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2022/2023

Master's Degree Dissertation

Code: 44507 ECTS Credits: 20
Degree Type Year Semester
4315555 Egyptology OB 2 A

Contact

Name:
Josep Cervello Autuori
Email:
josep.cervello@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)

Teachers

Marc Orriols Llonch
Jose Lull García
Joan Oller Guzman

External teachers

Andrés Diego Espinel
Francisco Bosch Puche
Juan Carlos Moreno García
Lucía Díaz-Iglesias Llanos
Miguel Ángel Molinero Polo
Sandra Tárraga Bono

Prerequisites

To take this module students must have taken the six teaching modules of the first year of the master's degree and be simultaneously taking (or have already taken, in previous editions of the master's degree) the four teaching modules of the second year.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The aim of this module of the master's degree is twofold:

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

2) Tutoring the preparation of the student's Final Master's Dissertation, which will consist of the preparation of a highly specialised Egyptological article, about 30 pages in length and with a well-organised and developed critical apparatus, which may consist of either a detailed state of the art on a specific Egyptological issue or an original research work on a specific topic. In both cases, the subject matter will be defined by mutual agreement between the student and the tutor. The TFM will also necessarily involve the use of the methods and techniques of Egyptological work and ICT, the direct analysis of textual, iconographic and/or archaeological sources, and the consultation of repertoires of sources, reference works in the discipline and primary and secondary literature. Eventually, it will also involve editing texts.

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 and neoegipcios 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

SUBJECT: EGYPTOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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

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

3) The problem of transcription of proper names and other words into our languages.

4) Egyptological work (I): edition of texts (hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic, Coptic; epigraphic, on papyrus, on ostraca...).

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

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

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

8) Egyptological bibliography: main bibliographic repertoires (AEB, OEB, PM); main repertoires of sources; encyclopaedias and encyclopaedic dictionaries; grammars and dictionaries of the language; specialised series and journals.

9) Egyptological publishing: how to produce a specialised Egyptological text. Traditional and American systems. Preparation of the bibliography. Preparation of the critical apparatus. Publishing a collective volume (conference proceedings, tributes, etc.). The bibliographical review.

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

FINAL MASTER'S THESIS

See the document: "Orientaciones para la elaboración del Trabajo de Fin de Máster".

Methodology

See the document: "Orientaciones para la elaboración del Trabajo de Fin de Máster".

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical and practical methodology classes 40 1.6 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 20 0.8 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 final master's dissertation 440 17.6 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

To pass the module students must pass the evaluation of the two subjects that compose it.

In the table, the hours of dedication to each activity are not specified because they may vary from one student to another. The approximate total hours of the student's personal work are specified in the table in the "Methodology" section.

The exercises of the subject EGYPTOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY will consist of:

1) Exercises on the use of repertories of sources and specialised bibliographical tools.

2) A short paper on an Egyptological institution.

3) A short paper on a major archaeological mission in Egypt.

4) Exercises on the preparation of a bibliography and critical apparatus.

5) Exercises with the hieroglyphic word processor and other software used in Egyptology.

6) Editing of Egyptian texts in hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic, and Coptic scripts; on papyrus, on ostracon or epigraphic texts.

7) A book review.

Since the main aim of these exercises is to prepare the student for the completion of the final dissertation, they will essentially be assessed on the basis of the dissertation itself. For this reason, for the purposes of the final mark for the module, they are assigned a specific weight of only 5%.

As for the FINAL MASTER'S DISSERTATION, the following will be assessed:

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

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

c) Public oral presentation with ICT support (10%).

With regard to the grading review procedure, teachers will inform students of this procedure at the time of each assessment activity.

With regard to make-up tests, the teacher will agree the dates with the students, which must be within the month following the original test. Students who have passed a testbutwish to improve their marks may also sit the make-up test. The final master's dissertation is not subject to recovery.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exercises of the subject "Methodology of Egyptological Research" 5% 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
Final Master's dissertation 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

Cervelló Autuori, J. 20262. Escrituras, lengua y cultura en el antiguo Egipto. Bellaterra: Edicions UAB.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See the document: "Orientaciones para la confección del Trabajo de Fin de Máster".

Software

JSesh, hieroglyphic writing software.

It can be downloaded free of charge from: https://jsesh.qenherkhopeshef.org/