NMC414H1

Ancient Egyptian Artifacts

This course is intended to make the graduate course on ancient Egyptian artifacts available for small numbers of advanced undergraduates. Students will examine the development of several artifact types over time, focusing in particular on ancient Egyptian ceramics, but also encompassing beads, metalworking, leather, and textiles. This course will investigate techniques of production, changes over time, and diagnostic criteria related to especially prominent artifact classes from ancient Egypt. Special attention will be paid to bread moulds, beer jars, and finer wares whose stylistic changes play a crucial role as chronological markers within Pharaonic Egyptian civilization. Trips to the ROM will allow students to view some of these materials, and the course will culminate with a research presentation and paper related to either a particular artifact or class of objects.