In-Person Lectures

April 9: Great Beginnings

An overview of Egyptian civilization: the geography, the Nile, a description of chronologies. Early inhabitants along the Nile valley and the Predynastic and early Dynastic eras.

April 16: The Glory Age: The Old Kingdom

A look at the great Pyramid Age, an era of unprecedented wealth and royal power, which manifested in colossal building projects and the cult of the divine king. What led to the Old Kingdom’s rise – and its fall? The focus will be on Lower Egypt: the sites of Sakkara, Dashur, Meidum, Giza and more.

April 23: The Sun Kings to the Decline of the Old Kingdom

Finishing the Fourth Dynasty and the immortal works of the “God” kings of Giza, including the Sphinx. Then looking at the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties of Egypt, the rise of Sun Temples and Pyramid texts.

April 30: Topsy Turvy Times to Stability: The First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom

What happened after the Old Kingdom? We will explore the first of Egypt’s chaotic intermediate periods and how it affected life, government and art. Then a discussion of the great Middle Kingdom period, when Egypt’s kings became strong again.

May 7: From the Hyksos Invasion to the Beginning of the Great New Kingdom

The invasion of the Hyksos (from the Levant) led to a very fragmented and divided Egypt. The origins of the New Kingdom – the great new Dynasty from Luxor – and the ultimate triumph over the North (Hyksos) and the South (the Nine Bows) from Nubia.

May 14: The Golden Age of Egypt – The New Kingdom 18^th Dynasty Part 1

From the remarkable building projects of Hatshepsut, the woman who would be king, to Thutmosis III, the Napoleon of Egypt, and the riches of Amenhotep III. Exploring the first half of the greatest dynasty of all.

May 21: The Golden Age of Egypt – The New Kingdom 18^th Dynasty Part 2

The Amarna period began with Amenhotep III and continued with his son, who called himself Akhenaten. This exciting finale of the 18^th Dynasty delves into the madness of Akhenaten, the heretic Pharaoh, and his religion of light.

May 28:  The Great Ramessides

The 19th Dynasty ushers in the “Ramses” line of kings, a family of tough soldiers with superb talent on the battleground. From Seti and Ramses the Great to Ramses III, Egypt continued to enjoy success on the world stage. This finale talk will celebrate Ramses the Great and his battles, achievements and some of Egypt’s most iconic monuments, including Abu Simbel.

Laura Ranieri Roy is an Egyptologist, writer, storyteller and founder-director of Ancient Egypt Alive. She has excavated in Egypt at the site of Amarna and South Asasif, and at a classical Greek site in Bulgaria. A popular speaker and presenter, she recently delivered a well-received 2023 TEDX talk on Ancient Egypt legacy. As an educator, she has taught at LLIR at Glendon, LLL Innis, Learning Unlimited Etobicoke, Trent University and the University of Toronto (Continuing Ed). She has also presented extensively on ancient Egypt at museums, symposiums and societies across North America and online through ancientegyptalive.com. As a professional writer and storyteller, Laura creates and personally guides history-focused, in-depth tours to Egypt each year.

www.ancientegyptalive.com
https://ancientegyptalive.com/book-laura/

Check out her new Secrets of Egypt Revealed free podcast.

Week 1:
Click here for Ancient Egypt Chronology
Click here for a Recommended Reading List

Week 2:
Click here for Mastabas, Step, Meidum, Bent & Red Pyramids
Click here for Who Built The Pyramids
Podcast: My own “Secrets of Egypt Revealed” Podcast  is for anyone who enjoys educational podcasts – and travelling to the sites virtually. It is created with my Egyptologist husband, Francois Roy.
There are 4 episodes at the beginning pertaining to the pyramids: https://secrets-of-ancient-egypt.buzzsprout.com/ – Find us on Spotify and Apple
Videos:
    My Ancient Egypt Alive youtube channel 
    New Grand Egyptian Museum video
    New Discoveries 2023
    Cairo Museum Director – My 2022 Interview 

More great resources on the Pyramids

• Great Video on King Sneferu, father of Khufu and the Greatest Pyramid Builder of all 
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ammeqdk_Ma4
• Great Pyramid – New discoveries 2017 – Oldest Papyrus, Port & Boat… – Good one!
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyQpxzbL_BM
• Decoding the Great Pyramid Documentary – Another really good one! 2019  
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Bda0Ajfk
• Building of the Pyramids
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgDL0aY8RmU

Instruction of Amenemhat: Middle Kingdom Literature – I hope you may be interested to take a look.
https://www.scribd.com/document/373246040/Instruction-of-King-Amenemhet-pdf

Middle Kingdom of Egypt

• Middle Kingdom Literature Read the Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor in translation https://www.storynory.com/the-tale-of-the-shipwrecked-sailor/
• Read the Story of Sinuhe https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/storysinuhe/
• 2017 discovery of the pyramid of a princess: Follow Dr. Chris Naunton as he investigates the opening of a Princess’s pyramid in 2017 – the burial chamber of which seems not to have been penetrated!
• A wonderful resource for you with downloadable assets on the pyramids and tombs of the Middle Kingdom!
• Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom – A link to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s publication – which can be purchased. Also dig deeper for access to other online materials here

New Kingdom

• Two excellent videos (although older) by Dr. John Romer, called the “Beethoven” of historical documentaries (and my personal fave Egyptologist presenter)
  • Craftsmen of Deir el Medina
  • Ancient Lives Part 2
• Two interesting blogs of mine – one on Sphinxes/Avenue of Sphinxes
  • https://ancientegyptalive.com/2021/11/25/egyptian-sphinxes-beyond-the-avenue/#:~:text=The%20Avenue%20of%20Sphinxes%20is,known%20as%20the%20southern%20palace.
  • One on Valley of the Kings:
  • https://ancientegyptalive.com/2021/12/09/princes-parents-rebel-queens-and-royal-pets-who-else-was-buried-in-the-valley-of-the-kings/
• Authoritative website on Valley of the Kings www.thebanmappingproject.com
• Great Kings (including Seti I)
• Read: The Woman who would be King – recent book by Dr. Kara Cooney

Amarna Period

• People at Amarna – Excellent history of archaeology lecture by Dr. Chris Naunton
• For Amarna period, see Barry Kemp. The city of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. And the Amarna Project website
• Tutankhamun in Colour – Excellent documentary with Dr. Elizabeth Frood
• Amarna 3D website

Join Canadian Egyptologist Laura Ranieri Roy for an in-depth guided tour through the ROM’s Egyptian collection on the third floor on Thursday, June 6th.  You will learn the secrets behind many of the objects – as well as the stories of how they came into the collection.

Here is a chance to enhance all your learning from the Age of the Pharaohs course!

Click on this Eventbrite link to reserve your spot.

The tour with Laura is free, but you must arrange your own admission.

To be part of this tour, please pre-book your ROM admission ticket at www.rom.on.ca or call 416-586-8000 for assistance booking.

We will meet at the ROM entrance (Old University Ave entrance – not Bloor Street) on Thursday June 6th at:

• 10:15 AM for the early tour.
• 12:45 PM for the later tour

If you arrive after, the group may be in the Egyptian collection on the third floor Egyptian collection.