Documents and History

The course gives an introduction to the main categories of documentary texts from ancient Egypt with a focus on how such material may be used to reconstruct various aspects of daily life in an ancient society. The course will look at various types of material from the letters and legal documents of private individuals to the daily journals and accounts of temples and palaces. Through a series of case-studies, the course will address a wide range of themes related to Egyptian history such as resource management (how were large-scale projects like pyramid building and tomb excavations organised?), scribal practice (what does an Egyptian scribe actually do?), the legal system (how does one sell a house? how does one get a divorce?), institutional organisation (how do temples and palaces function?), and state administration (who collects taxes, and how? who has to pay, and how much?).

The course consists of a mixture of lectures and workshops, and will involve active participation by students in the form of presentations and discussion