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MUSEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EGYPTOLOGY
CHRISTIAN GRECO
Academic year2023/24
CourseSTUDIES ON ANCIENT EGYPT, NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST
Code1389L
Credits6
PeriodSemester 2
LanguageEnglish

ModulesAreaTypeHoursTeacher(s)
MUSEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EGYPTOLOGYL-OR/02LEZIONI36
CHRISTIAN GRECO unimap
Syllabus not available in selected language
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
  • The students will gain a good overview of the main issues concerning archaeological and, specifically, Egyptological museums.
  • They will grasp the definition of archaeological objects’ materiality both from a scientific and anthropological point of view.
  • They will be knowledgeable about the evolution of archaeological theories and methodologies through the centuries as well as the milestones in modern Egyptological history.
  • They will reflect on and form their opinions about the ethical issues involved in displaying human remains.
  • They will learn about the current international regulations for archaeology and for the protection of cultural heritage.
  • They will develop critical thinking tools to face the challenges related to the management of museums, including issues about cultural legitimacy, cultural colonialism, ethics and sustainability.
  • They will be knowledgeable about the evolution of archaeological theories and methodologies through the centuries as well as the milestones in modern Egyptological history.
Assessment criteria of knowledge

In-class Research Presentation                                                                

The students will select a research topic for a paper, on a subject of their choice as it relates to the course.  They will present the paper to the class.  They will be assessed based on clarity, research, as well as merit of the 10-minute oral presentation.  

Final Paper (15 pages)                                                                                       

For their final paper the students may choose any topic related to the themes of this course, falling within its historical parameter. The students are encouraged to select as topic that is narrow and feasible enough to be addressed in maximum 15 pages.

Skills

The students will acquire the intellectual tools to address the main ethical issues and challenges of museums and they will form their own idea on how to build a sustainable context for cultural heritage. 

They will develop critical thinking tools to face the challenges related to the management of museums, including issues about cultural legitimacy, cultural colonialism, ethics and sustainability.

Assessment criteria of skills

Oral presentation by the students during classes and final paper.

Behaviors

Students are expected to be engaged in discussions and debates, guided by the instructor.

The participation in discussions, based on readings and visits, is a must.

Assessment criteria of behaviors

Participation in discussions forms a vital part of the course. 

Students should be prepared to discuss as well as to participate in group activities. 

They are expected to complete  readings in advance of class attendance, and to participate and contribute to discussion.  

Prerequisites

No prerequisites are needed.

Teaching methods

Lectures

The lectures will provide historical knowledge, highlight the intellectual contexts of the required readings, spell out key concepts and outline analytical implications.

Classroom discussions on readings and visits

Students are expected to be engaged in discussions and debates, guided by the instructor. The participation in discussions, based on readings and visits, is a must.

Papers on assigned topics

Students will write one individual paper based on the course readings and the experience made on the field.

Individual presentation

Students will be asked to give a public presentation, providing a critical evaluation of the proposed topic.

Syllabus

Museum collections are often perceived as static entities hidden away in storerooms or trapped behind showcases. By focusing on the dynamic histories of museum collections, new research reveals their pivotal role in shaping a wide range of social relations. Over time and across space the interactions between these artefacts and the people and institutions who made, traded, collected and exhibited them have generated complex networks of material and social agency. This class will draw on a broad range of source materials to explore the cross-cultural interactions which have created museum collections.

As European nation-states came of age in the nineteenth century, museums and archaeology played critical roles in constructing each nation’s ideas of its distinctive heritage and identity. A theoretical overview of those historical elements will be at the basis of a more conscious reflection on the role of contemporary museums, both in Europe and in the Gulf area. How museums deal with their history? How to define their identity? What is their future? How should a museum tackle ethical issues?

Bibliography

Recommended textbooks

At the end of the course the students will give a presentation and write a paper on a topic of their choice. The broad bibliography here listed covers the variety of subjects that will be presented during classes and the students are required to read part of the books before classes according to a schedule that will be given during our first meeting.

Macdonald, A Companion to Museum Studies, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011

Bernice L. Murphy (edited by), Museums, Ethics and cultural heritage, Routledge, 2017, chapters 1,2,5,10,12,20,21,30,32, appendix I, appendix II,

  1. Stevenson, Egyptian Archaeology and the Twenty-First Century Museum,Cambridge 2002
  2. Thompson, Wonderful Things. A history of Egyptology 1. 1: From Antiquity to 1881, American University in Cairo press, 2015
  3. Thompson, Wonderful Things. A history of Egyptology 2. The Golden Age: 1881–1914, American University in Cairo press, 2016
  4. Thompson, Wonderful Things. A history of Egyptology 3. From 1914 to the Twenty-first Century, American University in Cairo press, 2018
Non-attending students info

Non attending students are required to get in touch with the lecturer (christian.greco@museoegizio.it) to get further instructions.

Assessment methods

Partecipation in discussion forms a vital part of the course. The students should be prepared to discuss. By the middle of the class term the students should select a research topic for the final paper and for the in class presentation.

The paper will be graded paying attention to the following elements: familiarity with the topic, critical thinking, independent thinking, ability to read and understand literature, ability to write accurately  on an academic topic in a rigorous manner.

Notes

Classes will start on Monday, April 29th.

Timetable:

MUSEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF EGYPTOLOGY

  • Monday, 29 April 2024 12:00-16:15 Classroom SAL2 - PISA  
  • Tuesday, 30 April 2024 09:00-12:15 Classroom SAL2 - PISA  
  • Thursday, 2 May 2024 15:00 - 17:30 Museo Egizio - TORINO  
  • Friday, 3 May 2024 15:00 - 18:15 Museo Egizio - TORINO  
  • Monday, 6 May 2024 09:00-13:15 Museo Egizio - TORINO 
  • Tuesday,7 May 2024 09:00-13:15 Museo Egizio - TORINO  
  • Wednesday, 8 May 2024 09:00-13:15 Museo Egizio - TORINO  
  • Thursday, 9 May 2024 09:00-13:15 Museo Egizio - TORINO  

Final paper:

Please get in touch with the Lecturer (christian.greco@museoegizio.it)

Deadline to provide the final paper:

8 July 2024 --> Evaluation on 19 July 2024

22 July 2024 --> Evaluation on 31 July 2024

20 September 2024 --> Evaluation on 27 September 2024

Updated: 24/05/2024 16:41