This course is designed to introduce the student to the environment, the archaeology and the history of ancient Egypt from earliest times to the end of the New Kingdom period. The course has the following objectives: A) to acquaint students with the rich matrix of Egyptian history and material culture, B) to integrate these physical remains into an overall humanistic understanding of the Egyptian world and how it influences modernity, C) to supply the student with the tools to evaluate archaeological discoveries and, D) to familiarize the student with the interrelationship of various sources—texts, artifacts, iconography, etc.—for interpreting and understanding the past. This course has no prerequisites.

We will examine the physical environment that led to the creation of the Egyptian culture, the beginnings of Egyptology and will cover the period from earliest human settlement in Egypt to the end of the New Kingdom period.

Classes will be devoted primarily to Keynote™ lectures. We will also view video presentations. The final grade will be based on the total grades from multiple choice tests: two mid-term examinations, worth 33 points each, and a final examination worth 34 points. Students will be supplied with Gradescope test forms.

The second mid-term, and the final test, will include only material covered since the previous test. We will have a class devoted to a review prior to each test. Letter grades assigned will follow the standard TAMU scale: 100-90 = A, 89-80 = B, 79-70 = C, 69-60 = D, 59 and below = F.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of Egypt’s geography and its historical development from the Predynastic period to the 19th Dynasty. The geographical component emphasizes the crucial role of Egypt’s unique landscape, focusing on the Nile River as the lifeblood of ancient Egyptian civilization. The course examines how the river’s annual inundation shaped agriculture, settlement patterns, and the rise of early communities, while the surrounding deserts acted as natural barriers, influencing Egypt’s political and cultural isolation and expansion.

In terms of historical development, the course traces Egypt’s evolution from the Predynastic period,
where early cultures began to form, through the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh, to the flourishing of powerful dynasties in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Special attention is given to the development of Egypt’s social, political, and religious systems, as well as its monumental architecture, such as the construction of the Great Pyramids. The course also covers the complex religious beliefs, such as the rise of sun worship, and the role of divine kingship.

By focusing on the period up to the 19th Dynasty, the course also explores the peak of Egypt’s power, including military expansion, monumental construction, and the dynastic struggles that defined the New Kingdom. Key themes such as the centralization of power, the role of the pharaoh, and Egypt’s interactions with neighboring civilizations, such as Nubia and the Near East, are central to understanding how Egypt developed into one of the ancient world’s most enduring and influential empires.

Class lectures are available on-line as downloadable PDF files on Canvas. Students should download these files and print them out (multiple slides per printed page) as a convenient aid in taking notes. These lecture files do not replace class attendance.