Logo UAB
2020/2021

Master's Thesis

Code: 43626 ECTS Credits: 30
Degree Type Year Semester
4315555 Egyptology OB 2 A
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Josep Cervelló Autuori
Email:
Josep.Cervello@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)

Teachers

Francesc Josep de Rueda Roige
Marc Orriols Llonch
Miguel Angel Molinero Polo
Andrés Diego
Jose Lull Garcia
Lucía Díaz-Iglesias Llanos
Jordi Vidal Palomino
Joan Oller Guzman

External teachers

Francisco Bosch Puche
Juan Carlos Moreno García

Prerequisites

To take this module it is essential to have taken the four modules of the first year of the master's degree and to be taking the two modules of the second year simultaneously (or to have already taken them in previous editions of the master's degree).

Objectives and Contextualisation

The objective of this module of the master is twofold:

1) To train students in the use of the methods and techniques of scientific work in Egyptology, to provide them with knowledge of and access to the instruments and bibliographic and webographic funds specific to the discipline (source directories, reference works, primary and secondary literature...), and to introduce them to the history of the discipline and the main theoretical and methodological debates of the past and present. These skills and knowledge will be taught within the framework of the course Methodology of Egyptological Research.

2) To supervise the preparation of the student's Master's Final Project (MFP), which will consist of the writing of a highly specialized Egyptological article, of about 40 pages maximum and with a well organized and developed critical apparatus, which may consist of both a detailed state of the question on a given Egyptological issue and an original research paper on a specific topic. In both cases, the subject matter will be defined by mutual agreement between the student and the supervisor of the work. The MFP will also necessarily involve the use of the methods and techniques of Egyptological work and ICTs, the direct analysis of textual, iconographic and/or archaeological sources, and the consultation of source directories, reference works in the discipline, and primary and secondary literature.

Competences

  • Act in a creative and original way with solidarity and spirit of scientific collaboration.
  • Apply the methods and techniques egiptológico work and the main instruments and bibliographical indexes, series and magazines, reference works and corpora of texts, dictionaries and encyclopedias Egyptology.
  • Assess the quality, self-imposed, rigor, responsibility and social commitment, both in training and in the scientific and informative work.
  • Critically analyze a given scientific problem based on historical and cultural sources.
  • Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
  • Organize and plan the contents of a research paper (article, monograph) and / or oral exposure (class communication conference).
  • Process and discriminate information, make catalogs and codes of textual sources or materials, prepare bibliographic databases and scientific data.
  • Read, translate, parse, interpret texts critically and edit antiguoegipcios, medioegipcios, neoegipcios and Copts of different genres and on different media.
  • Recognize and evaluate sociological or ecological issues such as gender, otherness, multiculturalism, identity, immigration and the relationship between human societies and the environment, responding to the concerns of the society of our time.
  • Students can communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously.
  • That students are able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
  • That students have the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
  • That the students can apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act in a creative and original way with solidarity and spirit of scientific collaboration.
  2. Apply proper methods of Egyptological research in its various sub-disciplines.
  3. Assess the quality, self-imposed, rigor, responsibility and social commitment, both in training and in the scientific and informative work.
  4. Critically analyze a given scientific problem based on historical and cultural sources.
  5. Critically analyze a theory, a work or egiptológico approach with a view to scientific debate.
  6. Critically review Egyptological books or specialized items.
  7. Edit critically hieroglyphics and hieratic texts.
  8. Egyptology critically read literature.
  9. Egyptology structure research work, prepare their critical apparatus.
  10. Exposing the state of affairs of a certain topic or egiptológico problem.
  11. Handle with ease composition software hieroglyphic texts.
  12. Hieroglyphic texts by computer processing and Copts.
  13. Knowing the major Egyptological online resources (websites and databases) and information network distinguishing contents critically.
  14. Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
  15. Make a critical bibliography of a specific theme or egiptológico problem.
  16. Managing the different bibliographic, textual and archaeological repertoires, major corpora of texts and the main series and periodicals in use in Egyptology.
  17. Organize and plan the contents of a research paper (article, monograph) and / or oral exposure (class communication conference).
  18. Process and discriminate information, make catalogs and codes of textual sources or materials, prepare bibliographic databases and scientific data.
  19. Quote properly for short textual, archaeological or iconographic sources according to their origin, location or catalog publication.
  20. Recognize and evaluate sociological or ecological issues such as gender, otherness, multiculturalism, identity, immigration and the relationship between human societies and the environment, responding to the concerns of the society of our time.
  21. Students can communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously.
  22. That students are able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
  23. That students have the learning skills that enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.
  24. That the students can apply their knowledge and their ability to solve problems in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.

