New England: Restructuring the State: The changing roles of civil officials, religious institutions, and military men

Lecture Information

During the Second Intermediate Period not only was the country divided, but the governmental and administrative systems that had been developed and functioned so well during the height of the Middle Kingdom began to change. Power structures were adopted and adapted by the northern Hyksos rulers. The final rulers of the fractured Middle Kingdom were forced to adjust their administrative structures. As the Second Intermediate Period drew to a close and the 17^th Dynasty southern leaders began to grow in power, eventually reuniting the country and emerging as the 18^th Dynasty, they developed a political structure that had its own innovative elements. This lecture will explore some of the ways in which administrative systems were transformed during this period of dynamic change, tracing the evolution of official positions and power from the late Middle Kingdom through to the early 18^th Dynasty.

Speaker Bio

Dr. JJ Shirley received her PhD from The Johns Hopkins University, and has taught Egyptian Art, Archaeology and Language at the University of Michigan, University of Wales, Swansea, and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Bryn Mawr College. Since 2007 she has been the Managing Editor for the Journal of Egyptian History, published by Brill. In 2011 she became the VP of the ARCE-PA Chapter, and in 2012 she became the ARCE National Chapters Council President. In addition, she has served as the US Representative to the IAE since 2015. Dr. Shirley has authored several articles, including a contribution on Second Intermediate Period and 18^th Dynasty administration for the book Ancient Egyptian Administration (HdO 104), and an article on the officials who served under Hatshepsut and Thutmose III for the Theban Workshop publication Creativity and Innovation in the Reign of Hatshepsut (SAOC 69). She has participated on several archaeological projects in Egypt and Syria, and from 2014-2022 led a project to document and record the tomb scenes and inscriptions in Theban Tomb 110, which belonged to the royal butler and royal herald Djehuty, who served both Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. The TT110 Epigraphy, Drawing, and Research Field School is the outgrowth of that project, and trained Egyptian Inspectors from the Ministry of Antiquities in specific archaeological techniques and methodology.