Why did the Old Kingdom disappear? Was it an overnight "collapse," or something more long term? In this episode, and the next, we explore the question in overview. This chapter focusses on the historical sources including King Lists, Classical authors like Herodotos and Manetho, and the fragmentary evidence for some of the "shadow kings" of this period…
Chro ... Show More
Today
228: Three Funerals & a Sed Festival
Loss and rejuvenation. Ramesses third decade in power was a time of death. The King's Great Wife Nefertari passed around year 25. Almost simultaneously, his mother Tuya, his second wife Iset-Nofret, and his eldest son Amun-her-khopeshef all passed to the west. We meet these figur ... Show More
31m 3s
Feb 16
227: The One Where Iset Poisons Ra
What is the true name of god? Once upon a time, Ra ruled the earth directly. But the great goddess Iset/Isis desired to know his private name, the one hidden from all outsiders. A name that, if known, would grant the knower magical power over the sun god. To gain the knowledge sh ... Show More
34m 20s
Feb 9
226: Nefertari's Tomb and Book of the Dead
The tomb of Queen Nefertari is one of the masterpieces of New Kingdom funerary monuments. The tomb is stunningly preserved, with an array of exquisite images, evocative texts (from the Book of the Dead), and traces of her burial goods. In this episode we explore the sepulchre, it ... Show More
28m 20s
Feb 2021
Egypt Before the Pharaohs
<p>Pyramids, mummies, and pharaohs define our understanding of ancient Egypt, a timeless and eternal land. But the Nile wasn't always ruled by god-like kings, and long before they emerged, Egypt was home to other peoples and other ways of life. As Egyptian civilization emerged, t ... Show More
44m 39s
Jul 2022
The Rise of Egypt's New Kingdom
<p>Most of what we think we know about ancient Egypt is actually things we know about the New Kingdom, the last of Egypt's three classical golden ages: an empire stretching into the Near East and Nubia, warrior kings leading armies of chariots, the lavish tombs of the Valley of t ... Show More
40m 9s
Mar 2021
Jason Thompson, "Wonderful Things: A History of Egyptology" (AU of Cairo, 2018)
When asked what he saw after reverently peering into the freshly opened tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, Egyptologist Howard Carter could only find the words the say “Wonderful Things.” These words have become legend in Egyptology; whether they were actually spoken by Carter or were ... Show More
49m 48s
Dec 2020
Ancient Egypt & Geopolitics
One of the luxuries of living in Ancient Egypt was that you were surrounded by massive deserts, protecting you from people who wanted to cut your head off. Well, at some point between 1650 – 1550 BC (who knows really), the Kingdom is invaded by barbarian hill people. The occupati ... Show More
1h 38m