Free Lecture Event – Online & In Person
Location: Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Speaker: Rita Lucarelli, Associate Professor of Egyptology, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures; Faculty Curator of Egyptology, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley
University museums hold rich yet often underutilized resources for teaching about ancient Egypt. With the growing availability of 3D and virtual reality technologies—such as photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and immersive modeling—educators now have powerful tools to enhance object-based learning beyond the traditional classroom.
In this lecture, Rita Lucarelli will explore innovative strategies for incorporating 3D and VR technologies into teaching with university collections, using case studies from the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. She will demonstrate how digital replicas, immersive applications, and collaborative projects can deepen student engagement with Egyptian material culture, from archaeological context to artifact function and curatorial interpretation. The presentation also considers the benefits and challenges of integrating these technologies into Egyptology and Art History curricula.
Advance registration is recommended.
Free event parking at the 52 Oxford Street Garage from 4:00–9:00 pm. Presented by the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
About the Speaker
Rita Lucarelli is Associate Professor of Egyptology in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Berkeley, and Faculty Curator of Egyptology at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Her research focuses on ancient Egyptian religion, particularly funerary texts, demonology, and the reception of Egyptian religious traditions in modern and contemporary culture. She is currently leading a Digital Humanities project that creates 3D models of ancient Egyptian coffins—The Book of the Dead in 3D (3dcoffins.berkeley.edu)—combining philological and technological approaches to make these complex objects more accessible for research and teaching. She is also completing a monograph on demonology in ancient Egyptian religious thought. In addition to her academic work, Professor Lucarelli teaches courses on ancient Egyptian religion and comparative religion as part of the Mount Tamalpais College program of Higher Education at San Quentin State Prison. Her work reflects a strong commitment to interdisciplinary teaching, digital innovation, and public scholarship.
