Lecture 2 - January 15th, 2025 Flashcards
What challenges did the ancient Egyptians face in their desert environment?
They thrived through evidence from inscriptions, language, and historical documents
Who is considered the earliest documenter of Egyptian history?
Egyptian priest Manetho. The document is from 3rd century BC and highlights the 31 dynasties.
What is a dynasty in the context of Egyptian history?
A succession of rulers, typically related by blood
Who is Herodotus and what were his contributions to Egyptology?
He was a Greek historian from 5th century BC. He visited Egypt and collected several accounts from priests.
Who was Strabo and what was his contributions to Egyptology?
He was a Greek historian and visited around the time of Christ. He had much documentation on the city of Alexandria, describing it in great detail.
Who was Emperor Hadrian and why was he significant?
He was a Roman emperor who ventured to Egypt in 130 AD. He began a trend of collecting Egyptian obelisks and bringing them back to his home.
When did Coptic Christianity take over Ancient Egypt?
First century AD
Which French priest created the first scientific maps of Egypt?
Father Sicard
Who was Richard Pococke and what did he do?
He visited in the 1730s and described the Valley of the Kings in detail
What significant event occurred during Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt in 1798?
Discovery of the Rosetta Stone
Which languages were the Rosetta Stone written in?
Hieroglyphs, Ancient Greek, and Coptic Egyptian.
Who deciphered the hieroglyphs on the Rosetta Stone?
Jean Francois Champollion, announced in 1822.
Who is Giovanni Belzoni? What did he achieve in Egypt?
He was an infamous tomb looter. He looted many tombs in Egypt and sold his findings to museums and collectors.
Name all founders of Egyptology.
- John Gardener Wilkinson
- Carl Lepsius
- August Mariette
- Amelia Edwards
Who is John Gardener Wilkinson? Why is he considered one of the founders of Egyptology?
He arrived in Egypt in 1821 and created the kings list.
What is the Kings List?
A list made by the Egyptologist John Gardener Wilkinson which lists each king of Egypt in chronological order. Very important.
Who is Carl Lepsius? Why is he considered one of the founders of Egyptology?
He arrived in egypt in 1842. He studied sites and recorded monuments that no longer exist.
Who is August Mariette? Why is he considered one of the founders of Egyptology?
He arrived in Egypt in 1850. He studied hieroglyphs and the site of the first pyramid.
Who is Amelia Edwards? Why is she considered a founder of Egyptology?
She was a writer who set up the Egypt Exploration Fund. This fund allowed for excavations and studies to be performed on Egyptian historical sites.
Who is Sir Flinders Petrie?
He was an early Egyptologist who had skills in mapping. He used such skills to map the pyramids of Giza.
How did Petrie treat his work?
He was known for being very careful with artifacts. He also had a reputation for being devoted to his work, camping in terrible conditions, etc.
What was Petrie’s contribution to Egyptian pottery studies?
He majorly contributed to studies in pottery typology and seriation (chronological order). He worked out the chronological order of pottery types based on the dynasty and ruler at the time.
Who is Gertrude Caton Thompson? What is her contribution to modern Egyptology?
She conducted several excavations starting in the 1920s. Later discovered the earliest known Neolithic culture.
Who is Howard Carter? What was his contribution to modern Egyptology?
He was trained by Sir Flinders Petrie. He excavated sites in the 1890s. As he came under patronage of Lord Carnarvon, he begun five seasons of excavations in the Valley of the Kings, with no success. He was able to argue for one last season, and found…
What did Carter find in his final search in the Valley of the Kings?
Tutankhamun’s tomb. He said “I see wonderful things” when asked what he sees inside the tomb.
How did the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb ignite a wave of egyptomania?
The tomb was left untouched by raiders, so it was filled with precious artifacts and historical relics. This find astonished the world and revived the passion in Egyptology.
