Dr. Jen Thum | Exploring Ancient Egypt in New England’s Academic Museums

More than five thousand miles away from the Nile, New England boasts a number of impressive collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts across several world-class museums. Egyptologist Jen Thum provides an interactive close look at three Egyptian objects from the Haffenreffer Museum, RISD Museum, and Harvard Art Museums.

Jen Thum is Assistant Director of Academic Engagement and Assistant Research Curator at the Harvard Art Museums. She received her PhD from the Joukowsky Institute at Brown in 2019 and is a specialist in the art and archaeology of ancient Egypt. Jen’s work has included a range of object-based studies in various museums and a dissertation on Egyptian royal stelae carved into living-rock features. She is dedicated to fostering public dialogue about the ancient world and is a member of the Archaeological Institute of America’s Outreach and Education Committee, as well as a frequent participant in Skype a Scientist.

Resources referenced in the talk:

Richard Barnes, Desert Advertising: https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/collections/object/159843?position=0
RTI and digital epigraphy at the Haffenreffer: https://www.brown.edu/research/facilities/haffenreffer-museum/news/2013-12/using-rti-and-digital-epigraphy-haffenreffer
Uncovering Ancient Egypt exhibition landing page: https://www.brown.edu/research/facilities/haffenreffer-museum/uncovering-ancient-egypt-ancient-crafts-modern-technologies
Uncovering Ancient Egypt iPad interface: https://www.brown.edu/research/facilities/haffenreffer-museum/sites/brown.edu.research.facilities.haffenreffer-museum/files/multimedia/Egypt%20Exhibit%20PowerPoint.pdf
Article on Uncovering Ancient Egypt: Thum and Troche (2016), “Visitor as Researcher: Making Archaeology More Accessible with Broken and Unprovenienced Objects.” Advances in Archaeological Practice 4:4, 537–549.
Think Like an Archaeologist: https://sites.google.com/a/brown.edu/think-like-an-archaeologist/
Article on Think Like an Archaeologist: Ducady et al. (2016), “Archaeology and the Common Core: Using Objects and Methodology to Teach Twenty-First-Century Skills in Middle School.” Advances in Archaeological Practice 4:4, 517–536.
Stela of Heni: https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/funerary-stela-heni-38208
An Educator’s Handbook for Teaching about the Ancient World: http://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/download.asp?id={2610430B-364D-4E4D-A788-540E702B4ED0}
Coloring Ancient Egypt: https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/article/coloring-ancient-egypt-an-activity-book-for-kids-of-all-ages

Thursday, October 22, 2020
Brown University