How do I prepare for an Egyptology Major?

pwar
Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:31:34 +0000

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.



ccTransfer10:

I have been reading some of Zahi Hawass’ books and I will definitely look into purchasing or borrowing the Collier book.



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. :)