Objectives

As the introduction to chapter 3 makes clear, a strong, popular fascination with Ancient Egyptian art and culture has existed since Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, and the beginnings of systematic archaeological investigations of the "Land Along the Nile" that started in the late eighteenth century. While much of Egyptian history remains unexplored, the fascination with Egypt has supported generations of exploration and we now have a reasonably reliable history of the culture. In this chapter, the aim is to grasp the essentials of that history as it is illustrated and expressed through works of art and architecture.

Goals for this chapter include:

• Appreciate the fact that you are learning about a place that has a very long history.

• Grasp the basic divisions of Egyptian history into the Pre-Dynastic, Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom periods.

• Recognize the fundamental artistic decisions that were made in the Old Kingdom period and watch the slow evolution of those characteristics over Egyptian history.

• Gain an understanding of the close relationship of Egyptian art and Egyptian religion, especially the Egyptian preoccupation with death and beliefs about the afterlife.

• Learn to use art to recognize Egyptian divisions of society: those who controlled, and those who were controlled.