Teaching - Egittologia Pisa

Studying Egyptology in Pisa

The University of Pisa offers the largest learning program in Egyptology in Italy. The university courses are organized as lectures, seminars and workshops. Their aim is the education, both basic and specialized, in the field of history, culture, language, writing and archaeology of ancient Egypt.
The educational path begins with courses in the Bachelor’s degree in “Scienze dei Beni Culturali” (Cultural Heritage) and continues with the specialized Master’s degree in “Studi Orientali ed Egittologici” (Oriental and Egyptological Studies).
Educational workshops, training courses at museums and “Soprintendenze” (regional boards of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Environmental Conservation) and archaeological excavations in Egypt allow a practical approach to the subject. Summer schools on specific topics are periodically organized and offer further training opportunities for more advanced theoretical and methodological skills.
In addition, it is possible to pursue one’s own research interests in Egyptology via PhD opportunities, which are assigned through competition.

Studying Egyptology in BA degree

Egittologia (Egyptology)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 1st Semester
Teacher: Prof. Gianluca Miniaci

2025-26

The Egyptology class is included in the curriculum “Egitto e Vicino Oriente antico” of the degree in “Scienze dei Beni Culturali”. It provides the basic elements of history and culture of ancient Egypt and the methodological tools that allow a critical approach to the subject.

The course will be taught in Italian.

Archeologia Egiziana (Egyptian Archaeology)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 2nd Semester
Teachers: Prof. Gianluca Miniaci, Dr. Camilla Saler

2025-26

The teaching of “Egyptian Archaeology”, held by Prof. Miniaci, is included in the “Egitto e Vicino Oriente antico” curriculum of the three-year degree in “Scienze dei Beni Culturali”. The course focuses on the study of the history of Egyptian archeology, of the monuments and material culture of ancient Egypt.

The course will be taught in Italian.

Cultura e materiali dell’antico Egitto (Culture and Materials of ancient Egypt)

Equivalent to “Archeologia e storia sociale dell’antico Egitto”

2025-26

The course will be taught in Italian.

Studying Egyptology in MA degree

Lingua egiziana (Ancient Egyptian Language)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 1st Semester
Teacher: Prof. Gianluca Miniaci

2025-26

The class provides the basics to read, understand and analyze hieroglyphic texts in classical Egyptian (Middle Egyptian) through the study of the most common hieroglyphs, the main grammatical structures and the learning of basic tools.

The class will be held in Italian.

Filologia egiziana (Egyptian Philology)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 2nd Semester
Teacher: Dr. Elena Tiribilli

2025-26

The class offers a monographic theme approached through the analysis of complex textual sources (study and reading of ancient Egyptian texts) inserted in their cultural, historical and political context, in order to allow a detailed study of specific problems concerning the history of ancient Egypt.

The course will be held in Italian.

Reading Egyptian texts

Laboratory – 3 ECTS, 2nd Semester
Teachers: Prof. Gianluca Miniaci, Dr. Georgia Long

2025-26

The course will be held in English.

Egittologia II (Advanced Egyptology)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 2nd Semester
Teacher: Dr. Elena Tiribilli

2025-26

The Egyptology (advanced) class is included in the degree of “Studi Orientali ed Egittologici”. The course analyzes aspects of the history, culture, archaeology, literature, funerary and religious concepts of Egyptian civilization during the first millennium BC, through the reading of textual sources, analysis of archaeological monuments, and material culture.

The course will be taught in Italian.

Archeologia e storia sociale dell’Antico Egitto (Archaeology and Social History of Ancient Egypt)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 2nd Semester
Teachers: Prof. Gianluca Miniaci, Dr. Beatriz Noria Serrano

2025-26

The aim of the course is to develp students’ abilities to hold in-depth discussions of problems inherent in the social history of ancient Egypt and practical aspects related to the material culture of Ancient Egypt. Students will be able to independently integrate archaeological, iconographic and textual sources.

The class will be held in Italian.

Ieratico (Hieratic)

36 hours – 6 ECTS, 2nd Semester
Teacher: Dr. Susanne Töpfer (curator in Museo Egizio in Turin)

2025-26

The teaching of “Hieratic” is undertaken within the Master’s degree in ”Studi Orientali ed Egittologici“. The course teaches the basic elements of hieratic writing and enables you to read, translate and analyze simple hieratic texts.

The class will be held in Italian.

Ieratico II (Advanced Hieratic)

36 hours – 6 ECTS

Teacher: Dr. Susanne Töpfer (curator in Museo Egizio in Turin)

Inactive

The class will be held in Italiano.

Ancient Egypian Epigraphy

36 hours – 6 ECTS
Teacher:

Inactive

The Egyptian Epigraphy class is included in the degree of “Orientalistica: Egitto, Vicino e Medio Oriente”. It aims to study hieroglyphic epigraphic texts directly on the original monuments and the rudiments of the epigraphic relief are also provided. During the class there will be a series of lectures off-site at the Egyptian Museum in Florence, followed by classroom discussions on the epigraphic and archaeological issues presented by the selected objects. The class will be held in English.

Demotic Language and Literature

Teacher:

Inactive

The “Demotic language and literature” class is included in the degree of “Orientalistica: Egitto, Vicino e Medio Oriente”. This class gives the basic elements of Demotic writing and grammar and enables students to read, translate and analyze simple Demotic texts.

Museological aspects of Egyptology

36 hours – 6 ECTS
Teacher:

Inactive

The class will be held in English.

Coptic language and literature

Teacher:

Inactive

Il corso impartisce gli elementi basilari della scrittura e della grammatica copta e mette in grado di leggere, tradurre e analizzare testi copti semplici.

Stages

In the study plan of some degree courses, the entry “Stage e Tirocini” includes periods of training experience at various institutions (e.g. museums, libraries, archives, publishing houses, etc.) or participation in archaeological excavations. In Egyptology, it is possible to carry out such stages in some Italian museums which have agreements with the University of Pisa (e.g. Egyptian Museum in Florence, Egyptian Museum in Turin, Biblioteca Universitaria di Pisa, etc.). If circumstances permit, the students of Oriental Studies can take an active part in the archaeological excavations in Egypt: at the moment the one in Dra Abu el-Naga – Luxor, directed by Prof. Marilina Betrò, and the one in Zawyet Sultan / Zawyet el-Maiyitin (Middle Egypt) directed by Prof. Gianluca Miniaci.
The stage hours to be carried out depending on the number of course credits to be obtained (3 or 6 ECTS)

Summer Schools

International Summer Schools and intensive courses on specific Egyptological themes are organized at the University of Pisa, in collaboration with institutions and external teachers, in order to develop new knowledge and promote internationalization.

Summer Schools 2025: “How to study Egyptian mummies: Techniques and instruments”, “Ancient Egyptian magic and astronomy: Texts and practices“
• Summer Schools 2024: “How to study Egyptian mummies: Techniques and instruments” , “Ancient Egyptian magic and astronomy: Texts and practices“
• Summer School 2023: “Egyptology for not Egyptologists: base training in archaeology, history and language of ancient Egypt”
• Summer school 2019 “Egyptologists as museum curators: an immersive training” (with Museo Egizio di Torino)
• Hieratic Summer School 2019

Master’s degree in English: “Ancient Egypt and Western Asia: archaeology, history and languages”

(Inactive in 2025-26)

Programme