BLOOMSBURY SUMMER SCHOOL - 2009 PROGRAMME IN DETAIL
6 – 10 July
FAUNA OF ANCIENT EGYPT: REMAINS AND REPRESENTATIONS
Mr John Wyatt
John Wyatt's guest lectures for recent BSS courses have been so well received that we have invited him back to direct his own course. As you will see from his biography, he is the perfect person to teach such a course. By examining the art, artefacts, mummies, bone remains, hieroglyphs and other evidence from Ancient Egypt, from prehistoric times through to the end of the Roman period, this course will determine what species of mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians and insects were present, and whether climate changes (not only desertification) led to the appearance or disappearance of any of these, and if so, when. Religious significances, use and abuse, and what the Ancient Egyptians believed about particular species will also be covered. Lectures will combine with visits to the Petrie, Grant and British Museums to provide a full and varied learning experience taught by a knowledgeable and charismatic expert in his field.
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6 – 10 July
TECHNOLOGY IN ANCIENT EGYPT
Dr Paul Nicholson and Dr Ian Shaw
We are delighted to be able to offer a long-awaited course on Ancient Egyptian technology. Our course directors are well known for their fascinating fieldwork and research relevant to this subject area (see their biographies). This course will examine the current state of knowledge concerning the technology available to the Ancient Egyptians during the pharaonic period. The study of ancient Egyptian materials and technology is a vibrant one, with research being conducted by diverse scholars throughout the world. Each lecture will provide an overview of research into particular materials and the processes by which they were procured or manufactured, and processed, transformed or utilised. This course will draw on traditional archaeological and textual sources, as well as the results of scientific analyses of ancient materials and experimental and ethno-archaeological sources, in order to delve deep into this riveting subject.
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13 – 17 July
HIEROGLYPHS FOR BEGINNERS
Dr José-Ramon Pérez-Accino with Dr Bill Manley
We are excited to announce that our highly respected hieroglyphs courses are back in our programme. Our course director has vast experience of teaching hieroglyphs and students will also benefit from the input of Dr Bill Manley (of How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs fame). This course offers an introduction to the world of Egyptian hieroglyphs and does not require prior experience. Through a series of lectures and practical sessions, students will progress from grasping the basics of writing and language notions of the Ancient Egyptians, to being able to read some of the monuments on display at the British Museum. The course is for beginners but it will also appeal to BSS hieroglyphs students wishing to refresh their knowledge by taking a BSS hieroglyphs course with new added materials and methods. This will be a stimulating learning experience during an intense and eye-opening week, culminating in a visit to the British Museum to read some of the inscriptions.
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13 – 17 July
FROM TANIS TO ALEXANDRIA: THE LAST MILLENNIUM OF PHARAONIC HISTORY
Mr George Hart
After the momentous upheavals at the end of the Bronze Age, Egypt was confronted with a new world order where its former imperial greatness was only a memory. Over the next 1000 years dynasties flourished then crumbled often at the hands of foreign invaders. At the beginning of this era, pharaohs ruled from the Delta capital at Tanis. Three hundred years later a vigorous king of Nubia marched north and conquered Egypt, initiating a period of renaissance in art and culture. The war-machine of Assyria brought down this dynasty but soon rulers from Sais in the Delta came to power, encouraging links with Greece. Egypt was again invaded by a foreign army and was forced to become a Persian satrapy. Following a brief period of independence, Egypt was conquered once more by the Persians, and was finally liberated by Alexander the Great. His city of Alexandria became the jewel of the Mediterranean World. So, having travelled across centuries of exciting, chaotic and world-changing events, this course will culminate in the triumph of Rome over Cleopatra. Lively lectures will combine with special access museum visits to create a fun and thought-provoking learning experience.
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20 - 24 July
ANCIENT EGYPT AND NUBIA: A DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIP
Dr Robert Morkot
This fascinating geographical area is being covered for the first time here at BSS, and we are thrilled that a leading expert on Nubia has agreed to teach this new course for us. This course examines the complex interactions between Egypt and Nubia beginning with the powerful Kingdom of Kerma. The rise of the Theban kingdom and its wars with the Hyksos rulers of the Nile Delta saw the expansion of Theban power into Nubia and the end of Kerma. During the subsequent four hundred years of the New Kingdom, the Egyptian rulers built splendid temples such as Soleb and Abu Simbel, a legacy for future Nubian kings. After the end of the New Kingdom, Nubia again became a dominant power and this time conquered Egypt, ruling as the 25th Dynasty. In this course we will consider the importance of Nubia to Egypt, and the influence of Egypt on Nubia.
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20 - 24 July
BEYOND WORDS AND IMAGES: READING AND WRITING EGYPTIAN LITERATURE
Dr José-Ramon Pérez-Accino
Have you ever felt like stepping into the shoes of an ancient author? This is the course for you if you are interested in understanding the intellectual context in which the Egyptian masterpieces of literature were conceived. The aim of the course is to present a series of topics and themes rather than a collection of texts. During each session the students will explore the reasons behind the creation of particular pieces of literature, engaging in discussions and integrating themselves with each text. Some texts might be dramatised and presented in class. Over the week, the students will gradually produce a piece of literature in the Egyptian style incorporating the elements explored during the course. After all, if you can’t walk like an Egyptian, you can always try writing like one!
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27 – 31 July
FLINDERS PETRIE AND HIS HERITAGE: EXPLORING THE PETRIE MUSEUM II
Ms Jan Picton
Building on last year’s successful and ground-breaking course Flinders Petrie and his Heritage: exploring the Petrie Museum, we will continue to look at sites represented in the Petrie Museum, through lectures, and daily object handling sessions, gallery and archive work in the Petrie Museum. This course will examine Petrie's own records of his excavations and conservation work, and his fascination with ancient technology, while specialist guest lecturers will consider the impact of Petrie's work on today's scientific archaeological and conservation techniques. This is not a repeat of last year’s course of the same title, but is a new and exciting course both for those with experience of the Petrie Museum and those who are complete newcomers. This is a rare opportunity to come closer to ancient Egyptian artifacts than you ever dreamt possible.
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27 – 31 July
DISCOVERING THE PEOPLES OF THE LEVANT: CANAANITES, ISRAELITES AND PHILISTINES
Dr Rachael Sparks
At last, a long-awaited BSS course on the Levant. This area of the ancient world has always been a crossroads between Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Mediterranean world, making it an ideal place to study the effects of cultural contact and change on the peoples that lived there. This course will introduce you to the archaeology of this much contested region, from the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age down to the end of the Assyrian Empire (2000 - 586 BC). Students will explore iconic cities such as Jericho and Ugarit, and discover how peoples such as the Canaanites, Israelites and Philistines developed and adapted to the political, economic and social pressures of their day. You will learn of the role of archaeology in understanding past cultures, engaging directly with objects from the region in our interactive handling sessions. The Course Director is Keeper of Collections in UCL’s Institute of Archaeology so BSS students can expect unusually privileged access to ancient objects.
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