History, culture and societies: Ancient Egypt and the Near East

lglor1514  2025-2026  Louvain-la-Neuve

History, culture and societies: Ancient Egypt and the Near East
The version you’re consulting is not final. This course description may change. The final version will be published on 1st June.
5.00 credits
45.0 h
Q1 and Q2

  This learning unit is not being organized during year 2025-2026.

Language
French
Main themes
Alternating with LARKE1553, this course deals with the following themes:
  • Overview of the socio-political history of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, Levant, Anatolia, Iran)
  • The typology of historical sources at the basis of historical reconstruction
  • An approach to the major cultural and literary milestones of ancient Egypt and the Near East in their geographical, historical and societal context
  • Introduction to the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern peoples and their close relationship with the natural environment
  • Discovery of the major literary works of Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East
  • Introduction to the concept of cultural memory
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Part Egypt
Knowledge:
  • Acquire a fundamental knowledge of the rich system of Egyptian beliefs and their relationship to the natural environment
  • Understand the dynamic links between religion, ritual, royal power and the wider socio-political context
  • Understand the dynamics between literary production, royal power and the wider socio-political context
  • Discover and understand the concept of cultural memory
Know-how:
  • Explain how Egyptian beliefs were rooted in the natural world, and how they shaped worldviews.
  • Set the major religious currents of ancient Egypt in their political context, and analyze their close interaction with royal power.
  • Identify the major works of Egyptian literature, describe their themes and decipher the references they make to the socio-political context.
Ancient Near East section
Knowledge:
  • Acquire a fundamental knowledge of the socio-political history of the Ancient Near East
  • Acquire a basic knowledge of the various historical sources relating to the Ancient Near East
  • Acquire a basic knowledge of the religious systems of the Ancient Near East
Know-how:
  • be able to describe the main political and historical events in the Ancient Near East
  • Describe the major works of Ancient Near Eastern literature and their themes
  • describe the main religious aspects of the Ancient Near East
 
Content
Egypt section
This course introduces and illustrates a series of fundamental notions that provide a better understanding of ancient Egyptian culture and thought. By addressing religion and its relationship to the natural world, as well as literature, it constitutes a necessary counterpart to the LARKE1553 course, which focuses on material culture. Beliefs and literature are considered and discussed in the light of their socio-political and historical context. The concept of cultural memory is also addressed and explained.
Ancient Near East section
The course is an introduction to the socio-political and cultural history of the Ancient Near East (Mesopotamia, the Levant, Anatolia and Iran). It will focus on Ancient Near Eastern political history (including major historical developments) on the one hand, and Ancient Near Eastern literature (including major works, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh) on the other. In addition, there is a general introduction to the various religious systems attested in the Ancient Near East. In addressing these themes, it forms a necessary counterpart to the LARKE1553 course, which focuses on material culture.
Teaching methods
Ex cathedra course given by means of ppt that are well illustrated, including maps, texts and pictures
Evaluation methods
  • An oral exam based on written preparation
  • The student will be questioned successively by the two teachers.
Online resources
Moodle platform for this course
Section Egypt
  • Powerpoint    presentation    (available    on Moodle)
Section Ancient Near East
  • Syllabus (available on Moodle)
  • Powerpoint    presentation    (available    on Moodle)
Bibliography
Partie Égypte
Assmann, Jan
2010.    La mémoire culturelle. Écriture, souvenir et imaginaire politique dans les civilisations antiques, Paris, Aubier.
Hornung, Erik
2007 [1996].    L'esprit du temps des pharaons.
Tallet,    Pierre,    Frédéric    Payraudeau,    Chloé
Ragazzoli, and Claire Somaglino
2019.    L'Égypte pharaonique: histoire, société,
culture. Mnémosya. Paris: Armand Colin

Partie Proche-Orient ancien
Van de Mieroop, Marc
2016.    A history of the ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC, 2nd ed. Blackwell History of the
Ancient World. Chichester; Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-
Blackwell.
Le syllabus contient aussi une bibliographie
Faculty or entity


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Bachelor in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures

Bachelor in Ancient Languages and Literatures: Oriental Studies

Minor in Literary Studies (only available for reenrolment)

Minor in Antiquity: Egypt, Eastern World, Greece, Rome

Minor "Decentering History: Subalternities and postcolonial Studies"