last update: 12/2/21

Abbreviations of Reading-List Citations
ANE 1Pritchard, J. B., editor. The Ancient Near East, volume 1: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1958. (ON RESERVE)
ANE 2Pritchard, James. B., editor. The Ancient Near East, volume 2: An New Anthology of Texts and Pictures. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976. (ON RESERVE)
ANETPritchard, James. B., editor. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Related to the Old Testament, 3rd ed. with Supplement. Princeton. Princeton University Press, 1969. (LIBRARY REFERENCE)
CANESasson, Jack M., editor-in-chief. Civilizations of the Ancient Near East. Four volumes. New York: Scribner, 1995 onward. (LIBRARY REFERENCE)
Lichtheim, AELLichtheim, Miriam. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volume 2, The New Kingdom. Volume 3, The Late Period. 2nd edition. University of California Press, 2006. (COURSE TEXT)
Manley, AtlasManley, Bill. The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1996.
ShawShaw, Ian, ed. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. New edition. New York, Oxford University Press, USA, 2004. (COURSE TEXT)
SpalingerSpalinger, Anthony J. War in Ancient Egypt: The New Kingdom. Ancient World at War. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005. (COURSE TEXT)
MeskellMeskell, Lynn. Private Life in New Kingdom Egypt. Princeton and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. (COURSE TEXT)


Locations of Readings

The course readings are located either in the Addlestone Library Reference Room or on Two-hour Reserve. Most citations in the Reading Assignment-list below are marked with a locator code: RS = Reserve; Ref = Reference Room;Per = Periodicals Room; W = Web Page.

Locations of Readings

The class readings are located either among the course textbooks, or they are available for downloading and reading by linking to them from this "Reading Assignments"-web page. Over the course of the semester, the instructor might make others available through the Addlestone Library (reference, reserve, or periodicals sections). Those citations in the reading list below not found in the course textbooks are marked with the locator code: RS = Addlestone Library Reserve or Per = Library Periodicals Room or W = this Web Page.


Lectures and Reading Assignments


Week 1: August 24 and 26
	(8/24) Introduction: Course Description, Goals and Objectives

	(8/26) Egyptology: Methods and Sources
W		K. R. Weeks, "Archaeology and Egyptology," in Egyptology Today, 14-22 (click to open);
W		Chart: "Sources and Approaches to the Study of Egyptian Culture" (click to open).	
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 2: August 31 and September 2
	(8/31-9/2) The Geography of Egypt, the Nile Valley and Beyond
W 		Ikram, S., "The Black and the Red: Geography and Environment," in Ancient Egypt: An Introduction, 1-13 (click to open);
W 		Butzer, K., "Nile," in Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, 543-551. (click to open);
		"The Hymn to Hapy (Nile Inundation)," in Lichtheim, AEL, 253-259 (or vol. 1, 204-210).
W 		Piccione, P., "Basin Irrigation in Ancient Egypt" [Web essay] (click to open).

	(8/30) LAST DAY TO ADD/DROP	
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 3:  September 7 and 9
	(9/7-9) The Framework of Egyptian History, Pt. 1
		Shaw, ed., "Introduction: Chronologies and Cultural Change in Egypt," 1-15;
		Meskell, "The Interpretive Framework," 1-16;
W 		Brewer, D. and Teeter, E., "A Chronology and History of Egypt" (extract), 39-59 (click to open);
W 		Gnirs, A., "Ancient Egypt," in War and Society in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, 71-92 (click to open).

(9/9) Take-Home Video Writing Assignment
		Streaming Video: Access directly: "Egypt: Engineering an Empire (2006) 1:31:05 mins.);
			or Access manually through Addlestone Library Catalog (then click "Academic Video Online");
W 		Writing Assignment: Download VIDEO QUESTIONNAIRE (click here), and complete the form while watching the video.
			Due: Tuesday (9/14), before 5:00 p.m. in MS Word docx-format ONLY(!) by email attachment to piccionep@cofc.edu.
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 4: September 14 and 16
	(9/14-16) The Framework of Egyptian History, Pt. 2
Ref		Murnane, W., "The History of Ancient Egypt: An Overview," in CANE, ed. J. Sasson, vol. 2,  691-717;
		Meskell, "Locales and Communities," 17-56;
W 		Abu Bakr, "Pharaonic Egypt," 62-78 (click to open);
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 5: September 21 and 23
	(9/21-23) The Framework of Egyptian History, Pt. 3
Ref		Bonheme, M.-A., "Kingship," in Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, ed. D. Redford, vol. 2, 238-245;
W 		Piccione, "The Role of the King and the Structure of Egyptian Society" (click to open).
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 6: September 28 and 30
	 (9/28-30) The Egyptian Middle Kingdom: Run-up to Empire
		Calendar, G., "The Middle Kingdom Renaissance (c. 2055-1650 BC)," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 137-171;
		"The Instruction of King Amenemhet I for His Son Sesostris I," Lichtheim, AEL, 178-181 (or Vol. 1, 134-138;
		"The Tale of Sinuhe," Lichtheim, AEL, 272-286;
W 		"The Annals of Amenemhat II" (click to open).	
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Week 7: October 5 and 7
	(10/5-7) Middle Kingdom in Nubia
W		Manley, "Middle Kingdom Egypt and Nubia," in Atlas, 50-51 (click to open); 
W		Kemp, B., "Middle Kingdom Forts" in Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization, 166-178 (click to open);
W 		"Sesostris III Boundary Stela of Year 8" (click to open);
		"Boundary Stela of Sesostris III [Year 16]," Lichtheim, AEL, 159-160.

