Our next MAES meeting is on Monday 13 March at our usual VENUE!     

Michelle Middleman: Real or Ideal? Ideology Versus Reality in Old Kingdom Tomb Biographies

Old Kingdom tomb biographies were designed to place the tomb owner in the best possible light. Consequently, at first appearance, the content of these biographies, with their formulaic phraseology, seems to give us little more than an idealised version of reality, rather than the real-life everyday experiences. However, things are not always quite as they seem; there are some officials who record unique events, contradict themselves, and subtly stray from the ideology within their biographies. This lecture focuses on the more unusual, idiosyncratic content of the biographies to demonstrate how these examples are glimpses of reality regarding life in the Old Kingdom.

Michelle Middleman has a BA and MA degree in Egyptology and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Liverpool. She specialises in Old Kingdom tomb biographies and social life in the Old Kingdom.

Everyone welcome £3 members on the door (with a free tea or coffee voucher) and £5 for guests. Pendulum Hotel, Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3BB. Parking in Charles Street multistory.

Doors open – whenever you wish to arrive! We’ll be there from 7 and we kick off at 7:45pm