The history, culture and monuments of ancient Egypt have fascinated people for centuries. Already in the ancient world, Greeks and others looked to Egypt for inspiration, and as the source of their knowledge about the gods and the world. Since then, mummies, pyramids, religious ideas and texts, the legacy of the pharaohs, and other aspects of Egyptian culture have been appropriated by Jews, Muslims, and Christians, by opera composers, architects, film directors, and others, in endeavors ranging from serious scholarly debates to . . . rather startling flights of fancy.

“Egyptomania!” is the fruit of research carried out by students at Davidson College enrolled in History 372, “Egypt, From Soup to Nuts,” during the spring semester 2020.