Four Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, July 28 - August 18, 2026
7:00 - 8:30pm ET (NYC Time)
$125 Paid Patreon Members / $145 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: Classes will be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Most of what we know about the ancient Egyptians comes from the texts, art, objects, and even the bodies they left behind in their tombs and burial structures. In this four-part class, we will uncover the vast underworld of ancient Egyptian burial traditions by studying the tombs and the tomb builders who created them. Beyond the world-famous pyramids at Giza and the hidden chambers of the Valley of the Kings, we will delve into the myths, discoveries, and magical practices surrounding how both kings and everyday people prepared for eternity, as well as the artisans, laborers, and priests who helped guide them there. Blending archaeology, art history, and textual analysis, this course is designed for enthusiasts of all familiarity levels and will shed light on why the tombs of ancient Egypt continue to hold such a powerful grip on popular culture today.
Class 1: Death, the Afterlife, and the Rise of the Tomb Builders
An introduction to ancient Egyptian beliefs about death, immortality, and the journey to the afterlife. We’ll explore why tombs were built, how burial traditions evolved, and the emergence of the funerary industry.
Class 2: Pyramids, Power, and Personhood
This session will focus on the great pyramid age, examining the construction of the pyramids at Giza and the rulers who commissioned them. We’ll separate myth from reality regarding pyramid construction, discuss the lives of workers and engineers, and how their experience in death mirrored the kings.
Class 3: Hidden Tombs and Hidden Journeys
As royal burials moved from pyramids to hidden rock-cut tombs, Egyptian funerary practices became more elaborate and secretive. This class will examine the Valley of the King and Queens, the richly decorated tombs of the New Kingdom nobles, and explores the lives of the workers at Deir el-Medina who created them.
Class 4: Ancient Egypt in Modern Imagination
The final session will explore how Egyptian tombs continue to influence media, museums, and modern funerary practices today. From The Mummy to archaeological controversies and conspiracy theories, we’ll examine why ancient Egyptian tombs remain such a powerful force in popular culture.
Images: Offering Bearers in a Funerary Procession, Tomb of Rekhmire (ca. 1479–1425 B.C.); Queen Nefertari’s Tomb, located in the Valley of the Queens near Luxor, Egypt (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.); Carpenters at Work, Tomb of Rekhmire, created by Nina de Garis Davies (ca. 1479–1425 B.C.); Mastaba Tomb of Perneb, an ancient Egyptian structure dating to the Old Kingdom (ca. 2381–2323 B.C.).
Ava Forte Vitali, Egyptologist-in-Residence at Morbid Anatomy, aims to bridge the gap between the academic community and the eager, interested public. Ava, an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, previously excavated in Egypt and Turkey and worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her research includes domestic magic in ancient Egypt, as well as Star Trek and archaeology.
Four Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, July 28 - August 18, 2026
7:00 - 8:30pm ET (NYC Time)
$125 Paid Patreon Members / $145 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: Classes will be recorded and archived for students who cannot make that time
Most of what we know about the ancient Egyptians comes from the texts, art, objects, and even the bodies they left behind in their tombs and burial structures. In this four-part class, we will uncover the vast underworld of ancient Egyptian burial traditions by studying the tombs and the tomb builders who created them. Beyond the world-famous pyramids at Giza and the hidden chambers of the Valley of the Kings, we will delve into the myths, discoveries, and magical practices surrounding how both kings and everyday people prepared for eternity, as well as the artisans, laborers, and priests who helped guide them there. Blending archaeology, art history, and textual analysis, this course is designed for enthusiasts of all familiarity levels and will shed light on why the tombs of ancient Egypt continue to hold such a powerful grip on popular culture today.
Class 1: Death, the Afterlife, and the Rise of the Tomb Builders
An introduction to ancient Egyptian beliefs about death, immortality, and the journey to the afterlife. We’ll explore why tombs were built, how burial traditions evolved, and the emergence of the funerary industry.
Class 2: Pyramids, Power, and Personhood
This session will focus on the great pyramid age, examining the construction of the pyramids at Giza and the rulers who commissioned them. We’ll separate myth from reality regarding pyramid construction, discuss the lives of workers and engineers, and how their experience in death mirrored the kings.
Class 3: Hidden Tombs and Hidden Journeys
As royal burials moved from pyramids to hidden rock-cut tombs, Egyptian funerary practices became more elaborate and secretive. This class will examine the Valley of the King and Queens, the richly decorated tombs of the New Kingdom nobles, and explores the lives of the workers at Deir el-Medina who created them.
Class 4: Ancient Egypt in Modern Imagination
The final session will explore how Egyptian tombs continue to influence media, museums, and modern funerary practices today. From The Mummy to archaeological controversies and conspiracy theories, we’ll examine why ancient Egyptian tombs remain such a powerful force in popular culture.
Images: Offering Bearers in a Funerary Procession, Tomb of Rekhmire (ca. 1479–1425 B.C.); Queen Nefertari’s Tomb, located in the Valley of the Queens near Luxor, Egypt (ca. 1279–1213 B.C.); Carpenters at Work, Tomb of Rekhmire, created by Nina de Garis Davies (ca. 1479–1425 B.C.); Mastaba Tomb of Perneb, an ancient Egyptian structure dating to the Old Kingdom (ca. 2381–2323 B.C.).
Ava Forte Vitali, Egyptologist-in-Residence at Morbid Anatomy, aims to bridge the gap between the academic community and the eager, interested public. Ava, an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, previously excavated in Egypt and Turkey and worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her research includes domestic magic in ancient Egypt, as well as Star Trek and archaeology.
