Cuneiform tradition in the Nile Valley is the topic of the online (Teams) lecture by Prof Jana Mynářová (Charles University in Prague). The lecture takes place in the framework of the “Egypt, land of writing(s)” lecture cycle of the Université de Liége.
The use of cuneiform in the region of the Levant and the neighboring areas during the Late Bronze Age represents a complex issue. In recent years several key studies have been published attempting to analyze the problems pertaining to the acquisition and adoption of cuneiform writing in these peripheral areas. It is the aim of this presentation to present some suggestions concerning the role and acquisition of cuneiform writing in Egypt, largely based on the study of the paleography of the Amarna texts of Egyptian origin, in particular texts of an epistolary and school character. As far as the identity of the scribes of the Amarna letters is concerned the subject can be, at the very most, described as questionable, insecure, or dubious.
By dint of great effort of various scholars, we are more or less familiar with the curriculum the scribes followed and, by means of educational documents, we are not totally ignorant of the system of their education. Therefore special attention will be given to scribes living at Amarna (ancient Akhetaten), set into a broader context of the Egyptian scribal traditions.
For more on the Amarna Letters click here.