Egyptology

Egyptology is the study of the civilisation of ancient Egypt across its entire recorded history, from the emergence of writing and the state around 3000 BCE to the end of the pagan Egyptian world in late antiquity. It is one of the most remarkable of all scholarly fields, engaging with a civilisation that flourished for three millennia, left an incomparable material and textual legacy, and whose religious, artistic, and political traditions have exerted a fascination on the modern world that shows no sign of diminishing. The discipline encompasses the ancient Egyptian language and its hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic scripts; the archaeology of the Nile Valley; the art, architecture, and religion of ancient Egypt; and the relationship between Egypt and its neighbours in the ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds.

At the University of Oxford, this three-year full-time programme is taught within one of the most distinguished ancient history and Near Eastern studies faculties in the world. The Oxford tutorial system means you will receive intensive individual academic supervision, working closely with scholars who are at the forefront of Egyptological research. You will learn to read ancient Egyptian texts in one or more scripts, to engage with the material record of Egyptian civilisation including objects, monuments, and sites, and to situate Egyptian culture in its broader ancient historical context.

The skills developed by Egyptology at this level are demanding in distinctive ways. Working with a language no longer spoken, interpreting a material record that is often fragmentary, and constructing historical arguments from evidence that is culturally remote from modern experience all develop a particular kind of analytical patience and rigour that is highly valued in scholarly and research contexts.

Graduates in Egyptology go on to careers in museums with Egyptian collections, including the British Museum and the Petrie Museum, in academic research and university teaching, in heritage management and cultural diplomacy, in broadcasting and science communication, and in libraries and archives. Postgraduate study in Egyptology, archaeology, or ancient history is the route to most research and curatorial careers in the field.