	(10/8) Writing Assignment #1 distributed by email
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 8:  October 12 and 14
	(10/12-14) Second Intermediate Period: The Hyksos and Minoans in Egypt
		Bourriau, J., "The Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650-1550 BC),"
			in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 172-190 (only!);
		Meskell, "Social Selves," 57-79;
W 		Bietak, "Minoan Presence in the Pharaonic Naval Base of 'Peru-nefer'," 11-24 (click to open);
W 		Bietak & Marinatos, "The Minoan Wall Paintings from Avaris," 49-62 (click to open).

	(10/15) DUE: Writing Assignment #1 in OAKS Assignment Folder, "WRITING ASSIGNMENT #1," by 6:00 PM
		(DOC, DOCX, or PDF-format only).
_______________________________________________________________________________

		+ + + FALL BREAK: October 19 through 20 + + +
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 9: October 19 and 21
	 (10/19) Break - NO CLASS

	(10/21) Dynasty 17 and the War Against the Hyksos
		Bourriau, J., "Thebes the Southern City: The Emergence of the 16th and 17th Dynasties,"
			in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 191-203(only!);
W 		Wente, E. F., "The Quarrel of Apophis and Seknenre," 77-80 (click to open);
W 		Smith, H. S. and Smith A., "The Kamose Texts," 59-62 (click to open);
_______________________________________________________________________________

Week 10: October 26 and 28	 
	(10/26) Expulsion of the Hyksos and the Establishment of Dynasty 18
		Bourriau, J., "Reunion of the Two Lands under Ahmose,"
			in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 203-206;
		Meskell, "Mortuary Material," 79-93;
		Spalinger, "Prelude to New Kingdom Warfare," 1-32;
		"The Prayers of Paheri," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 15-21;
W 		"The Praises of (Queen) Ahhotep" (click to open);
		"Autobiography of Ahmose Son of Abana," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 12-15;
W 		"Autobiography of Ahmose Pennekhbet," adapted from Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt 2 (passim) (click to open).

	 (10/28) The Early 18th Dynasty and the Rise of the Egyptian Empire
		Bryan, B., "The 18th Dynasty before the Amarna Period (c. 1550-1352 BC),"
			in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 207-228;
		Shaw, I., "Egypt and the Outside World," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 308-323;
		Spalinger, "The Southern and Northern Expansion," 46-69;
		Meskell, "Founding a House," 94-110.
	
	(10/29) Last day to withdraw with grade of "W"	
_______________________________________________________________________________
	
Week 11: November 2 and 4
	(11/2) Hatshepsut: Queen Regnant and Pharaoh
		Bryan, B., "The Regency of Hatshepsut," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 228-235;
		Meskell, "Domestic Scenarios: Ritual Space & Domestic Cult," 110-125;
W 		"Divine Conception of Queen Hatshepsut," 119-121 (click to open);
W 		"Amun's Nomination of Queen Hatshepsut" (click to open);
		"Great Obelisk Inscription of Queen Hatshepsut," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 25-29;
W 		"The Speos Artemidos Inscription" (click to open).

	(11/4)  Thutmose III and the Formalization of Empire
		Bryan, B., "Thutmose III's Sole Rule," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 235-241;
		Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 83-109;
		Meskell, "Love Eroticism and the Sexual Self," 126-147;
W/Ref		"The Divine Nomination of Thutmose III," in ANET, 446-447 (click to open);
		"Annals of Thutmose III," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 29-35;
		"Poetical Stela of Thutmose III," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 35-39.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Week 12: November 9 and 11
	(11/9) Amenhotep II through Thutmose IV: Rise of Diplomacy
		Bryan, B., in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 241-252;
		Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 110-129;
		Meskell, "Embodied Knowledge," 148-161;
		"Sphinx Stela of Amenhotep II," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 39-43;
W 		Wente, E. F. "The Capture of Joppa," 81-84 (click to open).

	(11/11) SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HITTITES AND BATTLE OF KADESH
W 		Van Dijk, J., "The Amarna Period and the Later New Kingdom," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 265-279;
W 		Moran, W. Amarna Letters, "Of Egyptian-Hittite Relations," EA no. 41;
W 		"Suppiluliumas and the Egyptian Queen," in ANET, 319;
W 		Extract from "Plague Prayers of Mursilis," in ANET, 394-395;
W 		Eyma, A., "Hittite Correspondence in the Zananza Affair," 
			extracted from Egyptology Electronic Forum;
W 		"The Kadesh Battle Inscriptions of Ramesses II," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 57-72;
W 		"Hattusilis on Muwatallis' War Against Egypt," in ANET, 319;
W 		[Edel, E.] Retrospective Letter of King Ramesses II to Hittite King Hattushili III about the Battle of Kadesh.

