Certificate of Completion
At the end of this course you will be able to download a personalised certificate of completion from the classroom. A great way to keep track of your learning and celebrate your Egyptological journey.
Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes: The Human Body in Ancient Egyptian Art
With Dr Campbell Price
6 weeks 6th October - 10th November 2025
Times: 7.30-9pm (UK Times) Monday evenings to join live.
We love to see you for the live lectures, but if you have to miss one, don't worry, you can of course catch up (or watch again) at your leisure via the recordings. You will have access to the recorded lectures for a whole month after the last live lecture. Recordings will be available until 10th December.
Depictions of the human body in Pharaonic art are as numerous as they are distinctively Egyptian. Indeed, the body and its parts are a major theme of representation. Despite often being described as unchanging or lacking (modern, Western) perspective, the depiction of the body varied across time and depending on rendering in two- and three-dimensions.
Strong cultural and religious associations were attached to certain body parts, their magical significance, and their transformation for the afterlife. Both human and animal body parts feature prominently in the hieroglyphic writing system. While there was a special concern for the head and face, there is clear evidence for the significance of arms, hands, legs and feet, and other parts, rules concerning the representation of the body as a whole.
This course explores the range of depictions of the body from head to toe, considering evidence from the Predynastic to the Roman Period. Why do statues (almost) always put their left foot forward? How did the depiction of the eye change over time? Are teeth ever shown in Egyptian art? Attempts will be made to answer these and many more questions!
Lectures:
- 1: The Human Body in Egyptian Eyes
- 2: The Head
- 3: The Face
- 4: Arms and Hands
- 5: Other Bits
- 6: The Legs and Feet
Dr Campbell Price
Dr Campbell Price is Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, one of the UK’s largest Egyptology collections. He undertook his BA, MA and PhD in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, and was Chair of Trustees at the Egypt Exploration Society between 2021 and 2025. He has published widely, most recently Brief Histories: Ancient Egypt (Orion, 2024) and (with Stephanie Boonstra) Ancient Egypt in 50 Discoveries (EES, 2025). Campbell has lectured extensively throughout the UK and internationally, and regularly accompanies tours to Egypt.
Booking instructions
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Session links will be available in the course Classroom. Room opens 30 minutes before the lecture begins. If you do not have the course link or have any other queries please get in touch.