research paper: 30%
Participation is essential and will be the heaviest component of the final grade. Students are expected to read the assigned texts in the original, analyze their content, discuss their historical significance, and read the assigned scholar literature in advance of each class. At the end of the course, the students will write a final research paper
(3,000 words + bibliography) to engage critically with a specific topic or research question related to the primary texts read in class.
Class format and schedule: The course meets once a week (90 minutes per class), and the classes will be dedicated to reading the Egyptian texts, analyzing their content and relevance to New Kingdom history, and discussing the relevant scholarly literature.