Writing Assignment: Video Lecture (due 11/16; upload to OAKS):
"ROBERT RITNER & THEO VAN DEN HOUT, THE BATTLE OF KADESH: A DEBATE (click to open)
.
Instructions: First, read all the assigned readings above in the order they are listed. Then Write a single integrated essay, as a reaction paper (1000 words or 1-page, single spaced, 12 pt. Times-Roman font, 1"-inch margins, no footnotes), on the lecture of Drs. Ritner and van den Hout about Egyptian-Hittite relations and the Battle of Kadesh. ! Make sure you read the assigned documents first!! (1) Describe the main points that Ritner and van den Hout make in their debate. (2) Are they always agreeing or disagreeing? (3) What do the assigned readings reveal, where appropriate. (4) To what extent do the lecturers agree or disagree on who won the battle?
_______________________________________________________________________________ Week 13: November 16 and 18 (11/16) Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten: The Amarna Period (I) Van Dijk, J., "The Amarna Period and the Later New Kingdom," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 265-279; Meskell, "Cycles of Death and Life," 178-192; "The Later Boundary Stela," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 48-52; "The Hymns to the Aten," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 90-100; W/Res Moran, W. Amarna Letters, (diplomatic exchanges) EA nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 26, pp. 12-23, 41-42, 84-85 (click to open). (11/16) Video Assignment Due: OAKS Upload: Video Assignment #2" by 11:59 pm in PDF, DOC or DOCX (MS Word) format only. (11/18) The Amarna Period (II): Peace and War Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 160-168; W/Res Moran, W. Amarna Letters, (military exchanges) EA nos. 51, 52, 182, 185, 191, 202, 203, 204, 205, 337, 366, 367, pp. 122-123, 264-267, 271, 278-279, 358, 364-365 (click to open). _______________________________________________________________________________ Week 14: End of Dynasty 18 (11/17) Tutankhamun, the Restoration and Horemheb Van Dijk, J., "The Aftermath of the Amarna Period," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 279-285; Van Dijk, J., "The Historical and Social Repercussions of the Amarna and Ramessid Periods," in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 303-307; Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 169-186; Meskell, "Families in Death," 193-207; W/Ref "Tut-ankh-Amon's Restoration after the Amarna Revolution"," in ANET, 251-252; (click to open). (11/19) Dynasty 19, Ramesses I and Seti I Van Dijk, J. in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 285-288; Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 187-208; "The Dedication Inscriptions of Seti I," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 52; W/Ref "A Campaign of Seti I in Northern Palestine," in ANET, 253-254 (click to open); W/Ref "Campaigns of Seti I in Asia (a-e)," in ANET, 254-255 (click to open). _______________________________________________________________________________ Week 15: November 23 and 25 (Thanksgiving Week) (11/23) Dynasty 20, Ramesses III-Ramesses VI: Last Gasp of Empire Van Dijk, J. in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 296-303; Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 249-263; W/Ref "The War Against the Peoples of the Sea," in ANET, 262-263; (click to open) W Edgerton, W. & J. Wilson (accounts of the Sea People war), from Historical Records of Ramses III, 35-39, 41-43, 45; (click to open) W/Ref "Summary of the Northern Wars," in ANET, 262; (click to open) (11/23) RESEARCH PAPER DUE: in OAKS Assignment Folder, "Research Paper 11/23/21," by 11:59 PM; (DOC, DOCX, or PDF-format only). (11/25) Thanksgiving--NO CLASS _______________________________________________________________________________ Week 16: November 30 and December 2 (11/30) Ramesses II: Resurgent Empire Van Dijk, J. in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 288-294; Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 209-234; W/Ref "Beth-Shan Stelae of Seti I and Ramses II," in ANET, 255 (click to open); W Beckman, G. "Selections from the Correspondence between the Hittite and Egyptian Courts under Hattusili III and Ramses II," from Hittite Diplomatic Texts, 121-129 (click to open). (12/2) Dynasty 19: Merneptah to Tauseret Van Dijk, J. in Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, 294-296; Spalinger, War in Ancient Egypt, 235-248; "Poetical Stela of Merneptah (='Israel Stela')," in Lichtheim, AEL 2, 73ff.; W/Ref "Report of a Frontier Official," in ANET, 259-260 (click to open); W/Ref "A Syrian Interregnum," in ANET, 260 (click to open). (12/2) Writing Assignment #2 distributed by email _______________________________________________________________________________ (12/7) READING DAY--no classes (12/10) DUE: Writing Assignment #2 in OAKS Assignment Folder, "WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2," by 6:00 PM; DON'T BE LATE!! (DOC, DOCX, or PDF-format only).1 day late (after 6:00 pm) = -30 pts.; → 2 days late = -41 pts. _______________________________________________________________________________ FINAL EXAMINATIONS: !! NONE !! Final Grades Due to Registrar Wednesday, December 15, 5:00 p.m.