Join us for an afternoon steeped in history where you will learn about Egyptian hieroglyphs with Egyptologist, Dr. Jennifer Westerfeld from the University of Louisville, and enjoy some traditional Mediterranean food.

"The writing on the wall: a brief history of Egyptian hieroglyphs" This talk will provide a brief introduction to one of the most recognizable features of ancient Egyptian culture, the hieroglyphic writing system. The history and development of hieroglyphs will be discussed and attendees will learn to read a few of the most common hieroglyphic signs. We will also talk about the other Egyptian scripts and the different interpretations that were applied to hieroglyphic texts after the knowledge of how to read them was lost in the late Roman period. Jennifer Westerfeld is an Egyptologist specializing in the cultural history of Egypt in the period following the Roman conquest. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has carried out fieldwork recording ancient inscriptions at sites including Abydos and Kharga Oasis. Her first book, Egyptian Hieroglyphs in the Late Antique Imagination, will be published this fall by the University of Pennsylvania Press. She teaches a range of courses on ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern history at the University of Louisville and serves as the president of the local chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America.