The concentration in Egyptology and Assyriology offers students a choice of two tracks: Assyriology or Egyptology. The department promotes collaborations with other academic units at Brown devoted to the study of antiquity including Archaeology, Classics, Judaic Studies, and Religious Studies. Egyptology and Assyriology also collaborates with Brown's Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World.
Assyriology Track
Also known as the Near East or Middle East, Western Asia includes present-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and other neighboring states, a broad geographic area that was connected in antiquity with the wider world—the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, and the Asian subcontinent. Students will be exposed to the critical study of the ancient cultures of this region (ca. 3400 B.C.E.–100 C.E.) using the tools of archaeology, epigraphy, and historical inquiry. A variety of interdisciplinary, comparative, and theoretical approaches will be introduced to give students the tools and methods to explore this region’s ancient languages and literatures, political and socio-economic modes of organization, art and architecture, religious traditions and other systems of knowledge, such as early science.
The Assyriology (ASYR) track requires a total of at least ten (10) courses that are determined in the following way:
| Language Courses (two courses) | 2 | |
| One course in cuneiform-based language, normally Introduction to Akkadian, Introduction to Sumerian, or Introduction to Hittite. One additional language course, either Intermediaet Akkadian or another language with the EGYT or ASYR course code. | ||
| Introduction to Akkadian | ||
or ASYR 1400 | Introduction to Sumerian | |
or ASYR 1900 | Introduction to Hittite Language and Literature | |
And one of the Following: | ||
| Intermediate Akkadian | ||
| Introduction to Sumerian | ||
| Introduction to Hittite Language and Literature | ||
| Introduction to Classical Hieroglyphic Egyptian Writing and Language (Middle Egyptian I) | ||
| Introduction to Classical Hieroglyphic Egyptian Writing and Language (Middle Egyptian II) | ||
| Foundations (Four Courses): One course in each of the following areas: | 4 | |
| History | ||
| Ancient True Crime: Murder, Conspiracy, and Law in the Ancient World | ||
| Babylon: Myth and Reality | ||
| The Cradle of Civilization? An Introduction to the Ancient Near East | ||
| Archaeology: | ||
| The Cradle of Civilization? An Introduction to the Ancient Near East | ||
| Meeting with Mesopotamia | ||
| Palaces: Built to Impress | ||
| Petra: Ancient Wonder, Modern Challenge | ||
| The Great Heresy: Egypt in the Amarna Period | ||
| A World in Color: Seeing and Experiencing Colors in Ancient Times | ||
| Religion and Literature | ||
| In the Beginning: Cosmos and Creation in the Ancient World | ||
| Monsters | ||
| Thunder-gods and Dragon-slayers: Mythology + Cultural Contact - Ancient Mediterranean and Near East | ||
| Imagining the Gods: Myths and Myth-making in Ancient Mesopotamia | ||
| Literature of Ancient Iraq | ||
| Making Knowledge - Ancient and Mondern | ||
| The Origin(s) of Science | ||
| Mathematics in the Ancient World | ||
| Color and Culture in the Ancient Near East | ||
| Ancient Babylonian Magic and Medicine | ||
| Astronomy Before the Telescope | ||
| Astronomy, Divination and Politics in the Ancient World | ||
| Scientific Thought in Ancient Iraq | ||
| Heritage Under Fire: From Conflict to Understanding, Memory, and Reconciliation | ||
| Fake! History of the Inauthentic | ||
| Depth Requirement (Two Courses) | 2 | |
| At least two additional courses at the 1000 level or higher that include ancient Mesopotamia as a major component of the syllabus, usually in ASYR or ARCH. Subject to the approval of the concentration advisor and DUS. | ||
| Breadth Requirement (Two Courses) | 2 | |
| Two additional courses on some aspect of the ancient/premodern world, at least one of which should be with the department’s faculty. Subject to the approval of the concentration advisor and DUS. | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Egyptology Track
| Language Courses (two courses) | 2 | |
| One course in the ancient Egyptian language, ordinarily Middle Egyptian I. However, other phases of the ancient Egyptian language can be substituted for one or both of these, such as Late Egyptian or Coptic. One additional language course, either Middle Egyptian II or another language with the EGYT or ASYR course code. | ||
| Introduction to Classical Hieroglyphic Egyptian Writing and Language (Middle Egyptian I) | ||
And one of the Following: | ||
| Introduction to Classical Hieroglyphic Egyptian Writing and Language (Middle Egyptian II) | ||
| Introduction to Coptic | ||
| Late Egyptian | ||
| Introduction to Demotic | ||
| Introduction to Akkadian | ||
| Intermediate Akkadian | ||
| Introduction to Sumerian | ||
| Introduction to Hittite Language and Literature | ||
| Foundations (Four Courses): One course in each of the following areas: | 4 | |
