AUC Launched New Book Spotlights Power of Women in Ancient Egypt

AUC Launched New Book Spotlights Power of Women in Ancient Egypt

 

From “Hatshepsut” and “Nefertiti” to everyday women from the artisan village of Deir el-Medina, a new volume edited by Mariam Ayad ‘94, associate professor in AUC’s Department of Sociology, Egyptology and Anthropology, offers a comprehensive look into the autonomy of women in ancient Egyptian society.

The book titled “Women in Ancient Egypt: Revisiting Power, Agency, and Autonomy” is the result of a 2019 conference held at AUC, during which Ayad and fellow scholars and Egyptologists discussed their research and findings on women in ancient Egypt across multiple domains such as law, portrayal in literature and access to power.

Following the conference, Ayad began compiling and editing the book.

Ayad said that “The volume provides an in-depth exploration of several facets of the female experience in ancient Egypt, examining their participation in the economic domain, their professional capacity, and identity,” she explained. “Many of the papers in this volume are the result of recent doctoral research by their authors, so it really is hot-off-the-press, cutting-edge research.”