Course Catalogue

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This course develops students' ability to read and interpret ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic texts written in Middle Egyptian. It progresses beyond the formulaic texts studied at the Basic beginners' level and introduces students to more complex Middle Kingdom (2000-1500 BCE) literary works. In addition to developing grammatical knowledge, students will also be considering the creative composition of individual words.

2 x 1hr lecture/seminars per week over 10 weeks

10 x 1 hr tutorials, one per week

Standard entry to Masters at College level

CLASSIC4093

None.

3 x 500 words translation and commentary exercises

1 x 750 words grammatical analysis of a set passage

Set exercise: 500 words orthographic analysis of 5 words

This course aims to:

■ Develop students' knowledge of Middle Egyptian grammar and hieroglyphic orthography

■ Introduce students to a wide range of literary works from a hugely influential period in time, the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000-1500 BCE)

■ Contextualise literary works against their historical backdrop

■ Deepen students' appreciation of literary works as primary sources.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Apply their understanding of grammatical features of Middle Egyptian to their interpretation of works of Middle Egyptian literature

■ Translate and comment upon passages from the set texts after prepared reading

■ Analyse different hieroglyphic orthographies and comment upon them

■ Reflect on the translated works as cultural products of their time and consider how they might be used as primary sources for key course themes.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.