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.
Reading Hieroglyphs: The Abydos Stela of Neferhotep I With Dr Huw Twiston Davies
5 x Tuesday evenings: 27th August-24th September 2024. 7.30-9pm* (UK time)
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 24th October.
Neferhotep I is one of the last kings of the late Middle Kingdom about whom much is known, and his ‘greater’ stela from Abydos one of the last major Middle Kingdom inscriptions. Ruling at a time of weakened royal power, the stela nevertheless attests to the continued importance of the royal court, and the power that the king could still muster in the early Second Intermediate Period. The stela was discovered by August Mariette, embedded in the mud-brick walls along the processional route leading to the temple of Osiris at Abydos. Its present location is unknown. A classic example of a royal inscription, this extensive text describes the inauguration of a new statue of the god Osiris at Abydos, in the process describing royal procedure, literacy at court, and the theology of the god Osiris. It provides unique and fascinating insight into the world of Middle Kingdom royal and divine power.
Students will receive homework for self-study between sessions. All sessions are recorded so there is the option to use these to revise content between lessons. Our hieroglyphs reading classes are a friendly and supportive way to build confidence with your reading. The course is suitable for students who have learned the fundamentals of Middle Egyptian grammar, and done some prior reading, but would like some more experience getting to grips with real texts and improving fluency in reading.
The live sessions are interactive and students can ask questions that arise as we go along. If you find it easier to watch via the recorded sessions, questions can be sent in to be answered the following week.
Join us for 5 weeks as we explore this lost royal inscription from an intriguing time when pharaohnic power was fractured and fragile.
*Please note that the lecture on Tuesday 10th September will start 15 minutes later than usual, so that students who are Egypt Society of Bristol Members can attend their lecture too.
Dr Huw Twiston Davies
Huw Twiston Davies is a lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. He completed his PhD on ancient Egyptian literature at the University of Liverpool in 2018. He has also worked at Leiden University on the research project ‘The Walking Dead at Saqqara: The Making of a Cultural Geography’ (2018-2021), and at the Garstang Museum of Archaeology (2015-2017, 2022). His research focuses on manuscript traditions in ancient Egypt, focusing in partiuclar on literary texts, as well as covering the use of the Book of the Dead in tombs. His book The Transmission of the Book of the Dead in New Kingdom Tombs at Saqqara, will be published by Bloomsbury later this year.
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.