São Paulo – Ponta Grossa State University (UEPG), in the Brazilian state of Paraná, is hosting the 4th National Summit of Egyptology Studies: Religion and Religiosity, from the 16th to the 18th this month. At the event, scholars from Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul will present their latest research on religiosity in Ancient Egypt.
The summit is coordinated by Moacir Santos, an archaeologist currently pursuing a postdoctoral degree in history at the UEPG. According to him, studies on Ancient Egypt are becoming more widespread in Brazil. “This is an expanding field. I started studying in the 90s, and over time, interest in the subject has grown.”
Santos mentions that the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Campos de Andrade University Centre (Uniandrade, in Paraná), among others, currently boast Egyptology study groups.
In all, the event will be attended by seven Brazilian researchers in the field, in addition to students presenting their research on the matter.
In his presentation, Santos will deliver an analysis of Egyptian tombs. He explains that the inscriptions on graves were designed to provide the buried with directions to arrive at the world of the dead. “We can say the Egyptian tomb is like a resurrection machine whose purpose is to help the dead to be reborn in the afterworld,” the researcher says.
According to the archaeologist, Egyptology studies in Brazil are mostly based on books, research centres and studies of archaeological artefacts found in museums. According to Santos, most of the bibliography available on the subject is written in English, French and German.
However, he highlights the importance of students becoming familiar with ancient Egyptian language, and notes that Fluminense Federal University (UFF) already offers the subject in its curriculum.
Another relevant aspect of Brazilian Egyptology studies is the fact that more researchers are traveling to Egypt to participate in excavations. “Maurício Schneider, who will attend the summit, has taken part in four campaigns in Egypt, alongside groups from France,” says Santos. He also remarks that postgraduate programs enable students to apply for overseas research funding.
Regarding the publication of Brazilian research in the field, Santos tells that he has published an article in English in a magazine from Portugal. The text is about a groundbreaking piece of research of his on the Tothmea mummy, currently located at the Museu Egípcio e Rosacruz de Curitiba. The mummy is roughly 2,700 years old. In the piece, Santos discusses the mummy’s history and provides a digital facial reconstruction of it, created in partnership with the artist Cícero Moraes. The archaeologist stresses that research pieces must be published in English, so other researchers around the world have access to them.
The National Egyptology Summit will take place alongside the First National Journey into Ancient and Medieval History, and is open to the public.
Service
4th National Egyptology Summit
September 16th to 18th
Ponta Grossa State University
Auditório Hall Tecnológico e Central de Salas
Campus Uvaranas – Av. General Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748
Registration costs R$ 20 (US$ 8.75 at current exchange rates)
The full program and registration instructions are available at http://migre.me/lzWco
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