Content

COURSE: METHODOLOGY OF EGYPTOLOGICAL RESEARCH

7,5 ECTS credits

Lecturers: Josep Cervelló and Marc Orriols

From 19/10/2020 to 25/01/2021

M 18:00-20:00 h.

 

PROGRAM

1) History of Egyptology. Main theoretical, epistemological, and methodological trends in Egyptian philology, history, and history of culture. Egyptological research today: main trends and lines. Egyptology in Spain.

2) Egyptology in Egypt. Main institutions, libraries and museums. Main missions during the 19th and 20th centuries. Main missions today. Egyptology outside Egypt. Main universities, institutions, libraries, museums and exhibitions.

3) The problem of the transcription of proper names and various terms into our languages.

4) The Egyptological work (I): editing of texts (hieroglyphic, hieratic texts; epigraphic texts, on papyrus, on ostraca...).

5) The Egyptological Work (II): publication of archaeological and iconographic sources.

6) The Egyptological work (III): the mission in the field. Auxiliary techniques: dating, pottery, analysis of artefacts and ecofacts (geological and palaeobiological data), architecture, restoration, photography, drawing.

7) Computers and Egyptology. Hieroglyphic text processing: JSesh. Transliteration and Coptic fonts. Introduction to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Programmes for the processing of photographs and for the production of drawings, plans, and maps. Databases and main online Egyptological resources. Preparation of Power-point presentations.

8) Egyptological bibliography: main bibliographical directories (AEB, OEB, PM); main source repertories; encyclopaedias and encyclopaedic dictionaries; Egyptian language grammars and dictionaries; specialized series and journals.

9) The Egyptological publication: how to produce aspecialized Egyptological text. Traditional style and American style. Preparation of the bibliography. Preparation of the critical apparatus. Correction of proofs. Publication of a collective volume (congress proceedings, honorific books, etc.). Bibliographic review.

10) Research, publication, and quality. Indexing and categories of specialized journals. Main lists of national and international humanities journals. Impact index. Indications of book quality (publishers, publication abroad, translations, number of citations, reviews...). The curriculum vitae.

 

MASTER'S FINAL PROJECT

22,5 ECTS credits

Supervisors: all of the master's lecturers.

Any of the lecturers of the master can supervise a MFP.

See the document "Orientaciones para la confección del TFM del Máster de Egiptología".

Methodology

See the document "Orientaciones para la confección del TFM del Máster de Egiptología".

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theory and practical classes of methodology 45 1.8 1, 4, 5, 2, 19, 15, 13, 7, 9, 10, 8, 11, 16, 17, 14, 18, 12, 23, 22, 24, 21, 20, 6, 3
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 45 1.8 1, 4, 5, 2, 19, 15, 13, 7, 9, 10, 8, 11, 16, 17, 14, 18, 12, 23, 22, 24, 21, 20, 6, 3
Type: Autonomous      
Preparation and public presentation of the Master's final project 660 26.4 1, 4, 5, 2, 19, 15, 13, 7, 9, 10, 8, 11, 16, 17, 14, 18, 12, 23, 22, 24, 21, 20, 6, 3

Assessment

IMPORTANT

If, for health reasons, assessment tests cannot be conducted in the classroom, their format will be adapted (maintaining the weighting) to the possibilities offered by the UAB's virtual tools. Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or exercise discussions through Teams, after checking that all students have a network connection and can access the platform.

