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The Science of Dream Interpretation in Ancient Egypt
Sigmund Freud was an avid collector of Egyptian antiquities, and references to Ancient Egypt feature in many of his published works. Little did he know, however, that the Ancient Egyptians themselves had developed a science of dream interpretation as early as the second millennium BCE, a science that they practiced and developed over the course of more than one and a half millennia.
This talk will offer an overview of Ancient Egyptian dream interpretation and of the many, fascinating dream books that have survived on papyrus manuscripts—often known only to the specialists in the field—down to our time.
Dr Luigi Prada is Research Fellow in Egyptology for the British Academy at the University of Oxford and Assistant Director of Oxford University’s Expedition to Elkab (an archaeological site in southern Egypt). He has previously held academic positions in Denmark and Germany, and participated in archaeological fieldwork in both Egypt and Sudan. His research focuses primarily on the investigation of Ancient Egyptian texts and language. He is currently preparing a monograph concerning Ancient Egyptian dream interpretation, including the first publication of several Ancient Egyptian dream books.
Please note: this talk begins at 6.30pm. Tickets include admission to the museum and the exhibition Between Oedipus and the Sphinx: Freud and Egypt between the hours of 12pm and 7.30pm.
Image: Ancient Egyptian dream book: Papyrus Chester Beatty III, 13th century BC (British Museum, London).
This talk is held in conjunction with our autumn exhibition Freud & Egypt: Between Oedipus and the Sphinx
4 August – 27 October 2019.
