Recordings will be made available for those unable to attend the live sessions!
This 5-week course explores the roles, lives, and representations of women in ancient Egyptian society as shown through surviving artistic evidence primarily from the New Kingdom but also from the following Third Intermediate Period, Late Period and Graeco-Roman period (c. 1550 BCE–395 CE). Each week will highlight women from a variety of archaeological contexts and historical settings to explore what we can learn about women and gender ideals as depicted in ancient images. From female pharaohs to God’s Wives to everyday women as wives and mothers, this course will examine women’s role as portrayed in ancient Egyptian art while also including a focus on early female Egyptologists and influential women who contributed to the discipline.
Wall scene illustrating female deities from the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens
This course will be suitable for anyone with an interest in Egyptian art, and there is no prior learning required. Recommended but optional reading will be provided for every session. You will enjoy this course if you are interested in women, gender studies and ideals in ancient Egypt, Egyptian art, and learning more about some pivotal women involved in early Egyptology!
Tutor
Jen Turner
Course Outline
Please note that main content will be delivered between 18:00-19:30, though some optional participation (quizzes, Q&A, etc.) may continue beyond that time.
Thursday 5 March 2026, 18:00-19:30 (UK time)
Week One - Images of Women and Artistic Narratives
Our first session will provide a brief historical overview and the basic approaches to understanding ancient Egyptian artistic rules and principles especially regarding female figures. To understand the evidence for ancient Egyptian attitudes to women, we’ll look at how women are portrayed, who they engage with and what they are typically shown doing, as well as exploring the most common titles used for women in royal and elite contexts.
Thursday 12 March 2026, 18:00-19:30 (UK time)
Week Two - Goddesses and Women in the Sacred Space
Our second session will explore imagery for key deities such as Isis, Sekhmet, Tawaret and Hathor. We’ll also consider surviving evidence for women’s participation in temple life and festivals including a focus on the God’s Wives of Amun, an important religious role in temple rituals during the later first millennium BCE.
Statues of Hatshepsut in her Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahari.
Thursday 19 March 2026, 18:00-19:30 (UK time)
Week Three - Women as Rulers and Royalty
This session will focus on royal women and early female rulers including (of course!) a case study on Hatshepsut and her surviving art, the depiction of her divine birth at Deir el-Bahari, and political connotations of her monuments and the later attempt to erase her monuments. Key figures like Nefertiti will also be discussed here, considering not only her ancient impact but also the modern legacy of her images.
Thursday 26 March 2026, 18:00-19:30 (UK time)
Week Four - Women in Life and the Afterlife
This session will consider what we can learn about the lives of ancient Egyptian women as daughters, wives, mothers and members of society through surviving monuments and related texts. What can these tell us about women’s rights and experiences? We’ll also explore ideas about their afterlife, including beautiful scenes from Theban tombs as well as interesting inscriptions that tell us more about belief during the later phases of the New Kingdom.
Wall scene of female musicians from the Tomb of Nebamun (The British Museum, EA37984).
Thursday 2 April 2026, 18:00-19:30 (UK time)
Week Five - The Women Recording Ancient Egypt
For our final session, we consider the women who were instrumental in early Egyptology and the preservation of ancient Egyptian monuments. Through case studies such as the EES’ own Amelia Edwards, Nina Davies and Myrtle Broome, we will explore their knowledge and technical skills that shaped our understanding of ancient Egypt and the discipline.
Booking and information
Register for your place in advance using the link below. Here, you can select to pay for optional add-ons. You can buy a personalised certificate for £5.99, featuring your name, the event name and start date, which will be signed by the EES Engagement Manager to confirm your attendance at this online course.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about your booking. If you do not receive your email, then please check your junk folders before contacting the Egypt Exploration Society. The course will be held on our Zoom platform and attendees will be able to interact by asking questions, using the chat and polls. It is not necessary to have a working webcam or microphone for this course. The online course will be complemented by Google Drive, where resources will be uploaded.
Recordings will be made available for those unable to attend the live sessions! These recordings will be available via a YouTube playlist for approximately one month after the final class.
Please ensure that you have read our guide to attending EES events before the course begins.
Portrait of Amelia B Edwards, founder of the EES, and described as the 'Queen of Egyptology'.
