The Daily Lives of Ancient Egyptian Artists

Free Public Lecture – Online & In Person

Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Hana Navratilova, Fellow, Royal Historical Society, UK; Supernumerary Fellow, University of Oxford, Harris Manchester College

Jaroslav Černý (1898–1970) was a distinguished Egyptologist known for his groundbreaking work on the social and cultural history of ancient Egypt, particularly the community of artisans at Deir el-Medina, a village near the Valley of the Kings. His research on ostraca (pottery sherds and limestone flakes bearing written inscriptions) and Theban “graffiti” texts is fundamental for understanding the daily lives, literacy, administration, and religious practices of ancient Egyptian artisans. In this lecture, Hana Navratilova will explore Černý’s lifelong research at Deir el-Medina, his groundbreaking studies of texts, artifacts, and the Western Theban landscape, and his indelible mark on twentieth-century Egyptology.

Advance registration recommended for in-person and online attendance. Free event parking at 52 Oxford Street Garage.

Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.

About the Speaker: Dr. Hana Navratilova is an Egyptologist and historian whose work bridges ancient and modern narratives. She studied at the universities of Pisa, Prague, and Vienna, publishing her thesis on the “Egyptian Revival in Bohemia” in 2003. As a member of the Czech Institute of Egyptology (2002–2008), she edited travelogues of Central European scholars and explored ancient graffiti. From 2008 to 2011, Dr. Navratilova researched Egyptological correspondence and networks at the Griffith Institute, University of Oxford. Later projects with the Czech Academy of Sciences examined generational change and social networks among European scientists. She was an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2012–2013) and has held grants from institutions such as the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale and the Anglo-Czech Educational Fund. Currently, Dr. Navratilova is a Supernumerary Fellow at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, and editor of Who Was Who in Egyptology. She contributes to major research on the biographies of Egyptologists, secondary epigraphy, and object biographies. Notable projects include studies of graffiti at Dahshur and Medum and an edition of secondary epigraphy from the pyramid complex of Senwosret III. Her recent works include The Citizen of Nowhere, a biography of Jaroslav Černý, and Scribal Culture (with Niv Allon). Forthcoming publications include a cultural biography of the Pyramid of Senwosret III (with Lea Rees) and an edited volume, Graffiti Quest. Dr. Navratilova also serves as series editor for Liverpool Monographs in Egyptology and History of Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Egyptology (Brill/de Gruyter).