Bloomsbury Summer School
Fascinated by ancient civilisations?
We offer anyone with any level of knowledge, inspiring short courses on ancient Egypt and other areas of the ancient world.
BSS in Egypt 2013
12th February 2013
A History of Thebes
Course Director: John Romer
28 January – 5 February 2013
Following the sell-out success of Stephen Harvey’s BSS in Egypt 2012 course, we bring you a NEW course taught mostly in Giza with daily lectures and exploration of relevant ancient sites.
Course Description
This course will trace the history of Thebes from its prehistoric beginnings, though the remarkable periods of Egypt’s pharaonic history – the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms – and on through the fascinating Third Intermediate Period, culminating in the Classical, Christian and Islamic Periods.
BSS in Egypt 2013 group photo in front of our hotel, the Winter Palace in Luxor
John Romer explains the remains of Mentuhotep's temple at Deir el-Bahri, specially opened for BSS
Peter Lacovara, co-director of the dig at Malqata, explains this specially-opened site to us
Expedition co-director Diana Craig-Patch tells us about her work at Malqata
John Romer holds up a stamped mudbrick found by one of our group at Malqata. Photo: P. Mason
Exploring the conservation work inside another Special Opening, the temple of Isis at Deir el-Shelwit. Photo: P. Mason
Lunch at Nur el-Qurna at the back of Amenhotep III's temple remains
BSS students explore 'Vulture Rock' at El Kab
About the Course Director
This course has been designed and will be taught by John Romer, former Field Director of The Brooklyn Museum Theban Expedition, which conducted the first physical survey and conservation studies in the Valley of the Kings. John has dedicated a great part of his time to archaeological conservation and, as an aid to raising public awareness of the importance and fragility of the past, has made many TV and radio documentaries. His books include The Valley of the Kings, Ancient Lives, The Great Pyramid and most recently, A History of Ancient Egypt: from the first farmers to the Great Pyramid.
Suggested Reading
Assmann, J. (2001) The Search for God in Ancient Egypt. New York: Ithaca
Assmann, J. (2002) The Mind of Egypt. New York
Blyth, E. (2006) Karnak, Evolution of a Temple. London
Barguet, P. (1962) Le Temple D'Amon Rê á Karnak. Cairo
Donadoni, S. (1999) Tebe. Milan
Kemp, B.J. (1989 (1st ed.), 2006 (2nd ed.) Ancient Egypt, anatomy of a civilisation. London
Nims, C.F. (1965) Thebes of the Pharaohs. London
Shafer, B.E. (ed.) (1997) Temples of Ancient Egypt. New York: Ithaca
Strudwick, N. & Taylor, H.J. (eds.) (2003) The Theban Necropolis, past, present and future. London
Course programme
Day 1
Fly from Heathrow to Luxor. Check in to 5* hotel in Luxor for 8 nights
Day 2
Visit the temple of Montu at Medamud; Karnak Temple and Open Air Museum; Luxor Museum
Lecture: Beginnings. Thebes in Prehistory and as an Old Kingdom provincial centre. The high temple on the Theban Gebel and the origins of Amun of Karnak
Welcome Dinner
Day 3
John will point out features of the el-Tarif landscape (including the West Bank mastabas and el-Tarif saff tombs). Visit temples of Montuhotep and Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri; tomb chapel of Antefoker/Senet [TT60]. Lunch included
Lecture: ‘The victorious king within Thebes’ Thebes and the surrounding regions in the early XVIII Dynasty
Lecture: Courtiers, palaces and festivals: Thebes in the reign of Amunhotep III
Day 4
View Amunhotep III’s temple (Kom el-Hittan) and the foundations of Amunhotep son of Hapu’s temple. Visit the Isis Temple at Deir el Shelwit and the site of Amunhotep III’s palace at Malqata; tomb chapels of Kheruef [TT192], Ankh-hor [TT414], Ramose [TT55], Userhet [TT56] and Khaemhet [TT57]. Lunch included. Visit Luxor Temple
Lecture: Archaeologists, conservators and architects. The re-creation – or the creation? – of ‘Imperial Thebes’
Lecture: The Poem of Pentaur. Militarism, theology and ritual as they appear within the Theban monuments
Day 5
Visit Valley of the Kings; Ramesseum; Deir el-Medina. Lunch included
Lecture: Feeding the machine. Papyrus Wilbour, the Estates of Amun and the breaking of New Kingdom Thebes
Lecture: High Priests and God’s Wives. Thebes in the Third Intermediate Period
Day 6
Visit tomb of Pabasa [TT279]; Medinet Habu; Valley of the Queens. Lunch included
Lecture: Recast and transformed. Classical, Christian and Islamic Thebes
Lecture: Edfu temple seen as an architectural and literary summation of Thebes’ ancient priestly culture
Day 7
Visit Edfu temple; el-Kab
Lecture: The Hundred-Gated City. Images of holy Thebes in Pharaonic and Classical culture and in later times
Day 8
Free day in Luxor
Farewell Dinner
Day 9
Fly from Luxor to Heathrow
