AFAS 3990 Field Studies
The Department of Africana
Studies at Tennessee State University in collaboration with the
Institute of Ethiopian Studies of Addis Abba University, the American
Research Center in Egypt and its 45 research institutions consortium in
the United States and various United Nations Organizations in Addis
Ababa is sponsoring the 2006 Summer Field Studies Program.
Students will attend a three-day seminar at the Institute of
Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University. Lecture topics include the
newly discovered human skull, 160,000 years old, believed to be the
direct ancestors of Homo Sapiens, the skeleton of Dink Nash (Lucy); 1.5
million years old female found in Southern Ethiopia and the history of
the Ark of the Covenant and the Ark of worship of ancient Egypt and the
25th Ethiopian Dynasty: Pianki
and Tahrqua. Tours will include
historic northern Ethiopia and Bahir Dar, the source of the Nile River;
from Bahir Dar fly to Gondar and visit the old Castle; from Gondar fly
to Lalibela to visit the 12th century Rock Hewn Churches; from Lalibela
fly to Axsum, the ancient capital city of Ethiopia and examine the
world’s tallest Stella and visit the Church of St. Mary of Zion, where
the original Ark of the Covenant is believed to be placed in its
sanctuary.
In Cairo, students will attend a
three-day seminar at the American Research Center in Egypt. Lecture
topics include Egypt and the rest of Africa, particularly Ethiopia and
Nubia, and the primordial linkages of the Nile Valley people.
From Cairo, we will travel by train to Luxor, 800 miles south of
Cairo for three-days of research.
Our studies will include Luxor Temple and Ramses II, the Valley of the
Kings and the Queens. At the
Temple in Karnak, study carefully the Opet festival depicted on the wall
to help you compare the Ethiopian Procession of the Ark of the Covenant.
From Luxor, take the Nile cruise to Aswan, three days and two
nights on the Nile River, Egypt southernmost city for a three day visit.
In the Aswan Museum study carefully the Nubian artifacts and
observe the unfinished Obelisks in the vicinity of Aswan; this will help
students to compare the obelisks at Luxor and the Stella in Aksum.
Visit the Elephantine Island and the Aswan Dam.
Take a bus to Abu Simbel for a day visit.
Return to Cairo for a flight to Addis Ababa, and then to Dulles
International Airport.
The field studies program will
have a two week orientation here on the TSU campus and four weeks in the
field. Upon return students will
have the final two weeks for their project presentations (see syllabus).
Students may take between
three (3) and twelve (12) semester hours of credit.
For more information contact Wosene Yefru, Program Director at
615-963-7462-Fax 615-963-7472-E-mail
wyefru@tnstate.edu.or visit our international Web Site at
http://www.arce.org/institutions.htm and find Tennessee State
University
