ARCE-NT: Chicago on the Nile: The Story of the University of Chicago in Egypt by Emily Teeter

Lecture Information

Chicago on the Nile relates the colorful story of the University of Chicago’s Epigraphic Survey expedition to Egypt, from its conception in 1924 by the first American Egyptologist, James Henry Breasted, through its development over the course of a century to become the major scientific and social presence it is today—not just in Egypt but throughout the world.

Initially envisioned as a small group of scientists devoted to documenting the ancient historical inscriptions and reliefs on the walls of the temple of Medinet Habu in Luxor, the Epigraphic Survey’s work grew to encompass many of the most important sites in Egypt, including Karnak, Luxor Temple, the tomb of Kheruef, Saqqara, Abydos, and the Beit el-Wali temple in Nubia. The story places this work within the larger contexts of Egyptian and international politics, the vicissitudes of the world’s financial situation, and academic policies.

Drawing on hundreds of letters and photos, most of them previously unpublished, the book explores why the Epigraphic Survey chose specific sites for its work, the often grand expectations for its projects and publication program, and the ultimate results. The history of Chicago House, the Survey’s headquarters and residence, is described in detail and offers many amusing anecdotes of social life there over the past century. As such, Chicago on the Nile provides a who’s who of Egyptologists and archaeologists who worked for and interacted with the Survey to save the endangered texts and reliefs on the ancient monuments of the Nile Valley.

Speaker Bio

Emily Teeter holds a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. She is a Research Associate of the Negaunee Integrative Research Center, the Field Museum in Chicago, and an Associate of the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago. For many years a curator and special exhibits coordinator at the Oriental Institute (now ISAC), she is now co-curator for the new galleries of Egyptian and African art at the Field Museum scheduled to open in 2028. Her main area of interest includes the intersection of material culture and popular religion. She is the author of many books and articles, including Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt, Egypt and the Egyptians (with Douglas Brewer), and most recently, Chicago on the Nile, a monograph recounting a century of work by the University of Chicago’s Epigraphic Survey. She serves as the editor of the Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, and she has consulted on a wide range of museum and multi-media projects.