Egyptology

Egyptology is a dynamic subject combining modern archaeological methods with a thorough knowledge of languages. Uppsala University is the only higher-education institution in Sweden offering the subject in its entirety. Egyptology is included in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History and in a unique way offers special studies in the archaeology of Egypt and Nubia in addition to a professional understanding of hieroglyphic texts.

The courses provide a basic training in ancient Egyptian culture and include archaeology, history, religion, architecture, art as well as studies in languages and literature. The rich archaeological sources are studied in conjunction with a wide sample of texts. Examples of objects and texts are presented, discussed and interpreted by the students.

Course participants are provided an insight into changes in daily life, politics, religion and funeral practices in the Nile Valley. The study of the culture stretches over thousands of years, from the Stone Age through the Pharaonic period to later epochs. The language studies enable the students to recognise texts from papyruses, temples and graves during a timeframe encompassing three thousand years. The texts offer an exciting insight into how rituals, the state and daily life worked in detail.

Egyptology may be combined with a number of other subjects, such as archaeology, history, languages, art history or theology. A number of different modern methods and sciences are offered and studies may also profitably be combined with anthropology, ecology, geoscience etc.