Harvard University is offering a free online course on the archaeology and history surrounding the Pyramids at Giza. Led by Harvard professor Peter Der Manuelian, “Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology” invites learners to explore the Giza Plateau and discover the history and methods of modern archaeology.
This 8-module course introduces how and why the pyramids were built, examines the age of western explorers and expeditions into Egypt, and dispels myths about the pyramid-builders. Participants will learn some of the fundamentals of Egyptian scripts as well as the standard archaeological methods for dating tombs. Colorful case studies feature archaeologists’ insights about particular Giza sites, texts, and finds.
“When people think of Giza, they think of the pyramids and the Great Sphinx — and they should, they are amazing monuments, but digging deeper reveals hundreds of tombs with decorated wall scenes and texts that inform us about every aspect of life in ancient Egypt, as well as contain mysteries waiting to be solved.”
—Professor Der Manuelian
Known for bringing new technologies into his research and teaching, Der Manuelian showcases how digital tools like 3D-modeling are providing new ways to visualize, preserve, and access the ancient archaeological site. Participants will learn how to explore publicly-accessible digital archives, including Digital Giza: The Giza Project at Harvard University.
“Giza is a vast, open-air museum, not without its challenges. One of the ways to confront those challenges is to think about new ways to see the site and, by that, I mean the 3D visualization and modeling that we’ve been experimenting with over the past few years,” said Der Manuelian.
Learners can enroll for free at any time on the course page for “Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology.”
About Peter Der Manuelian
Peter Der Manuelian is the Philip J. King Professor of Egyptology at Harvard University. He is director of the Harvard Semitic Museum, oversees the Giza Project at Harvard, and directs the MA Program in Museum Studies at the Harvard Extension School.
Der Manuelian’s primary research interests include ancient Egyptian history, archaeology, digital epigraphy and visualization, the development of mortuary architecture, and the iconographic nature of Egyptian language and culture in general. He received his Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago in 1990.
About HarvardX
HarvardX empowers the faculty of Harvard University to create high-quality online courses using cutting-edge technology in subjects ranging from computer science to history, education, and religion. These resources enable groundbreaking research in online pedagogies and are also made available for use in on-campus courses.
Additional Assets
