[Publication] Davidson, Stacy, Emily Cole, Anne Austin, Jess Johnson, Clara McCafferty-Wright, Sara Orel, Kathleen Sheppard, Jason Silvestri, Jen Thum, and Julia Troche. “Understanding Diversity in American Egyptology: Results of the 2021 Egyptology State of the Field Survey.” Interdisciplinary Egyptology 3, no. 1 (May 2024): 1-28. https://doi.org/10.25365/integ.2024.v3.1
[Publication] “Untangling the 19th-Century Roots of Southern Illinois’ Egyptian Regional Identity” in the special volume Beyond Egypt: Relations and Imaginations of the Ancient Past, edited by Bryan Brinkman and Julia Troche, Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections (JAEI) 36, December 2022.
Southern Illinois has been known as “Egypt” or “Little Egypt” for nearly 200 years. In popular culture, the name “Egypt” evokes images of gold, mummies, exploration, and human achievement, but to 19th-century Americans its biblically linked allusions conjured up darker impressions. This article pinpoints the origins of an Egyptian identity in Southern Illinois and its evolution to reflect the negative qualities of moral degeneracy and ignorance caused by the antebellum moral, religious, and ethical arguments surrounding the issues of slavery and white supremacy. Throughout the turbulent 19th century, Egyptian Illinoisans strengthened their regional cohesiveness in spite of and in response to political and social upheavals and retained a shared group identity even as they clashed with waves of multicultural immigration. This article uses an interdisciplinary approach to elucidate these trends by intertwining concepts in Egyptology, American history, theology, political science, and reception studies.
[Publication] Co-authored (with Dr. Sarah Schellinger and Dr. Inês Torres), “Letting the Ancients Speak: Contextualizing Ancient Egyptians through Their Inscribed Objects,” in Teaching Ancient Egypt in Museums: Pedagogies in Practice, edited by Jen Thum, Carl Walsh, Lissette M. Jiménez, Lisa Saladino Haney. Routledge, 13 Feb 2024.
Chapter abstract= “There is a tendency for ancient Nile Valley artifacts to be displayed such that the visual impact of objects is emphasized at the expense of their textual components. Given the inextricable link between artifacts and their inscriptions, how can museum professionals and educators incorporate the written treasure trove of information from objects in museum collections to create a more inclusive and informative experience for students and the public?
This essay analyzes three inscribed artifacts in the care of different institutions and suggests a framework for how museum professionals and educators can adopt an object-centered pedagogical approach which holistically integrates textual and visual information. By illuminating the relationship between text and artistry in artifacts from the material culture of the ancient Nile Valley, educators emphasize observational skills and critical analysis to ponder issues of gender, class, family structure, and ethnicity. Furthermore, students benefit from increasing their exposure to cultures and values not their own while addressing known and unknown biases towards ancient Nile Valley cultures. Using this framework shifts the presentation and interpretation of Nile Valley material culture from the institutionalized approach of an “outsider looking in” to providing a collaborative and interactive platform which relates ancient materials to modern experiences and humanizes ancient voices.”
[Virtual Conference Presentation] ““Indulging in Fantasy Keeps the Mind Creative”: Using Science Fiction to Enhance Creativity in Student Engagement with Ancient Egyptian Primary Texts”
#MOEgypt5, New Directions in Teaching Ancient Egypt and Nubia, 21 Oct 2023
Science fiction utilizes many of the same elements that students struggle with in regards to ancient Egyptian literature including unfamiliar names, lifeways, and cultural beliefs. Multi-dimensional science fiction characters are often considered more relatable than more static descriptions found in ancient primary texts. Through a comparison of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s enigmatic rogue and fan favorite Garak with the ancient Egyptian character of Sinuhe, educators can alleviate some of the alienation of the modern reader with an ancient text. Through an exploration of issues such as place, identity, loneliness, and nostalgia, students are encouraged to use creativity to consider the motivations and emotions of ancient literary characters as well as enhance their approaches to historiography. Educators can prompt students to read a text for what is not present, facilitate discussion about diversity in the ancient world, warn against stereotyping, emphasize the relatability of the human experience, caution against the “telescoping of history,” and consider how the reception of a text influences understanding. By engaging intentionally with popular culture and science fiction, students and educators alike can gain new appreciations for ancient Egyptian literary tales such as that of Sinuhe as well as uncover novel avenues for research.
[Recorded Talk] JCCC Great Books Presentation: “20,000 Leagues Under the Seas” by Jules Verne [1 Feb 2023]
Come for the travel and adventure and stay for my debunking of major misconceptions about the novel as well as an exploration of biographical information about the author and how the culture and times he lived in shaped his work. I’ll conclude with the modern reception of this tale and how themes from the novel still resonate with us today.
[Online Article] SCS Blog: Innovation, Inspiration, and Initiative: Community College Adjuncts in Ancient Studies 15 Aug 2022
[Virtual Conference Presentation] “‘Luminous beings are we’: Force Ghosts and Akhu” – Dr. Julia Troche and Prof. Stacy Davidson, Do ancient Egyptians dream of electric sheep? The reception of ancient Egypt in science fiction conference, Friday 9th July 2021
[Publication] ““Luminous Beings Are We”: Illuminating Ancient Egyptian Akhu via Star Wars’ Force Ghosts” in the No.8 (2024) special issue of Aegyptiaca: Journal of the History of Reception of Ancient Egypt, edited by Eleanor Dobson and Leire Olabarria.
Abstract: In this essay, we argue that popular culture and manufactured realities can help students and researchers explore remote, ancient concepts and practices. From a pedagogical perspective, science-fiction universes are often more relatable, accessible, and rounded than our ancient archaeological and textual records. We consider as a case study the akhu (ancient Egyptian ‘effective dead’ spirits) in tandem with Star Wars Force Ghosts (manifestations of the essence of deceased Force-sensitives), focusing on evidence for akhu dating primarily to the New Kingdom. We investigate the processes by which the dead become Force Ghosts and akhu respectively and the modes of communication employed by these supernatural entities. Further, we confirm the effectiveness of this comparative exercise via student feedback.
Scribe's Palette 