Brazilian researchers are sharing since yesterday, August 30, their knowledge of the Ancient Egypt in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba. Until Saturday, September 1st, the Campos de Andrade University Center (Uniandrade) will receive Egyptologists and experts on the subject coming from different regions of Brazil. They will participate in the 2nd National Summit for Egyptology Studies. The theme will be religion in the daily life of the Ancient Egypt.
According to the coordinator at the Summit, Moacir Elias Santos, around 150 people are expected to attend. Subjects to be approached will include, for instance, the way in which the pharaohs would associate their political propaganda with religion, the cult to animals that existed at that time, and the texts in the sarcophaguses, ancient tombs.
The panels will also include themes that do not pertain to the main subject matter, such as the heritage of Egyptian obelisks in present days, elements of the Egyptian charges and caricatures in the Brazilian print media, and the presence of Ancient Egypt in children's and juvenile books.
According to Santos, who is also an adjunct professor, and is in charge of the Ancient History and Archaeology discipline at the History course of Uniandrade, lecturers at the summit will include prominent figures in Egyptology, such as Juan José de Castilhos, Uruguayan Institute of Egyptology, and Maurício Elvis Schneider, of the Brazilian Circle of Egyptology. The summit will also count on the participation of experts from universities in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraná.
According to Santos, the summit was created with the intention of bringing together researchers in the field to trade experiences. "The goal is for studies in this field to progress even further," the professor said.
Santos himself will be a panelist. He will talk about the cult to animals and their mummification. According to the expert, in Ancient Egypt, there were four reasons why animals would be mummified: there were those that were considered sacred, there were the domestic animals, which were mummified so they would accompany their owner in after death, there were those that would be eaten in the afterlife, and then there were those that were offerings to the gods, in exchange for requests.
The first edition of the summit happened in 2003. The summit is turned to scholars and academicians, but may also be attended by people interested in the subject. Nevertheless, those that were not formally invited must pay an enrolment fee of 20 Brazilian reais (US$ 10). In the sidelines of the 2nd National Summit for Egyptology Studies, the 2nd Journey of Ancient and Middle-Age History will be held.
Service
2nd National Summit for Egyptology Studies
From August 30 to September 1st
At Uniandrade's Cidade Universitária (University City), rua Marumby, 238, in Curitiba, Paraná
Information: (+55 41) 3219-4114 or at npq@uniandrade.br
Anba
