Admission requirements
Regular MA admission requirements.
Description
This course offers the practical tools for dealing with texts in the hieroglyphic writing system, in order to be able to critically use translations in publications. A complete identification of the different kinds of signs and an overview of the major textbooks will provide the basic knowledge to work with Egyptian textual material in a scientific way. The emphasis is on texts commonly found in monumental contexts. The course is aimed at understanding their all-important relationship to pictorial depictions and monumental structures.
Course objectives
The students will have a basic knowledge of the hieroglyphic script and the grammatical structure of the language. They will be able to read simple inscriptions and know how to perform research in order to decipher more complicated ones.
Timetable
Please consult the timetable on the Classics and Ancient Civilizations website.
Mode of instruction
Lecture and tutorial.
Course load
5 ec (=140 hours), consisting of:
classes, 22 hours;
preparation for the classes and participation in the classes, 22 hours;
preparation tests, 25 hours;
reading inscriptions and reference works, preparation final exam, 71 hours.
Assessment method
Exam in week 43 covering theoretical and applied grammatical knowledge:
Two tests vocabulary (both 10%)
Final exam (80%)
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average. Should the overall mark be unsatisfactory, the essay is to be revised after consultation with the teacher.
Re-examination: only the final exam (80% of end grade)
Blackboard
Yes.
Reading list
Mark Collier and Bill Manley 2003, How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: a Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself. London: The British Museum Press, 2008.
Registration
Via uSis
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Study in Leiden website for information on how to apply