Theory in Egyptology

Forthcoming, 2027

Egyptology is in wider archaeological and historical context known as a discipline which more often than not lacks reflection on its theoretical and methodological background. Although several volumes which critically deal with the research history in Egyptology have appeared in the last few decades, a comprehensive study on the conditions of knowledge about ancient Egypt is still missing. There are several edited volumes and monographs which deal with theory in archaeology and history, however, Egyptology is rarely discussed in these works. This is because Egyptologists rarely reflect on the ways they produce knowledge on ancient Egypt.

The aim of this book is to examine specific epistemological trajectories of Egyptology and their crossings with other disciplines such as philology, archaeology, history and anthropology. In several chapters it presents the different ways knowledge about Ancient Egypt has been formed and perpetuated by antiquarians, evolutionists, philologists, culture-historical archaeologists, processual and post-processual archaeologists. It also examines the influence of gender studies and queer theory on Egyptology, postcolonial criticism of the field and recent new materialist approaches. The book also investigates forms of knowledge that are unique to Egyptology, its rare contributions to general archaeological theory and its specific historical conditions rooted in colonial, postcolonial and neocolonial contexts.

The book will be useful both to experts in the field and students across a range of disciplines.