To provide an introduction to the range of written sources surviving from Ancient Egypt (to be mainly studied in English translation) and their use as primary textual sources for the understanding of Ancient Egyptian culture and society;

To cultivate a critical attitude to the problems of interpretation posed by studying the fragmentary textual remains of a dead society.

(LO1) Students will be able to develop their understanding of the range of Egyptian written sources.

(LO2) Students will be able to begin to critique current Egyptological uses and interpretations of Egyptian uses of writing.

(S1) Working in groups and teams - group action planning

(S2) Communication (oral, written and visual) - presentation skills - written

(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - critical analysis

Teaching method 1 - lecture.
Teaching staff will present lectures on the various domains of Egyptian writing, to set out the basic issues. Some of these will be discussed in further detail in the seminars, in which students, having
undertaken preparatory study through targeted activities made available to them on VITAL/CANVAS in advance, will present in class on specific assigned topics.

Teaching method 2 - seminar.
The seminars will encourage student-directed learning, and will enhance their presentation skills. Discussion in these seminars will centre on issues of genre, purpose, and context of Egyptian texts, as well as meaning and translation, and how the text passage can be used to contribute to modern understanding of Ancient Egyptian culture and society. Although the emphasis of study will be on
ancient texts in translation, this module will assume a basic level of familiarity with the underlying language in which the texts are written.

Use of e-le arning resources (principally VITAL) is central to this module. Selected
learning resources will be released on VITAL for preparation in advance of class.
Standard anthologies of translations of Egyptian texts, as well as module-specific
resources posted on VITAL, will be the main texts to be read and worked through
for this module. Further consolidatory learning material will be made available
after classes (e.g. summaries revising debated topics, prioritised bibliographies
for further reading, additional material for private study).

Topics covered during the module may include:

How did the Egyptians use writing?

Introduction and context;

Literary texts of the Middle and New Kingdoms;

Monumental texts (tomb and temple walls, stelae and statues; biographies) ;

Documentary texts: accounts, legal documents, administrative texts, letters;

Religious and technical texts (mortuary literature, hymns, liturgy);

Other uses of writing (in art, in graffiti, rock inscriptions etc.).