Short Course on the Funerary Artefacts of the Ancient Egyptians

It is now over seven weeks since the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented in the UK, with many other countries facing similar lockdowns. During this time, the Egyptological community has excelled in being proactive with their dissemination of research and keeping people busy and sane through a variety of online lectures and conferences. The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) virtual Annual Meeting, which was held over two weekends in April, exceeded 1,900 registrants from across the globe. The Egypt Exploration Society (EES) have been having regular lectures and excellent monthly quizzes, which regularly reach capacity. Societies such as the Friends of the Petrie Museum and the Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society (TVAES) are also offering a programme of Zoom lectures for their members. Since our annual conference planned for May had to be cancelled, it was decided to offer some of the talks for free via Zoom. Three of the seventeen talks have taken place so far, drawing in a combined audience of over 500 people. Additionally, with the permission of the speakers, talks will be added to our YouTube channel and will be available to those who may have missed them.

Fig. 1: Stela of Pasherienimhotep (W1041)

With the growing demand for Egyptological lectures and courses to help keep people occupied, I have recently decided to run a short 5-week course on the funerary artefacts of the ancient Egyptians. Unlike similar titled courses, this one will focus on the Egypt Centre collection, a museum containing almost 6,000 antiquities. Participants will be introduced to the material culture of the dead, as well as the ancient Egyptian view of death and the afterlife. The course will examine the tomb and its contents, such as funerary figures, stelae, ritual and magical objects, and coffins. This is a unique opportunity for participants to study artefacts from the Egypt Centre—including many that are currently housed in storage—delivered by the Collections Access Manager of the Museum.

Fig. 2: Handling a Ptolemaic mask

In an ideal world, this this course would take place at the Egypt Centre and would include the opportunity for participants to handle some of the objects under discussion. As this is not possible, sessions will be held remotely via the Zoom platform. In order to be as accessible as possible, this course will be run twice (numbers permitting):

• Sunday evenings 6–8pm (UK time)
• Wednesday mornings 10–12am (UK time)

Additionally, one of the sessions will be recorded and made available for a limited time to registered participants.

Course Outline:

Week 1 (Sunday 24 May or Wednesday 27 May): Provisions for the dead

In week 1, we will examine the ancient Egyptian’s belief in the afterlife, including their hope for resurrection. The Egyptians equipped their tombs for eternity with a variety of objects in order to aid transition. At the same time, the Egyptians believed that they needed to receive continuous nourishment in order to survive in the world of the dead. Objects discussed this week include tomb reliefs, funerary stelae, offering trays, and soul houses.

Fig. 3: Offering tray (W80)

Week 2 (Sunday 31 May or Wednesday 03 June): Funerary figures

Funerary figures are some of the most common objects from ancient Egypt, ranging from stone figures of the Old Kingdom, wooden models of the First Intermediate Period and Middle Kingdom, and shabtis from the Middle Kingdom onwards. In week 2, we will briefly examine the function of these figures and their development over time. We will draw on a collection of over 400 of these figures in the Egypt Centre collection.

Fig. 4: Wooden funerary figure (W434)

Week 3 (Sunday 07 June or Wednesday 10 June): Coffins and mummification

The Egyptians believed that their body needed to survive in order for them to continue to exist beyond death. In order to preserve the body, the Egyptians used mummification techniques, which included removing the internal organs and the brain. In this week, we will trace the development of mummification and the use of canopic jars. We will also examine the use and development of Egyptian coffins, including their decoration.

Fig. 5: Canopic jar of Psamtek (W498)

Week 4 (Sunday 14 June or Wednesday 17 June): Magic and ritual

The day of the burial was a highly ritualised event, which included the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. The afterlife presented many challenges and dangers for the deceased who were commonly equipped with magical objects for protection. Chief amongst them were amulets, which commonly adorned the bodies. In week 4, we will examine the use and function of these amulets, as well as other ritual objects.

Fig. 6: Uraeus amulet (AB6)

Week 5 (Sunday 21 June or Wednesday 24 June): Treasures for the dead

Since the Egyptians believed that the afterlife was in many ways a continuation of their life on earth, they were often buried with more personal and functional objects. Items of furniture, jewellery, clothing, games, and toiletries were particularly common. Some of these items will be discussed in the final week of this course.

Fig. 7: Bracelet from the body of a female buried at Qau (W793)

Cost: £40

• Payment can be made via our crowdfunding page: https://wave.swansea.ac.uk/p/egyptcentre/
• In addition to making the payment, please email Ken at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk who will reply within 24 hours confirming your place on the course. Please note your preference for the Sunday or Wednesday sessions (although there is flexibility from week to week if necessary). Make sure to check your spam/junk folder
• Note that as this is a payment for a service, you should NOT tick the gift-aid box
• For alternative methods of payment, please email Ken at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk

Full instructions on how to join each of the sessions will be issued to all participants in the days leading up to the first class. If you have any questions, please contact Ken at k.griffin@swansea.ac.uk