Koloniale Narrative zum antiken Ägypten

The course will explore special topics in the archaeology of colonialism in northeast Africa, with a special focus on the ancient Nile valley (Egypt and Nubia). Each session will offer introductory discussions and case studies that will allow us to explore the nature of colonial interactions in the region; e.g. the study of Egyptian fortresses in Lower Nubia in the Middle Kingdom; the expansion of the Kerma state through the Middle Nile Valley; the study of colonial centres of power during the New Kingdom and the formation of "peripheries" in colonised Nubia etc. The course will also discuss main theoretical issues in the archaeology of colonialism, which will then be applied to case studies of interest in the ancient Nile Valley. Particular attention will be paid to the role of material culture in the shaping of colonial interactions and the methodological issues that arise from the archaeological study of colonialism in the ancient past. Therefore, the history of disciplines that were embedded in modern colonial practices, such as archaeology and Egyptology, will also be the focus of discussion aiming to deconstruct past historical narratives to identify the remnants of colonial discourses that characterised earlier scholarship.