Introduction to Late Egyptian: Voices from the Ancient Village of Deir el-Medina

Catalog description

Ever wondered what everyday life in ancient Egypt was like? More than just a curiosity, the study of Deir el-Medina—an ancient village inhabited by the workers who dug pharaohs’ tombs in the Valley of the Kings in the late second millennium BCE—is a serious exercise in social history. Almost frozen in time, this site and the people associated with it have left behind a trove of historical documents: papyri record workers’ sick days, strikes, and legal accounts documenting crimes such as harassment, theft, ancient tomb robberies, and even a harem’s conspiracy to assassinate the king. In this course, students will study the finer points of Late Egyptian grammar, before delving into these tantalizing reports. Students must have successfully completed Middle Egyptian I ( EGYT 1310 ). Alternates with its sister course, Middle Egyptian II ( EGYT 1320 ).