Away with the Pharaohs

Listen to our LIVE episode recorded in Pride month with specialist on the development of Egyptology in the 19th Century and EES Director, Dr Carl Graves, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. The episode focuses on the founder of the Egypt Exploration Society, Amelia B Edwards, but unpacks elements of her life that you may not yet have encountered. First, Amelia is intr...

Step inside Deir el-Medina, the home of the artisans who built and decorated some of ancient Egypt’s most famous royal tombs with special guest Meg Gundlach and host Charlotte Jordan. Discover how painters, sculptors, and craftsmen worked together in a thriving creative community, and why the identities of individual artists remain a mystery. Hear how collaboration—not just individual talent—shape...

Specialist on artisanship and EES Publications Manager, Dr Meg Gundlach, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Explore how we understand authorship, craftsmanship, and creativity in ancient Egypt. First, Art in ancient Egypt is contextualised, as objects were shaped by tradition, function and cultural norms rather than individual expression. We discuss how artisans were...

Listen to unheard clips from our early podcast content, and reflect on the first six months of our podcast: Away with the Pharaohs! Starting with a focus on the historical timeline of ancient Egypt, including how chronology could be understood through kingship with Aidan Dodson, and how the latest periods under Roman rule still looked traditionally Egyptian with Kelly Accetta Crowe. Another common...

Hear about the Book of the Dead and its magical collection of spells to guide people through the ancient Egyptian afterlife with special guest Christina Geisen and host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. There is a focus upon the famous ‘weighing of the heart’ scene, and we discuss whether your heart really had to balance against the Ma’at feather, symbolising truth and balance… or...

Specialist on funerary texts, Dr Christina Geisen, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Trace the 2,000-year evolution of ancient Egyptian funerary texts, including the Pyramid Texts, Coffin Texts and Book of the Dead. The episode highlights that these were never ‘books’, but unique sets of spells drawn from a shared but developing tradition. Explore how these examples...

Be introduced to several key gods and goddesses from ancient Egyptian history with special guest Edward Scrivens and host Charlotte Jordan. Hear how these divine beings reflected some of the wider religious beliefs of this ancient society. Want to hear more about Egyptian religion and the deities of ancient Egypt? Tune in to our full episode with Edward Scrivens entitled: Did Egyptian gods and god...

Specialist on Egyptian religion and EES Development Manager, Dr Edward Scrivens, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. The episode opens with a brief overview of religion in ancient Egypt, before exploring the complex, fluid nature of its gods and goddesses and the rituals that empowered them. It introduces key deities, including many forms of the sun god, Amun-Ra as ki...

Join a discussion on how objects excavated in Egypt during the 19th and 20th Centuries were distributed from excavations to museums and collections around the world, featuring special guest Anna Garnett and host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. We also explore the importance of archival documentation for tracing the history of object distribution and the research opportunities av...

Specialist on museums, Dr Anna Garnett, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Explore how different types of Egyptian artefacts, including pottery, jewellery, shabtis, and tools, can help us understand daily life in ancient Egypt as well as the people behind the objects. We will take you behind the scenes of museum work, examining how objects are numbered, interpreted,...

Explore the tradition of reuse and expansion by Egyptian pharaohs in monumental temple structures with special guest Kelly Accetta Crowe and host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Hear the truth behind the supposed symbol of a helicopter, debunking the misconception that modern technology developed in antiquity! Want to hear more about the temples of Egypt, their evolving architec...

Specialist on Egyptian temples, Dr Kelly Accetta Crowe, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Unpack how Egyptian temples functioned – architecturally, spiritually, and politically. Discover their evolving design reflecting shifting belief systems, the King’s role ranging from spiritual duties to state-led standardisation, and daily rituals happening within and beyond t...

Explore the contexts in which Egyptian statues were erected and why they were created for these places with special guest Campbell Price and host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Hear about specific examples from the tomb of Tutankhamun, debunking misconceptions perpetuated by the original excavation team led by Howard Carter! Want to hear more about the royal statues of Egypt, t...

Specialist on Egyptian statuary, Dr Campbell Price, joins our host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Join us as we uncover the true purpose behind sculpted images of the pharaoh and his royal family. We’ll explore how statues were placed in temples, tombs, and palaces, not as mere decoration, but as vessels of divine presence and collective memory. We end with the artistic convent...

Explore the meaning and monumentality of the pyramids of Egypt with special guest Aidan Dodson and host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society. Hear how the pyramids of Giza were built, debunking theories involving aliens or slaves! Want to hear more about the pyramids of Egypt, as well as the kings who had them built and their lasting legacy? Tune in to our full episode with Aidan Dodo...

We delve into the politics of kingship in ancient Egypt, the significance behind the monumental architecture of Egyptian pyramids, and how these structures have influenced both power and memory up to the present day. Join our special guest Aidan Dodson and host Charlotte Jordan at the Egypt Exploration Society, as we unpack the balance between spectacle, symbolism, and the enduring question of wha...

Welcome to Away with the Pharaohs! Join Charlotte and Carl for a brief introduction to the Egypt Exploration Society and an overview of our podcast's direction moving forward, in celebration of #InternationalPodcastDay! Learn more at https://www.ees.ac.uk/ or follow us on Social Media: @TheEES or @egyptexplorationsociety or #AwayWithThePharaohs.