Egyptology 78689 223026147 2008-07-02T06:38:13Z Jagged 85 468111 updated template {{Refimprove|date=June 2008}} [[Image:Egypt.Giza.Sphinx.02.jpg|333px|thumb|The [[Great Sphinx of Giza]] against [[Khafre's Pyramid]] at the [[Giza pyramid complex]].]] '''Egyptology''' (Arabic: علم المصريات) is a major field of [[archaeology]], the study of [[ancient Egypt]]ian [[History of Egypt|history]], [[Egyptian language|language]], [[Ancient Egyptian literature|literature]], [[Ancient Egyptian religion|religion]], and [[Art of ancient Egypt|art]] from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an ''[[Egyptologist]]''. == Development of the field == ===The first Egyptologists=== The first Egyptologists were the ancient Egyptians themselves. Thutmosis IV, when only Prince Thutmosis, restored the Sphinx and had the dream that inspired his restoration carved on the famous [[Dream Stela]]. Less than two centuries later, Prince [[Khaemweset]], fourth son of [[Ramesses II]], is famed for identifying and restoring historic buildings, tombs and temples including the pyramid of [[Unas]] at [[Saqqara]]. ===Greek and Roman era=== Some of the first historical accounts of Egypt were given by [[Herodotus]], [[Strabo]], [[Diodorus Siculus]] and the largely lost work of [[Manetho]], an [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] priest, during the reign of [[Ptolemy I]] and [[Ptolemy II]] in the 3rd century BC. ===Muslim Egyptologists=== Progress was made by [[List of Muslim historians|Muslim historians]] in [[Egypt]] and elsewhere from the 9th century AD. The first known attempts at deciphering [[Egyptian hieroglyphs]] were made by [[Dhul-Nun al-Misri]] and [[Ibn Wahshiyya]] in the 9th century, who were able to at least partly understand what was written in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, by relating them to the contemporary [[Coptic language]] used by [[Copt]]ic priests in their time. [[Abd-el-latif|Abdul Latif al-Baghdadi]], a teacher at [[Cairo]]'s [[Al-Azhar University]] in the 13th century, wrote detailed descriptions on [[Ancient Egyptian architecture|ancient Egyptian monuments]].<ref name=Daly>Dr. Okasha El Daly (2005), ''Egyptology: The Missing Millennium: Ancient Egypt in Medieval Arabic Writings'', [[University College London|UCL Press]], ISBN 1844720632. ([[cf.]] [http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=481 Arabic Study of Ancient Egypt], Foundation for Science Technology and Civilisation.)</ref> Similarly, the 15th-century Egyptian historian [[al-Maqrizi]] wrote detailed accounts of Egyptian antiquities. ===European explorers=== European exploration and travel writings of ancient Egypt commenced from the 13th century onward, with only occasional detours into a more scientific approach, notably by [[John Greaves]], [[Claude Sicard]], [[Benoît de Maillet]], [[Frederic Louis Norden]] and [[Richard Pococke]]. In the early 16th century, the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] scientist-priest [[Athanasius Kircher]] was the first to identify the phonetic importance of Egyptian hieroglyphs, and he demonstrated [[Coptic language|Coptic]] as a vestige of [[Egyptian language|early Egyptian]], for which he is considered the "founder" of Egyptology.<ref name="Woods">[[Thomas Woods|Woods, Thomas]]. ''How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization'', p 4 & 109. (Washington, DC: Regenery, 2005); ISBN 0-89526-038-7.</ref> In the late 18th century, with Napoleon's scholars' recording of Egyptian flora, fauna and history (published as ''[[Description de l'Egypte (1809)|Description de l'Egypte]]''), the study of many aspects of ancient Egypt became more scientifically oriented. The British captured Egypt from the French and gained the [[Rosetta Stone]]. Modern Egyptology is generally perceived as beginning about 1822. ==Modern Egyptology== [[Image:Papyrus Ani curs hiero.jpg|thumb|left|A section of the [[Papyrus of Ani]] showing [[cursive hieroglyphs]].]] [[Jean François Champollion]] and [[Ippolito Rosellini]] were some of the first Egyptologists of wide acclaim. The German [[Karl Richard Lepsius]] was an early participant in the investigations of Egypt; mapping, excavating, and recording several sites. Champollion announced his general decipherment of the system of Egyptian [[Egyptian hieroglyphs|hieroglyphics]] for the first