Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies

The ancient civilisations of Egypt and of the Near East - Sumer, Assyria, and Babylonia - are foundations of the modern world. Understanding these unique cultures presents a rewarding intellectual challenge.

The undergraduate degrees at Oxford integrate the translation and analysis of original sources in the ancient languages and writing systems (eg hieroglyphs and cuneiform) with the study of archaeological and artistic materials.

It is also possible to combine the study of Egyptology or Ancient Near Eastern Studies with Classics as part of a degree in Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

BA Egyptology and BA Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies

The three-year BA courses in Egyptology and in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies are two closely related Asian and Middle Eastern Studies courses.

The BA in Egyptology is accessed by UCAS code Q400 Egyptology, and the BA in Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies is accessed by UCAS code Q401.

These degree options encompass two related but distinct routes of study. The Egyptology route concentrates on Egyptology and the Egyptian language (accessed by UCAS code Q400 Egyptology). The Ancient Near Eastern Studies route concentrates on Ancient Near Eastern Studies and the Akkadian language of Babylonia and Assyria (accessed by UCAS code Q401 Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies).

Please note that the degree title for course Q401 is expected to change later this year to BA in Assyriology, although the course content will remain the same. In the new structure, the Egyptology route would lead to a BA in Egyptology, and the Ancient Near Eastern Studies route would lead to a BA in Assyriology. 

Both routes offer a wide range of options for the study of the languages, literature, history, and material culture of ancient Egypt and/or the Ancient Near East. No prior knowledge of Egyptian, Akkadian, or any other Ancient Near Eastern language is expected and both routes include core language study.

Egyptology route

In the first year, the Egyptian language is studied intensively in the Middle Egyptian phase (c. 2000-1400 BCE) and students take courses in the history and cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Later in the first year, students choose a subsidiary language or subject in consultation with their tutors.

The course for the final examination is started in the second year. Students learn a subsidiary language chosen from the following: 

  • Akkadian
  • Arabic
  • Aramaic and Syriac
  • Coptic
  • Demotic
  • Early Iranian (including Avestan, Old Persian and/or Middle Persian)
  • Hebrew (Biblical and Rabbinic)

As an alternative to a subsidiary language, it is also possible to take Archaeology and Anthropology as a subsidiary subject, with Egyptology as the main subject.

The subsidiary language is treated in a broadly similar fashion to Egyptian, with work both on language and texts and on history and culture.

Taking Archaeology and Anthropology involves broad training in these disciplines through lectures and weekly tutorials.

During the second and third years, Egyptian is continued with more advanced work in Middle Egyptian, as well as the cursive hieratic script, Old and Late Egyptian. Students also take classes in the Ashmolean Museum during these years to develop their understanding of Egyptian material culture, and artefacts.

As part of the third year of the course, students choose their own areas for more detailed study and research, including a dissertation. Dissertations and special options are often centred on historical, archaeological, or artistic topics, and may include additional areas of language or texts.

Ancient Near Eastern Studies route

In the first year the Akkadian language is studied intensively in the Old Babylonian and Standard Babylonian dialects and students take courses in the history and cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Later in the first year, students choose a subsidiary language or subject in consultation with their tutors.

The course for the final examination is started in the second year. Students learn a subsidiary language chosen from the following:

  • Arabic
  • Aramaic and Syriac
  • Early Iranian (including Avestan, Old Persian and/or Middle Persian)
  • Egyptian
  • Hebrew (Biblical and Rabbinic)
  • Hittite
  • Sumerian

As an alternative to a subsidiary language, it is also possible to take Archaeology and Anthropology as a subsidiary subject, with Ancient Near Eastern Studies as the main subject.

The subsidiary language is treated in a broadly similar fashion to Akkadian, with work both on language and texts and on history and culture.

Taking Archaeology and Anthropology involves broad training in these disciplines through lectures and weekly tutorials.

During the second and third years, Akkadian is continued with more advanced work in Standard Babylonian, as well as material in at least one other dialect and phase of cuneiform script. Students also take classes in the Ashmolean Museum during these years to develop their understanding of Ancient Near Eastern material and to allow them to work with original textual sources (cuneiform tablets).

As part of the third-year of the course, students choose their own areas for more detailed study and research, including a dissertation. One course option involves reading texts of particular interest, which can come from an additional category or time period not covered by the rest of the syllabus.

Dissertations and special options may be centred on cultural, historical, archaeological, or artistic topics, and often include additional areas of language or texts.

Egyptian or Akkadian as a subsidiary language

Egyptian or Akkadian may be studied as a subsidiary language alongside Hebrew as a main subject in a degree in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Akkadian may also be studied alongside Arabic as a main subject.

This will lead to a degree combining the main subject area with Egyptian or Akkadian, eg BA Hebrew with Akkadian.

BA in Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

The joint degree of Classics Asian and Middle Eastern Studies offers opportunities to combine courses across two Faculties. 

Egyptology or Ancient Near Eastern Studies can be studied as a main subject alongside Latin or Greek as a subsidiary language. Alternatively, Classics can be studied as a main subject, alongside Egyptian or Akkadian as a subsidiary language.

Egyptian as a subsidiary language is studied in the Middle Egyptian phase. Akkadian as a subsidiary language is principally studied in the Old and Standard Babylonian dialects. Each subsidiary integrates language with the study of the history and cultures of the relevant area.

The societies of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East had close relationships with the Greek and Roman worlds, so this degree allows the development of detailed intercultural perspectives.