Hypatia of Alexandria is the perfect example of how dangerous being an eloquent, educated woman in the ancient world could be. Born ca. 355-370 C.E., sadly little is known about Hypatia's life. She was the daughter of Theon, a renowned Alexandrian mathematician, who taught at the Museum of Alexandria (a center of learning dedicated to the Muses, and part of the great Library of Alexandria). Guided by her father, Hypatia received a well-rounded education and soon became a reno

Today I'd like to talk about a really important and culturally- significant ancient Egyptian city, which rose to prominence during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods: Alexandria. This is the first in a series of posts about Alexandria and some of its most famous inhabitants, so stay tuned for more over the coming days! In 331 B.C.E., Macedonian King Alexander III conquered the country of Egypt, wresting it from Persian control. He stayed for only a few months, and when he left h

Welcome to the first #ThutmoseTuesday! Each Tuesday, in honor of my favorite pharaonic family, I'll be posting about some aspect of Egyptian history or culture pertaining to the 18th Dynasty and/or the Thutmoside pharaohs. This week, I've got an intriguing and oft-overlooked episode from the middle of the 18th Dynasty, involving Thutmose IV, the Sphinx, and a whole lot of sand. Thutmose IV was the eighth king of the 18th Dynasty; he was preceded by Amenhotep II, succeeded by

One of the most recognizable elements of ancient Egyptian culture is the distinctive writing style known as "hieroglyphics." Hieroglyphics are "pictographs," symbols/images that represent a certain word or phrase. Egyptian hieroglyphics are very ancient, dating back to the dawn of the dynastic period; however, they are not the oldest known form of writing, being predated by Sumerian cuneiform from Mesopotamia (Iraq). Like any language, over the centuries hieroglyphics changed

Before you can engage in any kind of in-depth exploration of ancient Egyptian history and culture, it's vital that you have an understanding of how Egyptologists divide and categorize Egypt's history. In my posts you'll probably see me throwing around terms like "New Kingdom" or "Second Intermediate Period." Don't worry if you don't recognize these names yet... you will! OUTLINE A post about the intricacies of dating and organizing ancient Egyptian history could get really co

When I tell people that I'm majoring in egyptology, one of the most common follow-up questions I get is: "So, what is that, exactly?" While I recognize that there are many people out there familiar with the field of egyptology and everything it entails, I've gotten the impression that most of the general public is unaware of the finer details of the discipline and what being an egyptologist truly means. So here we go! First thing's first: mummies. This seems to the be point t