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SUMMARY:Conference: Alternative Geographies for Egyptology in the 21st Cen
 tury - Speaker to be confirmed
DTSTART:20251023T080000Z
DTEND:20251023T170000Z
UID:TALK239647@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Federico Zangani
DESCRIPTION:This conference addresses the need for new and alternative geo
 graphies in Egyptology\, with a view to questioning how we understand anci
 ent Egypt internally\, relationally\, and theoretically. The conception of
  Egypt as a homogenous\, territorial nation-state is not only a modern dis
 tortion due to the Eurocentric development of Egyptology\, but also the de
 liberate product of the ancient Egyptian worldview\, elite culture\, and r
 oyal ideology. Alternative geographies are therefore needed in order to ac
 hieve a more realistic understanding of ancient Egypt in its complexity an
 d diversity\, and Global History may outline three possible avenues for th
 eir definition and implementation. The first\, within Egypt\, is the analy
 sis of localities\, the agency of citizens at the local level\, and the ne
 tworks that localities and citizens formed: this should dismantle the unre
 alistic notion of the homogeneity of Egypt as a centralized state under th
 e control of the pharaonic monarchy. The second avenue of research is conn
 ectivity: the ancient Egyptian civilization should be reappraised not as a
  unique and exceptional phenomenon\, but as the product of its global inte
 rconnectedness across Africa\, the Near East\, and the Mediterranean\, in 
 a “glocal” perspective. Finally\, the third avenue consists of compara
 tive and theoretical research across temporal\, spatial\, and disciplinary
  boundaries\, regardless of direct connections\, which should challenge Eg
 yptological knowledge against place-specific situations across the entire 
 spectrum of world history and human experience. Such geographies should tr
 anscend the pre-established physical and conceptual boundaries of Egypt an
 d enlarge the scope for Egyptological research\, so as to explain the conc
 atenation of very specific\, local situations with large-scale\, global ph
 enomena. This conference will gather specialists of ancient Egypt\, Africa
 \, the Near East\, and the Mediterranean\, whose work investigates people\
 , places\, and the global networks of political and economic power of whic
 h pharaonic Egypt was but one component. The conference is also expected t
 o generate comparanda that may outline additional avenues towards these al
 ternative geographies by engaging with a wide range of data\, theories\, a
 nd methodologies across world history.\n\nThe conference will take place i
 n the seminar room of the McDonald Institute on 23-24 October. Attendance 
 is free (up to full room capacity)\, but registration is required. If inte
 rested\, please email Dr Federico Zangani by Monday\, 13th October\, speci
 fying your dietary requirements.\n\nYou can find the full programme & abst
 ract available here for reference
LOCATION:McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Seminar Room
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