ccTransfer10

I am very interested in Egyptology and I see that Brown has this major. I got so excited when I saw this but then I became disheartened when I realized I have no coursework or ECs that can show that I like this major. I have done a lot of independent reading which can prepare me for the major to an extent; but I am afraid admissions will think I am BSing about what I want to major in because I haven't pursued the interest in ways that can be shown on my transcript. Are my fears irrational? What can I do to pursue this interest?

Thank you!

ccTransfer10

any ideas?

sigurros

build a pyramid =/

b@r!um

I don't think you really need to "prepare" for the major in advance. If you are concerned that the admissions people will not believe you, maybe one of your references could mention your interest in Egyptology in his letter of recommendation?

ccTransfer10

Oh really? Hm..does it matter if they have nothing to do with that field? As of now I am thinking of getting a rec from my bio/genetics professor and my philosophy professor.

M's Mom

Make sure your essays reflect your interest-why the subject intrigues you, how you got interested, what you hope to accomplish by studying this area, what you bring to the subject area that is unique, etc...

A student with the initiative to undertake independent study of a topic that facinates them is likely to be very appealing. Since very few high schools (other than those located in Egypt) offer egyptology as a subject area, you are not competing against a broad field of potentially more accomplished egyptologists.

M's Mom

One more observation: If you are seriously planning to study Egyptology, it means you will be working in Egypt eventually. Get started on Arabic now. Even if you don't end up in Egyptology, there is a shortage of fluent speakers of Arabic in the US, so you are positioning yourself well for future work in the middle east.

annikasorrensen

Oh! Oh! Oh! I got the answer to this one... practice your skills at making coffee or fast food sandwiches. If you are very lucky, you may also need the skills of filling out unemployment forms. You may want to team up with some Basketweaving majors for more ideas.

Well, perhaps M's Mom has better advice, such as the idea about learning Arabic. Good luck and remember you'll need to be very proactive to convert such a specific training into fulltime employment in the field.

Your best bet is to talk to professors and professionals already in that field. They will have a better idea of what you need to do to prepare for the major as well as advice (or warnings) on the practical viability of your chosen major.

Annika

ccTransfer10

M'sMom, thank you very much. Your suggestions are very, very insightful.

annikasorrense, your blub made me laugh , hehe thanks! Yeah I am trying to contact some egyptology departments but ugh they haven't responded yet!!

pwar

As is said above, if you want to be a practising archaeologist or want to spend time there to study (although not all Egyptologists are archaeologists, and all don't go there), learn Arabic.

Egyptian Arabic is a dialect which can be learnt in classes, although not as commonly as Modern Standard Arabic... A saving grace is that Egyptian Arabic is easier than MSA.

Secondly, if you're really interested in Egyptology, start now. There's no reason why you can't dive into the content. Learning the language of Ancient Egypt is a must in any university major. I would recommend Collier's book 'How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs', which is straight-forward and quite basic. Even learning the history and showing an interest in that would surely help your application?

Good luck with it all.

ccTransfer10

pawr, thank you so much for the tips about Arabic. I have been reading some of Zahi Hawass' books and I will definitely look into purchasing or borrowing the Collier book.

nefer

Don't bother with learning Arabic. If you are serious about egyptology you should learn French and German because much of the work in egyptology is done in those languages. That, plus a solid grounding in art history, history, archaeology and anthropology coursework, will demonstrate your preparedness for the subject. There are only a dozen or so universities that offer an undergraduate egyptology/near eastern studies major. If you live near one, you could take a course in Egyptian language or history in summer. I think that will demonstrate your interest very well. Or get yourself a copy of "Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs" by James P. Allen, and teach yourself some Middle Egyptian. It's a very good book. Then you can write to the author afterwards. He's a prof at Brown.

(My CC user name is an egyptian word)

pwar

Your advice about not learning Arabic is certainly incorrect for obvious reasons. As stated numerous times, German and (to a much lesser extent) French is important. That being said, a reading knowledge of German and French is important, whilst a speaking knowledge of Arabic is going to not only help you navigate Egypt, but will immensely help with getting your head around the nature of Afro-Asiatic languages (of which English, German, and French are not part).

There are obviously also pedagogical reasons for doing Arabic early with regards to how fast one can pick up another language like German or French vs Arabic, Hebrew, Middle Egyptian, etc. To maximise your chances in the career of Egyptology, you really want to be an equipped archaeologist. You cannot be equipped and not at least communicate well.

Your advice to pick up Allen's book is also very dubious. As Allen himself has said on a number of occasions, Collier's book is much more approachable. If you're interested in teaching yourself Middle Egyptian, pick up Collier's book. If you're interested in taking formal classes (or giving up after a few pages), pick up Allen's.

I have no idea why you'd want to "write to the author afterwards"... After what? Allen would be much more impressed with someone who can actually read a little ME, rather than someone who owns his book.

PS: Your user name is how an Egyptian word is said today, it isn't an Egyptian word.

Zahi's interesting... I would personally stay clear of his stuff as it's very political.

If you want a good introduction, I would recommend Ian Shaw's The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. The book is great on two accounts: Firstly, it's straight-forward and can be digested in parts. Secondly, the authors make their claims without apology. The latter means that once you've read a chapter, you can pick up one of the numerous reviews of the book and get involved in historical discussion. It's really important that you understand the arguments in Egyptology from the beginning.

Good luck with it all.

Archaeologist

Eh? All excavation reports are required by the Supreme Council of Antiquities to be published in Arabic. The ability to read these reports is an essential skill.

A more tactful description than what I would have used (phrases like "media hog" and "bully" come to mind).

The Oxford History is written by experts, but it can be a bit overwhelming for those just venturing into the field. Temples, Tombs, and Hieroglyphs and Red Land, Black Land by Barbara Mertz are two very reader-friendly works revised by the author just last year.

nefer

I am no egyptologist, so take what I say below with a grain of Nile natron.
Arabic and Egyptian are members of the Afro-Asiatic language family, so both languages share certain grammatical and phonological features not found in other language families. But that's not saying much. It's like telling someone who wants to learn English to learn German first because it can help. (And German is far more closely related to English than Arabic is to Egyptian.) The ability to read German and French is essential to egyptology but Arabic is not. Someone who wants to be a specialist of the Egyptian language would study Coptic, a language that actually descended from Ancient Egyptian.

I agree that the book by Collier and Manley is a good suggestion for an easy introduction to hieroglyphs. Allen is difficult for beginners, but it is a standard textbook. With some effort one can go through the book and complete the lessons. I did. It's a lot easier reading than, say, Alan Gardiner's book, which used to be the standard textbook until recently. Another reason I recommended Allen's book is because OP wants to transfer to Brown to study Egyptology. The OP can talk to Prof. Allen for advising and information about Brown's egyptology department and its curriculum, and perhaps foster a relationship that can help get him/her into the program. Do you not agree?

BTW, "nefer" is an Egyptian word with "e"s standing for the unwritten vowels. No one knows how exactly any Egyptian word was spoken. This is a convention by which Egyptologists pronounce Egyptian words. (The vowel 'e' is a poor choice because the original vowel were more likely to have been an 'a', 'u', 'o', 'i', than 'e')