 

The exercises in the course Methodology of Egyptological Research will consist of:

1) Exercises in the use of repertoires of sources and specialized bibliographic instruments.

2) Brief work on an Egyptological institution.

3) Brief work on a major archaeological mission in Egypt.

4) Exercises for the preparation of bibliography and critical apparatus.

5) Exercises with the hieroglyphic text editor and other software used in Egyptology.

6) Edition of Egyptian texts in hieroglyphic and hieratic writing, on papyrus, ostracon, or stone.

7) A book review.

Since these exercises have the main objective of training the student in the preparation of the MFP, they will essentially be evaluated on the basis of the MFP itself. Therefore, for the purposes of the final mark of the module, they are assigned a specific weight of only 5%.

As for the Master's Final Project, it will be evaluated:

a) The originality and quality of the contents, the argumentation, and the structure and treatment of the textual, iconographic, and archaeological sources (50%);

b) The quality of the bibliography and the critical apparatus (40%);

(c) The public oral presentation with the support of ICTs (10%).

 

UAB regulations on plagiarism in assessment activities

In the event that the student commits any type of irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the mark of an assessment activity, this assessment activity will be marked with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may be instructed. In the case that several irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final mark of this course will be 0.

 

Procedure for reviewing qualifications

Test scores, short tests or papers may be reviewed in personal tutoring, during teachers' tutoring hours.

 

Recovery process

To pass the module, all evaluation activities (exams, short tests or assignments) must be passed. The teachers will set the dates when these activities must be repeated or re-submitted, if necessary. These dates will never be later than one month from the date of the test or submission.

The student will receive a grade of "Not assessable" if he/she has not completed more than 30% of the assessment activities.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercises in the course "Methodology of Egyptological Research" 5% 0 0 4, 5, 2, 19, 15, 13, 7, 9, 10, 8, 11, 16, 17, 18, 12, 23, 21, 6
Master's Final Project 95% 0 0 1, 4, 5, 2, 19, 15, 13, 7, 9, 10, 8, 11, 16, 17, 14, 18, 12, 23, 22, 24, 21, 20, 6, 3

Bibliography

Initial basic bibliography

Cervelló Autuori, J. Escrituras, lengua y cultura en el antiguo Egipto. Bellaterra: Edicions UAB, 20162.

Da Riva,R.; Vidal, J. (eds.) Descubriendo el Antiguo Oriente. Pioneros y arqueólogos de Mesopotamia y Egipto a finales del s. XIX y principios del s. XX. Barcelona: Bellaterra, 2015 (articles by Marsal, Cervelló Autuori and Moreno García).

Davies, V.; Laboury, D. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Egyptian Epigraphy and Paleography. Oxford: Oxford U.P, 2020.

Hornung, E. Introducción a la egiptología. Estado, métodos, tareas. Madrid-Barcelona: Trotta-Edicions de la UB, 2000.

Lloyd, A.B. (ed.) A Companion to Ancient Egypt. 2 vols. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.

Sauneron, S. La egiptología. Vilassar de Mar: Oikos Tau, 1971 (orig. ed. Paris: PUF, 1968).

Valbelle, D. L’Égyptologie. Paris: PUF, 1994.

Verbovsek, A.; Backes, B.; Jones, C. (eds.) Methodik und Didaktik in der Ägyptologie. Herausforderungen eines kulturwissenschaftlichen Paradigmenwechsels in den Altertumswissenschaften. Munich: Wilhelm Fink, 2011 (especially articles by Dieleman, Winand, Angenot, Baines, and Eyre).

See the document "Orientaciones para la confección del TFM del Máster de Egiptología".