time, employing the Rosetta Stone as his primary aid. The Stone's decipherment was a very important development of Egyptology. With subsequently ever-increasing knowledge of Egyptian writing and language, the study of [[Ancient Egypt]]ian civilisation was able to proceed with greater academic rigour and with all the added impetus that comprehension of the written sources was able to engender. Egyptology became more professional via work of [[William Matthew Flinders Petrie]], among others. Petrie introduced techniques of field preservation, recording, and excavating. [[Howard Carter]] expedition brought much acclaim to the field of Egyptology. Around 1830, [[Rifa'a el-Tahtawi]] was one of the first main scholars of Egyptian Egyptology. He was inspired by the work of Muslim Egyptologists in medieval Egypt, though modern Egyptian Egyptology developed slowly compared to its Western scholars, primarily because of Islamic identity. Islamic and modern Egyptian civilization has been influenced by the pre-Islamic Egyptian culture with which Egyptology is concerned. In the Modern era, the [[Supreme Council for Antiquities]] control excavation permits for Egyptologists to conduct their work. The field can now use [[Geophysics|geophysical methods]] and other applications of modern [[sensing techniques]] to further Egyptology. The [[Egyptian language]]s (such as [[Hieratic]]s and [[Coptic language|Coptic]]) and the [[Egyptian writing]] systems are still of importance in Egyptology. Egyptology has attracted various [[pseudoscientific]] theories of which most are widely discounted by many Egyptologists. This includes [[esoteric]], or [[extraterrestrial]], subjects which are considered [[pseudohistorical]] overall; few in Egyptology entertain views of the "[[New Age]]", [[ufology]], [[occultism]], "[[secret societies]]", or [[Atlantis]] ideas. == Problems and mysteries == There are many open problems concerning Ancient Egypt, and some of them may never be solved. Egyptian archaeology is in a state of constant transition, with much of the terminology and [[chronology]] in dispute. All [[archaeological record]] are incomplete, with countless relics and artifacts missing or destroyed. New archaeological discoveries can call into question previous conclusions about Ancient Egypt. Furthermore, there are internal problems of overall cohesion of various dynasties and there are problems reconciling the Egyptian civilization with other concurrent civilizations. === Origins and chronology === {{main|Egyptian chronology|Conventional Egyptian chronology}} {{Hiero|[[pharaoh]] "''pr-`3''"|<hiero>O1:O29</hiero>|align=right|era=egypt}} [[Ancient Egypt]] appeared as a unified state no earlier than 3300 BC. It survived as an independent state until about 300 BC. Archaeological evidence suggests that a developed Egyptian society may have existed for much longer. The creation of a reliable [[Egyptian chronology|Chronology of Ancient Egypt]] is a task fraught with problems. There is a "[[Conventional Egyptian chronology]]" that has a general consensus. While the overwhelming majority of Egyptologists agree on the outline and many of the details of a common chronology, disagreements either individually or in groups have resulted in a variety of dates offered for rulers and events. This variation begins with only a few years in the Late Period, gradually growing to a decade at the beginning of the New Kingdom, and eventually to as much as a century by the start of the Old Kingdom. The reader is advised to include this factor of uncertainty with any date offered either in Wikipedia or any history of Ancient Egypt. === Temples and pyramids === {{main|Egyptian pyramids|Egyptian pyramid construction techniques}} Many Egyptian temples are still standing today. Some are in ruin from wear and tear, while others have been lost entirely. The Egyptian structures are among the largest man-made constructions ever conceived. They constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of Ancient Egyptian civilization. === Burial and tombs === [[Mummy|Mummification]] of the dead was not always practised in Egypt. Once the practice began, an individual was placed at his or her final resting place through a set of rituals and protocol. The Egyptian funeral was a complex ceremony including various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in