Egyptian Twilight: Social Upheaval and Decline In Egypt during Dynasty 20 - With Tutor Chris Kirby

Ancient Egypt experienced its greatest empire in the New Kingdom which formed the basis of a considerable wealth and prosperity throughout the country. At its heart was the Pharaoh who expressed his divine and secular authority through great building works and creative projects. In Dynasty 20, however, there was a perceptible change in Egypt’s international fortunes which lead to internal social and economic decline and fracture.

Although as a consequence fewer great monuments survive for this period, there are preserved remarkable contemporary documents which span different levels of Egyptian society and real a world on the brink – royal assassination, workers’ strikes, robbery of royal tombs and temples provide a remarkable insight into the social and political disintegration of one of the ancient world’s most powerful civilisations.

In this course we will examine some of these fascinating documents and associated archaeological record to unravel this social and political collapse which saw the twilight of the greatest cultural period of ancient Egyptian civilisation.

Running on Saturday 21 and 28 November.