AUC Launches New Archaeology Field Program to Students in Egypt and Abroad
January 22, 2015, Cairo – The American University in Cairo (AUC) launched a new archaeology program to Students in Egypt, Abroad. Beginning this month, archaeology students from around the world will have the chance to conduct field work in Giza for six weeks as part of a joint program between the Egyptology Unit of AUC’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Egyptology and the Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA).“This program gives archaeology students a wonderful opportunity to work in the shadow of the pyramids with world-renowned archaeologists and get hands-on experience with Old Kingdom material,” said Salima Ikram, professor of Egyptology at AUC. “Participants will learn the ins and outs of excavation, from actually digging to analyses, including learning about specialized fields such as archaeozoology and archaeobotany.”
The program is open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students from universities in Egypt and abroad. Because it is field-based, participants will learn systematic techniques for excavation and recording and analyzing found materials.
“This is a unique, intensive program, and we are hoping to increase the number of participants in coming years,” Ikram affirmed.
AUC launched its Egyptology/Coptology master’s program in September 2011. Designed to expose students to different aspects of ancient history, the program provides unique context and hands-on experience for students who aspire to careers in early Egyptian art, archaeology, history and philology.
Candidates for the master’s program choose from three tracks: Egyptology with a concentration in art, archeology and history, Egyptology with a concentration in language study, and written documentation relating to religion, sciences, literature or economics; and Coptology, the study of ancient Egypt’s native Christian society, particularly during the early history of Christianity and its interaction with, and legacy to the world in late Antiquity and early medieval ages. The program follows international guidelines for similar degrees at accredited institutions in the United States.