| History | ||
| The Pyramids in Context: Archaeology of Life and Religion of Death in Old Kingdom Egypt | ||
| Black Pharaohs: Nubian Kings and Queens of Ancient Egypt | ||
| Ancient True Crime: Murder, Conspiracy, and Law in the Ancient World | ||
| Collapse! Ancient Egypt after the Pyramid Age | ||
| History of Egypt I 1 | ||
| Life on the Nile: Ancient Egypt beyond the Pharaohs | ||
| Archaeology: | ||
| Ancient Egyptian Art II | ||
| Introduction to Egyptian Archaeology and Art | ||
| Palaces: Built to Impress | ||
| Fighting Pharaohs: Ancient Egyptian Warfare | ||
| The Great Heresy: Egypt in the Amarna Period | ||
| A World in Color: Seeing and Experiencing Colors in Ancient Times | ||
| Religion and Literature | ||
| In the Beginning: Cosmos and Creation in the Ancient World | ||
| Ancient Voices: The Literature of Ancient Egypt | ||
| Ancient Egyptian Religion and Magic | ||
| Monsters | ||
| Making Knowledge - Ancient and Mondern | ||
| Ethiopia Shall Stretch Forth Her Hands: Black Reception of Ancient Egypt and Nubia | ||
| Magic, Mummies, and Drugs: Medicine and Physicians in Ancient Egypt | ||
| Calendars and Chronology in Ancient Egypt and the Ancient World | ||
| The Origin(s) of Science | ||
| Mathematics in the Ancient World | ||
| Color and Culture in the Ancient Near East | ||
| Astronomy Before the Telescope | ||
| Heritage Under Fire: From Conflict to Understanding, Memory, and Reconciliation | ||
| Fake! History of the Inauthentic | ||
| Depth Requirement (Two Courses) | 2 | |
| At least two additional courses at the 1000 level or higher that include ancient Egypt as a major component of the syllabus, usually in EGYT or ARCH. Subject to the approval of the concentration advisor and DUS. | ||
| Breadth Requirement (Two Courses) | 2 | |
| Two additional courses on some aspect of the ancient/premodern world, at least one of which should be with the department’s faculty. Subject to the approval of the concentration advisor and DUS. | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Senior Capstone Project
All concentrators in Egyptology and Assyriology are required to complete a capstone project. Under normal circumstances a concentrator will complete a capstone project in their last undergraduate year, the idea being that the project will be a culmination of the student’s academic path at Brown and in the department. Students have three options for fulfilling the capstone requirement in Egyptology and Assyriology:
- Honors Thesis (see policies and procedures for Honors in Egyptology and Assyriology)
- Independent Study: A one-semester reading and research independent study course under the direction of a faculty advisor in the department (this course may count toward the concentration Depth or Breadth requirement subject to the approval of the concentration advisor and DUS). The independent study should result in a research paper (at least 5000 words) or a significant original translation and analysis of an ancient text or a coherent group of related texts.
- Course Project: a project undertaken in connection with an EGYT/ASYR/ARCH course at or above the 1000 level (this course may count toward the concentration Depth or Breadth requirement). The specific project should be discussed with, and must be approved by, the instructor of the relevant course and the DUS
The capstone project can take many forms, but the common feature shared among all possible projects will be a public presentation. Typically in the final semester before graduating, the concentrator will give this capstone presentation before the department community. The format of the presentation may vary: students may give an illustrated lecture, present and discuss a video or installation, or propose a novel presentation modality. Both the content and the format of the capstone project must be discussed beforehand and approved by the concentration advisor and DUS no later than the end of the first semester of the senior year.
Honors in Egyptology and Assyriology
1. Becoming an honors candidate
Students who wish to consider pursuing honors should meet with the Undergraduate Concentration Advisor in the first half of their sixth semester.
Eligibility is dependent on:
- Being in good standing
- Having completed at least two thirds of the concentration requirements by the end of the sixth semester.
- Having earned two-thirds "quality grades" in courses counted towards the concentration. A "quality grade" is defined as a grade of "A" or a grade of "S" accompanied by a course performance report indicating a performance at the "A" standard.
To pursue honors candidacy, eligible students must:
- Secure a faculty advisor and discuss plans for the proposed thesis project well before the established deadline; this can be done by email when a student is abroad.
- Prepare a thesis prospectus (see below).
- Submit the prospectus to the advisor, one other proposed faculty reader (at least one of the readers must be in the department) and the department chair no later than the first week of the seventh semester.
