Events and Activities

UAH HISTORY DEPARTMENT

9/17/2013

AIA Talk: Ancient Languages 23 September 7:30 PM



Dr. Kevin McGeough has graduate degrees from Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania and teaches at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. He has done fieldwork in Israel, Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt and is a specialist in ancient economies and languages.

In his evening talk, Dr. McGeough will introduce the languages of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, describe the history of the alphabet, explore how ancient scripts were deciphered, demonstrate some of the peculiar features of ancient writing, and examine some of the different approaches world cultures have taken to expressing their ideas in written words. 

The next day he will discuss how the conventions used by ancient Near Eastern artists remained stable across shifting political and social situations. Dr. McGeough will explain how to “read” the basics of ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian visual culture.

Puzzling Out Ancient Languages or How an Evil Bird becomes a Word and A Horizontal Wedge becomes a Fish
WHERE:  Wilson Hall Theatre, UAH campus
WHEN:  7:30 PM Monday 23 September


"Reading" Ancient Near Eastern Art
WHERE:  Wilson Hall 168, UAH Campus
WHEN:  12:45 PM 24 September