>>ARCE
Chicago February Meeting

Date:
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Time: program at 5:00pm
Place: The Oriental Institute, LaSalle Bank Room.
1155 East 58th Street, Chicago, 60637
Title of Lecture: What is Demotic and Why Write a
Dictionary?
Speaker: Janet H. Johnson
Title/Position of Lecturer: The Morton D. Hull
Distinguished Service Professor, Oriental Institute;
Professor of Egyptology; Editor, The Chicago Demotic
Dictionary Project
Abstract or Summary of Presentation:
Demotic is the highly cursive script that was used to
write the Egyptian language from about 650 BC to the 5th
century AD. In the last decades, the study of Demotic
has been among the most dynamic aspects of Egyptology.
Newly translated Demotic texts are adding tremendously
to our knowledge of religious ritual, economic, social,
and political systems, and literature. For many years,
the only dictionary was a single volume published in
1954. Major advances in the translation of Demotic texts
are due to the Oriental Institute’s compilation of a
more complete dictionary based on a much greater number
of texts that present more diverse vocabulary and
orthography. This talk discusses the range of texts
found in Demotic, and the purpose and status of the
Chicago Demotic Dictionary.
Lecturer Bio:
Professor Jan Johnson studied Egyptology at the
University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute and has
taught there since 1972. She is a specialist in the
legal and social status of Egyptian women, in Egyptian
grammar, and in the late stage of the Egyptian language
and script known as Demotic. She is the author of a wide
range of articles on grammar and on social history, and
she is a pioneer in the application of computers to
papyrology. She is also the author of the standard
grammar of Demotic, “Thus Wrote 'Onchsheshonqy - An
Introductory Grammar of Demotic”.
Relevant Links:
>>ARCE
Chicago
Mark your calendars for the next Chicago Chapter
meetings:
>>ARCE
Chicago
March Meeting:

Date: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Time: program at 5:00
Place: The Oriental Institute
LaSalle Bank Room
1155 East 58th Street, Chicago, 60637
Title of Lecture: Aspects of the Ancient Egyptian
Economy
Speaker: Edward Castle
Abstract or Summary of Presentation:
It is commonly believed that the Egyptian economy was a
purely redistributive system organized by the temples.
But was there no role for private trade? If so, what
form did it take? Did it function by barter or was there
a means of valuation and exchange? In other words, did
money play a part in the economy, and if so what form
did it take?
Speaker Bio: Edward Castle Graduated Ph.D. in
Egyptology from the University of Chicago 2001. He
worked for the Epigraphic Survey of the Oriental
Institute of the University of Chicago from 1995 to
2001.
>>ARCE
Chicago
April Meeting:
Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Time: program at 5:00
Place: The Oriental Institute
LaSalle Bank Room
1155 East 58th Street, Chicago, 60637
Title of Lecture: Egyptology Graduate Student
Mini-Symposium
Join us to hear Egyptology graduate students talk about
their most recent research as they prepare to present
papers at the Annual Meeting of ARCE in Oakland. Not
only do you get to hear it first, but the students will
benefit from your questions and comments.