AEM Progress: Ancient Egyptian Religion
Currently, we are wrapping up our new AEM on Ancient Egyptian Religion. We are in the final stages of sourcing sound effects and music, as well as assigning video game footage to sections of the script before sending to our amazing video editor from the Savannah College of Art and Design!
This AEM focuses on aspects of ancient Egyptian religion, told from the perspective of the Sphinx of Giza, overseeing the changes in Egyptian civilization across time. It covers stories of Egyptian creation myths, astronomical events and deities, and introduces us to some of the rich characters that make up the Egyptian pantheon. Additionally, this AEM includes discussion on how stories become myth, how stories connect us as people, and where early Egyptian ideas about the world spread.
Our curriculum was built in consultation with Brian Smith, a lecturer in Egyptian religion at the University of Chicago.
NEH Spotlight On the Humanities Award
Starting in August 2024, the AEM Team will begin work on a new NEH Spotlight on the Humanities Grant, focused on expanding our current 6 AEM program to college-level coursework. This will include new videos for each AEM topic, as well as expanded lesson plans, slides, notes, and discussion activities. Each AEM will align with general Western Civ I courses, but just as with our middle-school AEMs, will be modifiable so that instructors can adapt the curriculum to meet their individual needs..
Moving the AEM program into college courses will also allow us to explore a broader range of topics in the classroom, including current political events, collaborative group projects, and structured field trips to museums both in-person and virtually. We are looking forward to this opportunity to share Archaeogaming's unique contribution to the field of ancient studies with undergrads next year!
TEAM UPDATES!
Our AEM Team has expanded this year to include 2 new interns and a volunteer in Fall 2023, 1 new intern for Spring 2024, and we have 2 upcoming interns who are research specialists for Fall 2024 with the potential for more! We are so grateful for the support our interns and volunteers provide. In addition to the new faces, we have also seen growth within the core AEM Team, with last years’ volunteers stepping into grant-funded research roles.
The AEM program would not be possible without the collaboration of archaeologists, historians, educators, volunteers, and interns.
EQUIPMENT UPDATES!
We are happy to share that a portion of our grant supported the purchase of a new computer designated for the Archaeogaming Education Team and the creation of the AEM program. This computer will function as a critical resource for our team, as we now have a device available for continued Archaeogaming research and video production.
The computer is a state-of-the-art MIS Aegis SE 12TA-810US, which was recommended by our current Gaming Researcher, Evan Bowers. It runs on Windows 11, with an Intel Core i5-12400F CPU, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card, allowing future gaming team members the ability to play-through and record games in high resolution without image lag.
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