Yale Beijing Center's Around the World program this summer kicked off on July 15! We specially invited 8 Yale teachers from different fields to "lead the team" to conduct in-depth travel to 8 different regions/eras, "staying at home" to experience Yale's diverse atmosphere while "unlocking" world civilization.
In order to give everyone a better understanding of these "team leaders", we specially based on the "Office Hours" column pioneered by Yale News, we exclusively interviewed Yale teachers involved in the Around the World project, talking about their research enthusiasm, personal experiences, and even interesting facts about life.
In this issue, we met with the "leader" of the "Valley of the Kings" station in Egypt, Lingxin Zhang, a lecturer in ancient Egyptian language at Yale University. Since 2017, Lingxin has been teaching courses on ancient Egyptian language and civilization to university students and the general public. In her papers and forthcoming book, she works closely with the Carlsberg Papyrus Collection and the G. Vetelli Papyrus Institute at the University of Copenhagen to provide critical textual versions and analytical discussions of the astrology handbooks of two women in Rome and Egypt. In addition to her linguistic background, Lingxin has participated in archaeological excavations in the Muthir District of Egypt (2017-2019) and the Karnak Temple District (2020). Teaching, researching, and archaeology, how did she come to this path? Read this article to find out!
Lingxin Zhang
Lecturer in Ancient Egyptian Language at Yale University
Research Interests: Language and culture of ancient Egypt and the Roman period (3rd century BC to 4th century AD).
Law School: Johns Hopkins University (Ph.D. in Egyptology, minor in Classical Literature); Indiana University Bloomington (M.S.)
On the "Around the World" tour, Lingxin Zhang will appear as a "guide" to the seventh stop, and his chosen destination is the Valley of the Kings in Egypt:
"Holy Land" – a monument to Hatshepsut's extraordinary reign
“Holy of holies” – Monumentalizing the extraordinary reign of Hatshepsut
Among the female pharaohs who once ruled ancient Egypt, Hatshepsut (1400 BC) was the first and most prominent. Who is she? How did she get the power? What is her legacy? At this stop, we will follow Lingxin Zhang into Egypt's famous "Valley of the Kings" and tour the Tomb of Hatshepsut, perched beneath the cliffs of the West Bank of the Nile, and as we "walk through" the decorated porches and statues, we will examine how the pharaoh pioneered the manipulation of gender, religious traditions, and artistic styles to construct a discursive system that legitimized her power and maintained her rule.
Here's what we did in this issue:
1
What do you think of your academic research interests?
I am interested in the language, art and culture of ancient Egypt, especially through gender studies and the perspective of postcolonial theory.
2
What sparked your interest in these topics?
I have always been interested in history itself and its narrative methods. Various films and cartoons sparked my interest in the history of ancient Egypt.
3
What is the most valuable part of your research? What impact has your research had on people's lives?
I love reading papyrus literature from ancient Egypt. I think being able to decipher words written a thousand years ago and glimpse the universal humanity in them is a meaningful experience. I hope to be able to share this feeling with the public through the publication of articles and books.
4
What was the hardest part of your research? How did you overcome these challenges?
The biggest challenge was that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult for me to enter the International Museum to see the papyrus collection. However, it seems that I have no good way to combat anxiety other than by practicing yoga.
5
What advice do you have for students who are interested in your field and want to explore further?
Our lives are only once; Embrace your passion and chase your dreams!
Intern Yifei Wang also contributed to the translation of this article
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