Social Network Analysis And Egyptology

This book addresses Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a methodological approach in the field of Egyptology, exploring its possibilities, limitations, and applications within the discipline. Social Network Analysis is a sociological, graph theory-based approach used to investigate social structures created by patterns of relationships (ties or links) between actors (nodes), which has been utilised by scholars in other areas of ancient history. The book first provides readers with basic information on the theoretical background of methods applied in SNA, as well as network theory and Actor-Network Theory (ANT) more generally. It discusses the history of SNA specifically within the discipline of Egyptology, evaluating the advantages and limitations of this approach when applied to different types of datasets, such as written sources and material records. The author then explores a case study, examining the potential of network modelling on datasets from the Abydos votive zone during the Middle Kingdom period (c. 2040-1750 BC). The book highlights how SNA and network theory can be useful supplementary tools alongside more traditional research approaches in Egyptology for a more comprehensive understanding of social relations and interconnections in ancient contexts. Social Network Analysis and Egyptology is suitable for students and scholars working on Egyptology who are interested in SNA methodology, as well as those working on Classical and Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and history. It also appeals to those interested in network research and theory more broadly. Colour versions of images in this book can be found in the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032599632.

"This volume addresses Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a methodological approach in the field of Egyptology, exploring its possibilities, limitations, and applications within the discipline. Social Network Analysis is a sociological, graph theory-based approach used to investigate social structures created by patterns of relationships (ties or links) between actors (nodes), which has been utilised by scholars in other areas of ancient history. The book first provides readers with basic information on the theoretical background and methods applied by SNA as well as network theory and Actor-Network Theory (ANT) more generally. It discusses the history of SNA specifically within the discipline of Egyptology, evaluating the advantages and limitations of this approach when applied to different types of datasets, such as written sources and material records. The author then explores a case study, examining the potential of network modelling on datasets from the Abydos votive zone during the Middle Kingdom period (c. 2040-1750 BC). The book highlights how SNA and network theory can be useful supplementary tools alongside more traditional research approaches in Egyptology for a more comprehensive understanding of social relations and interconnections in ancient contexts. Social Network Analysis and Egyptology is suitable for students and scholars working on Egyptology who are interested in SNA methodology, as well as those working on Classical and Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and history. It also appeals to those interested in network research and theory more broadly"--

The present volume seeks to indicate novel methods and approaches to analyzing and interpreting the agency of individual officials in different periods of ancient Egyptian history. Their activity and careers are observed using different methods of complex network analysis and put into a broader framework of more general trends operating the society at a given stage of its evolution. We are confident that this is one of the most promising and proven ways to gain deeper insights into day-to-day lives of the people of the past. The story of civilizations is above all a story of ideas and thoughts, and social/complex network analysis is one of the most efficient tools we can use. It enables us to view known data anew and assess them from new perspectives that significantly expand and deepen our knowledge of the past civilization. In recent years, this research approach has evolved independently at several institutions exploring ancient Egypt. We were very pleased to host most of these scholars at a joint meeting and offer them an opportunity to present and communicate their individual approaches, methods, points of view and observations. The contributions in this volume, originally presented at a workshop in Prague in September 2018, cover selected periods of ancient Egypt (the Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom, the Greco-Roman Period). Cyber-Egyptology, a new area of research in Egyptology, appears to be a justified approach with its own methodology, philosophy and a vast potential to answer complex questions relating to this fascinating civilization and its diachronic dynamics. Moreover, this method of cyber-research can be applied universally across most archaeological and historical specializations.

The present volume collects thirty-two papers on various topics from the history of Egyptology to archaeology and material culture, from the Predynastic to the Roman period, through history and epigraphy, as well as new technologies.

This book studies complex datasets extracted from 21 archives from the ancient Egyptian town of Pathyris (Gebelein) through a distinct network perspective, thereby mapping and analysing various social networks and behavioural patterns in this community from 186-88 BCE.

Presents proceedings from the eleventh International Congress of Egyptologists which took place at the Florence Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio Firenze), Italy from 23- 30 August 2015.

The first comprehensive and up-to-date overview of what we know about the use of copper by the ancient Egyptians and Nubians, from the Predynastic through the Early Dynastic until the end of the Second Intermediate Period (c. 4000-1600 BC). The monograph presents a story, based on the analysis of available evidence, a synchronic and diachronic reconstruction of the development and changes of the chaîne opératoire of copper and copper alloy artefacts. The book argues that Egypt was not isolated from the rest of the ancient world and that popular notions of its "primitive" technology are not based on facts.

Ideas about social structure and social networks are very old. People have always believed that biological and social links among individuals are important. But it wasn't until the early 1930s that systematic research that explored the patterning of social ties linking individuals emerged. And it emerged, not once, but several times in several different social science fields and in several places. This book reviews these developments and explores the social processes that wove all these "schools" of network analysis together into a single coherent approach.