The structure of a thesis prospectus:
An honors thesis in Egyptology or Assyriology is a substantial piece of research with some degree of originality that demonstrates the student's ability to frame an appropriate question and deal critically with the range of original and secondary sources. A thesis prospectus is a short analytical document consisting of several parts. It will normally include a concise and focused research question; a justification for that question that demonstrates familiarity with previous research on the topic; a project description that includes a discussion of the types of evidence available and appropriate to answering the proposed question; a discussion of methods of collecting and analyzing that evidence; a conclusion that returns to the research question and assures the reader that the project will add value to our understanding of the topic; and a bibliography. The prospectus will ordinarily be in the range of 5-7 pages in length, exclusive of bibliography. The prospectus will include proper citations throughout.
Determination of whether or not a student may pursue the proposed project will be made on review of the prospectus by the readers and department chair. Prospectuses will be evaluated on the following scale:
- No concerns about the viability of the project.
- No concerns about the viability of the project, but minor weaknesses in the execution of the prospectus.
- Concerns about the viability of the project, but willingness to reevaluate a revised prospectus submitted within two weeks of receipt of evaluation.
- Reservations that the prospectus does not describe an honors-worthy project.
- Poorly conceived and shoddy work.
Prospectuses will be returned to the student with this numerical evaluation and comments one week after submission of the prospectus. A prospectus must receive an evaluation of 1 or 2 prior to the third week of the seventh semester for a student to be admitted to the honors track. Students who submit an original prospectus that is graded 4 or 5 will not be permitted to rework the prospectus for the second submission.
2. Developing, completing and submitting the honors project
Once accepted as honors candidates, students will pursue a course of study that goes beyond what is expected of a regular concentrator. This includes:
- Enrollment in two semesters of independent study in Egyptology or Assyriology (these do not fulfill course requirements towards the concentration).
- Twice-monthly meetings with the thesis advisor and once-monthly meetings with the second reader. These meetings will be scheduled at the beginning of each term.
- Submission of a comprehensive outline to both readers no later than October 15 (for May graduates)
- Regular submission of drafts. A partial draft including a complete version of at least one chapter or section is due before Reading Period of the seventh semester.
- A complete draft is due to both readers no later than March 15 (for May graduates).
- The revised final thesis is due in both electronic and physical form to both readers and department chair April 5 (for May graduates).
Failure to meet any deadline will result in automatic termination of the honors process. No extensions will be granted. If a thesis is turned in late but before the end of the term, credit and grade for the Independent Study may still be granted.
3. Evaluating the submitted work of honors candidates
In order to receive honors a student must be found to have:
- Remained in good academic standing throughout the academic year.
- Not violated the Academic Code of Conduct during honors candidacy.
- Complete or be about to complete all concentration requirements.
- Produced a thesis that is judged by the readers to meet the department's expectations for honors work (see below), and turned it in by the established deadlines.
- Successfully defended the thesis during a half hour public presentation held during the final exam period of the eighth semester.
Students who submit theses that are deemed to fall short of the expectations will graduate without honors. In that case, the theses will count as a capstone project.
4. Expectations for honors theses:
Originality:
An honors thesis in Egyptology or Assyriology is expected to add to existing scholarship. The thesis must be based on close work with primary sources (usually in publication rather than in person), supplemented by critical engagement with a substantial amount of relevant secondary literature. While the resulting study is not necessarily expected to be ground-breakingly original, and may engage with a well-studied topic, it will usually include a new insight into or interpretation of the material considered.
Scope:
An honors thesis is not a book or dissertation. It is, however, a very serious piece of research and writing for which two dedicated study courses have provided substantial time to the honors student. The question upon which the honors thesis is based should be focused enough to allow an in-depth treatment, generally in under 100 pages or 30,000 words (exclusive of bibliography and illustrations). Appropriate length will vary considerably depending on the topic itself and the nature of the primary sources being considered, particularly if substantial translation of ancient textual sources is required.
Argument:
The thesis should present a sustained analytic argument in answer to its structuring question. A thesis should not be primarily descriptive or narrative in nature. Each chapter should contain a sub-argument that is clearly related to the overall argument of the thesis. The significance of the argument and its relationship to prior scholarship should be clearly articulated. Honors theses are not expected to demonstrate comprehensive familiarity with the secondary literature, but they are expected to engage critically and maturely with important works on the defined topic.
Methodology:
Egyptology and Assyriology are very broad fields, and the appropriate methods will be determined in conjunction with the thesis advisor on the basis of the questions and types of evidence - textual, archaeological, art historical - under consideration. With very few exceptions the methodology of the thesis is expected to be conventional rather than innovative, rooted in the accepted practices of the field in question.
Organization and writing:
An honors thesis must be well organized and written. It should include an introduction and conclusion as well as well-considered chapters that allow the reader to follow the line of reasoning easily. The relationship of any section to the larger whole should be clear, and segues should help the reader move between sections. Writing should be grammatically correct, well copy-edited, professional, and consistent. Citations and bibliography must be in an accepted style as determined in consultation with the advisor.