Egyptology

[storyteller]

I am finding it difficult to define what Egyptology is.

Is it science?

If it is, explain. If it isn't, explain.

[exchemist]

1 hour ago, storyteller said:

I am finding it difficult to define what Egyptology is.

Is it science?

If it is, explain. If it isn't, explain.

What is hard to understand about the Wiki explanation of what it is? 

Archaeology, which is one of the disciplines it uses, involves some scientific techniques. Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian civilisation. That puts it among the Humanities, I would have thought.  

 

[storyteller]

The finding of artworks and translating of Egyptian texts, which are also  part of archaeology, would put these areas in Humanities, wouldn't it, not in science?

[SergUpstart]

2 hours ago, storyteller said:

The finding of artworks and translating of Egyptian texts, which are also  part of archaeology, would put these areas in Humanities, wouldn't it, not in science?

And what about the reconstruction of pyramid construction technology? Elon Musk the year before last generally said that the pyramids were built by aliens
Or reconstruction of bronze melting technology. The problem here is that there are no forests in Egypt, and charcoal is needed for metallurgy.

[Sensei]

26 minutes ago, SergUpstart said:

The problem here is that there are no forests in Egypt, and charcoal is needed for metallurgy.

Dried animal poo is widely used instead of wood in many regions of the world where wood is rare. Even nowadays.

[dimreepr]

4 hours ago, storyteller said:

The finding of artworks and translating of Egyptian texts, which are also  part of archaeology, would put these areas in Humanities, wouldn't it, not in science?

Why not, they find evidence, posit a hypothesis and seek more evidence to support it.

[storyteller]

22 hours ago, SergUpstart said:

Elon Musk the year before last generally said that the pyramids were built by aliens

I am not interested in any alien conspiracy, so I have no interests in what Musk have to say.

 

 

22 hours ago, SergUpstart said:

Or reconstruction of bronze melting technology. The problem here is that there are no forests in Egypt, and charcoal is needed for metallurgy.

Perhaps.

But even in  the Old Kingdom period, Egypt wasn't a kingdom in isolation. The 4th dynasty, was more powerful and wealthier than the predecessor and succeeding dynasties, so they could have gained timbers from contemporary neighboring kingdoms, like in the Levant (eg Phoenician cedars) or further south from Upper Nubia, which was fertile regions than arid Lower Nubia (northern Nubia), through wars, trades or diplomacy.

Just saying there are ways to get wood.

 

Edited September 30, 2021 by storyteller

[swansont]

22 hours ago, SergUpstart said:

And what about the reconstruction of pyramid construction technology? Elon Musk the year before last generally said that the pyramids were built by aliens

!

Moderator Note

Which can and will be ignored on this, a science discussion site, as a response to any inquiry having to do with mainstream topics.

 

[storyteller]

On 9/29/2021 at 11:55 PM, dimreepr said:

Why not, they find evidence, posit a hypothesis and seek more evidence to support it.

Oh, I am not denying that archaeological finding of artworks, pottery, tools and weapons and any writing, all have historic significance, as archaeological evidence. We can certainly apply science to date any objects, but there are more to archaeology than dating objects.

So I am not sure about analyzing paintings or sculptures as to their meanings, or translating texts, which are also parts of archaeology, as being “scientific”.

 

[zapatos]

On 9/30/2021 at 5:46 PM, storyteller said:

So I am not sure about analyzing paintings or sculptures as to their meanings, or translating texts, which are also parts of archaeology, as being “scientific”.

 

What concerns do you have that makes you doubt it is 'scientific'?

[storyteller]

On 10/6/2021 at 1:44 AM, zapatos said:

What concerns do you have that makes you doubt it is 'scientific'?

Translating texts and interpreting meaning of artworks don't involve "scientific method" for one.

[Phi for All]

On 11/14/2021 at 5:07 AM, storyteller said:

Translating texts and interpreting meaning of artworks don't involve "scientific method" for one.

Sure they do! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171211145912.htm

Quote

Scientists from UCLA and the National Gallery of Art have used a combination of three advanced imaging techniques to produce a highly detailed analysis of a second century Egyptian painting.

And before this, proper methodology has helped identify many works as being Egyptian even though they'd been translated into other languages. 

[StringJunky]

Egyptology is just a refined area or subset of archaeology, and all the disciplines it uses. Fundamentally, they argue with evidence, which is what scientists do.

Edited November 19, 2021 by StringJunky