Learn how to read and write hieroglyphs - ‘the gods words’ - in this practical introduction to the alphabet, grammar and vocabulary of this fascinating ancient script. Through simple exercises based on tomb, temple and biographical extracts you’ll discover for yourself the language, literature and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Course Content In Their Own Write Definition, historical development, not simply picture writing The basic Egyptian Alphabet, direction of reading, transl... [More]

This course examines the Late Bronze Age civilization of mainland Greece, generally known as the Mycenaean culture. From 1600 to 1180 BC the region was dominated by a rich society centred on fortified palace compounds such as Mycenae and Tiryns. Rulers were buried in enormous tholos tombs with superb burial goods such as the famous Mask of Agamemnon. A warrior society, the Mycenaeans would expand their influence around the Aegean by conquest and trade before their society suddenly c... [More]

The Nabataeans controlled a vast commercial Empire which linked the Arabian Peninsula to Syria and the Mediterranean world of the Roman Empire. The hub of an extensive network of trade routes, their spectacular rock-cut capital known as Petra grew wealthy on the trade of exotic products like silk and myrrh. This study day explores the history and archaeology of the magnificent city, carved into the rose red sandstones of the Jordanian hills. Course Content The Location, Discovery an... [More]

The Phoenicians were celebrated in antiquity as great seafarers and explorers, learned scribes, gifted artisans and expert traders. The heartland of Phoenicia was the narrow coastal plain of Lebanon where great cities like Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon were created. The rulers of these cities sent out numerous colonies throughout the Mediterranean including Carthage on the Tunisian coast. In Phoenicia, scribes developed a new writing system, the antecedents of our alphabet. This course ex... [More]

The ancient people of the Near East developed the first writing systems mainly for accounting purposes. Over time the Sumerians developed the cuneiform system of wiring on wet clay, and the Egyptians created the hieroglyphic system for writing designed for writing religious texts on stelae and temple walls. The Minoans and Mycenaeans wrote their languages using a pictographic system. In the 1st Millennium BC the Phoenician consonantal alphabet developed, quickly making writing and r... [More]

This one day workshop provides an introduction to archaeological practices and the study of artefacts. Participants will be introduced to the collections of the Nicholson Museum and will learn about the uses and abuses of archaeological materials. The workshop includes significant hands-on components which allow first-hand insights to the ancient world. The course presumes no prior knowledge but does contain references to death, drinking and drug-use in the ancient world. Course Con... [More]

This workshop provides an overview of warfare in the Classical World examining who was doing the fighting, how they were equipped and how they might have fought. The workshop will draw on archaeological finds and historical sources and show how experimental archaeology can help to reconstruct the past. Participants will also examine the tactics and logistics of ancient military campaigns and get an opportunity to study ancient weapons in the Nicholson Museum’s collection of antiquit... [More]

Syria, as a result of its location and environment, played a central role in the introduction of agriculture, the domestication of animals, the development of settled urban life and the evolution of writing. This course explores the radical changes in human lifestyles which took place in Syria from the Neolithic Period to the Late Bronze Age through an examination of the major archaeological sites of the Levant including Catal Huyuk, Mari, Ebla, and Ugarit. Course Content The Neolit... [More]

The northern part of the Sudan contains many archaeological sites reflecting a rich history. This series of lectures looks at the history of the Sudan from the Neolithic Era to the fall of Meroe in the fourth century CE. We explore the early history of the region including the town and cemetery remains at Kerma. The Egyptian pharaohs of the New Kingdom annexed the region around 1500 BCE and created new administrative centres with decorated temples. The local ‘Black Pharaohs’ invaded... [More]

Now that you can tell a royal inscription from an embalmer’s shopping list, you’d like to know more about the intriguing world of Hieroglyphs. This course is the natural progression for all ‘junior scribes’ who have completed Hieroglyphs I. It extends basic hieroglyphic knowledge and offers a deeper understanding of the Egyptian world view through an examination of original writings. Course Content Revision: Egyptian nouns (genders/singular/plural/dual) adjectives (including the nis... [More]