the deads' honor. The poor, who could not afford expensive tombs, were buried in shallow graves in the sand; because of the arid environment they were often naturally mummified. == See also == {{portal|Egyptology}} *[[Assyriology]] *[[Iranology]] *[[List of Egyptologists]] *; Categories:[[:Category:Austrian Egyptologists|Austrian Egyptologists]], [[:Category:English Egyptologists|English Egyptologists]], [[:Category:Canadian Egyptologists|Canadian Egyptologists]], [[:Category:American Egyptologists|American Egyptologists]], [[:Category:Australian Egyptologists|Australian Egyptologists]], [[:Category:Dutch Egyptologists|Dutch Egyptologists]], [[:Category:British Egyptologists|British Egyptologists]], [[:Category:Belgian Egyptologists|Belgian Egyptologists]], [[:Category:Prussian Egyptologists|Prussian Egyptologists]], [[:Category:Scottish Egyptologists|Scottish Egyptologists]] *; Contributing studies: [[Archaeology]], [[Anthropology]], [[Chronology]], [[Philology]], [[Linguistics|Language studies]], [[Epigraphy]], [[Social history]], [[Ethnoarchaeology]], [[Art history]], [[Archaeoastronomy]], [[Architect]]ure, [[Oriental studies]], [[Biblical studies]] *; Other: [[Egyptomania]], [[Excavation]], [[Artifact (archaeology)|Artefacts]] == References == {{reflist}} == External links and articles == ===Publications=== <div style="column-count: 2;"> * David, Rosalie. ''Religion and magic in ancient Egypt''. Penguin Books, 2002. ISBN 0-14-026252-0 * Jacq, Christian. ''Magic and mystery in ancient Egypt''. Souvenir Press, 1998. ISBN 0-285-63462-3 * Manley, Bill (ed.). ''The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt''. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05123-2 * Mertz, Barbara. ''Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt''. Dodd Mead, 1978. ISBN 0-396-07575-4 * Mertz, Barbara. ''Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt''. Bedrick, 1990. ISBN 0-87226-223-5 * ''Mysteries of Egypt''. National Geographic Society, 1999. ISBN 0-7922-9752-0 === External Links === * [http://www.uee.ucla.edu/ Encyclopedia of Egyptology] at [[UCLA]] * [http://www.civilization.ca/civil/egypt/egypt_e.html ''Mysteries of Egypt''. Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, 2001.] * [http://guardians.net/hawass/index.htm Official Website for Dr. Zahi Hawass] * [http://www.catchpenny.org/ Catchpenny Mysteries of Ancient Egypt]. * [http://www.sacredsites.com/africa/egypt/great_pyramid.html Gray, Martin, ''The Great Pyramid, Egypt''. 2005.] * [http://www.doernenburg.alien.de/RDV/RDV00_e.php Dörnenburg, Frank, ''Mysteries of the Past''. 2004.] * [http://www.kv5.com/ Theban Mapping Project] * [http://www.hallofmaat.com/ The Hall of Ma'at] * [http://www.glyphdoctors.com Glyphdoctors: Online courses in Egyptology and other resources] * [http://www.antiquityofman.com/AncientEgypt.html The Antiquity of Man Exploring human evolution and the dawn of civilisation] * [http://www.ancientneareast.net/egyptology.html Egyptology - Ancient Near East .net] - a collection of links to online Egyptology resources * [http://www.ssae.org.uk The Society for the Study of Ancient Egypt] * [http://www.egyptology-uk.com/ Sussex Egyptology Society Online] * [http://www.gizaplateau.com/ Egypt Antiquity News Service] * [http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/hairstyles.html Ancient Egyptian Hairstyles] * [http://www.philae.nu/akhet/index.html Akhet, the Horizon - Ancient Egyptian Religion] *[http://www.dmoz.org/Reference/Museums/Science/Archaeology/Egyptology/ List of web sites for museums whose primary focus is on Egyptology] at the [[Open Directory Project]] {{Ancient Egypt topics}} [[Category:Egyptology| ]] [[als:Ägyptologie]] [[ar:علوم المصريات]] [[bg:Египтология]] [[ca:Egiptologia]] [[cs:Egyptologie]] [[cy:Eifftoleg]] [[da:Ægyptologi]] [[de:Ägyptologie]] [[et:Egüptoloogia]] [[el:Αιγυπτιολογία]] [[es:Egiptología]] [[eo:Egiptologio]] [[fr:Égyptologie]] [[gl:Exiptoloxía]] [[hr:Egiptologija]] [[it:Egittologia]] [[he:אגיפטולוגיה]] [[ka:ეგვიპტოლოგია]] [[mk:Египтологија]] [[nl:Egyptologie]] [[ja:エジプト学]] [[no:Egyptologi]] [[oc:Egiptologia]] [[pl:Egiptologia]] [[pt:Egiptologia]] [[ro:Egiptologie]] [[ru:Египтология]] [[simple:Egyptology]] [[sk:Egyptológia]] [[sr:Египтологија]] [[sh:Egiptologija]] [[fi:Egyptologia]] [[sv:Egyptologi]] [[tr:Mısırbilim]] [[vec:Egitologia]] [[zh:埃及学]]