Dr Carolyn Graves-Brown was curator of the Egypt Centre at Swansea University from 1997 – 2022.
She has been curator of two other museums (Neath Museum and Littlehampton Museum), assistant curator at one and volunteer at another.
She is also a member of the Museums Association, ICOM (Conseil International des Musées) and the Lithics Study Society .
Egypt Centre Blog
Research Interests
- Egyptian Dynastic lithics
- Material culture and archaeological theory
- Museology
- Gender studies
- The religious significance of technology in ancient Egypt
Publications
Monographs
- 2018. Daemons and Spirits in Ancient Egypt. University of Wales Press: Cardiff.
- 2010. Dancing for Hathor: Women in Ancient Egypt. Hambledon Continuum: London and New York.
Edited Books
- 2015. Egyptology in the Present: Experiential and Experimental Methods in Archaeology. Classical Press of Wales
- 2008. Sex and Gender in Ancient Egypt. Don Your Wig For A Joyful Hour. Classical Press of Wales: Swansea.
Parts of Books
- 2015. Dagger-like flint implements in Bronze Age Egypt. In Friedman, C.J. and Eriksen, B.V. (eds.) Flint Daggers in Prehistoric Europe, Oxbow Books: Oxford. 19-31.
- 2015. Sexuality: Ancient Egypt. In Whelehan, P and Bolin, A. (eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality. John Wiley and Sons, 1115-1354.
- 2015. Flint and Forts: The role of flint in Middle Kingdom-New Kingdom Weaponry. In Harrison, T.B. and Banning, E.B. (eds), Walls of the Prince. Egyptian Interactions with Southwest Asia in Antiquity: Essays in honour of John S. Holladay, Jr., Brill, 37-59.
- 2014. A Gazelle, A Lute Player and Bes: three ring bezels from Amarna. In Dodson, A., Johnston, J.J. and Monkhouse, W. (eds.), A Good Scribe and an Exceedingly Wise Man: studies in honour of W.J. Tait Golden House: London, 113-126.
- 2013. Luster, Flint and Arsenical Copper in Dynastic Egypt. Journal of Lithic Technology, 38.3., 150-160.
- 2012 Review of Frandsen, J.P. 2009. Incestuous and Close-kin Marriage in Ancient Egypt and Persia. An Examination of the Evidence, Chronique d’ Égypte, 87, 292–296.
- 2008. Licking Knives and Stone Snakes: The Ideology of Flint in Ancient Egypt. In Martinón-Torres, M. and Rehren, T. (eds.), Archaeology History and Science. Integrating Approaches to Ancient Materials, Left Coast Press: Walnut Creek, 37-60.
- 2008. Museums and Widening Participation: A View From the Egypt Centre. In Kop, R., Jones, R., McCallum, J., Payne, R., Trotman, C. (eds.), Changing Landscapes. Conference Proceedings University of Wales Swansea 11th and 12th April 2005, Community of the Valleys Partnership, The Department of Continuing Adult Education: Swansea, 168-179. http://www.swan.ac.uk/dace/Research/ResearchPublications/
- 2006. Flint and Life Crises in Pharaonic Egypt. In Dann, R.J. (ed.), Current Research in Egyptology 2004. Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Symposium which took place at the University of Durham January 2004, Oxbow Books: Oxford, 68-83.
- 2006. Emergent Flints. In Szpakowska, K. (ed.), Through a Glass Darkly. Magic, dreams and prophecy in ancient Egypt. Classical Press of Wales: Swansea, 47-62.
- 2008. Flint and the Northern Sky. In Schneider, T. and Szpakowska, K. (eds.), Egyptian Stories. A British Egyptological Tribute to Alan B Lloyd on the Occasion of His Retirement. Alter Orient und Altes Testament Veröffentlichungen zur Kultur und Geschichte des Alten Orients und des Alten Testaments: Münster, 111-137
- 2005. The Spitting Goddess and the Stony Eye: Divinity and Flint in Pharaonic Egypt. In Piquette, K. and Love, S. (eds.), Current Research in Egyptology 2003: Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Symposium Which Took Place at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 18-19 January 2003. Oxbow Books: Oxford, 57-70.
- 2004. Fire-stone, Magic Serpents and Butchery Knives: The Role of Flint in Dynastic Egypt. Ancient Egypt 4/1, 34-37.
- 2004. The Birth of the Egypt Centre. Discussions in Egyptology, 59, 23-30.
- 2003. Toot and Come In! Access in A University Museum. Y Mag, Jan 2003, 6.
Plus various information sheets, articles in local history newsletters, etc.
Presentations
Talks and lectures are regularly given to local and national groups on museological and Egyptological topics. Past presentations include:
- Colour, Luminosity, Metal and Flint in Dynastic Egypt. Paper presented to the 7th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Near East, UCL, London, 14th April 2010.
- Children’s University- The Egypt Centre Experience. Paper presented at the CIPEG (International Committee for Egyptology) conference, Hannover, September 2008
- Dynastic Lithics in British museums. Paper presented at the CIPEG (International Committee for Egyptology) conference, Vienna, September 2007.
- Presenting History from a University Museum: A View From the Egypt Centre. Paper presented to the History and the Public Conference, Swansea University, 12th-14th April 2007.
- Flint and Forts. The Role of Flint in Middle-New Kingdom Egyptian Weaponry. Paper presented at the conference Walls of the Ruler: Fortifications, Police Beats, and Military Checkpoints in Ancient Egypt, Swansea University, May 22–25 2006:
- Widening Participation in a University Museum. Paper presented to the Changing Landscapes Conference, Swansea University, 11th-12th April 2005.
- The Spitting Goddess and the Stony Eye: Divinity and Flint In Pharaonic Egypt. Paper presented at the conference Through a Glass Darkly-Magic, Dreams and Prophecy in Ancient Egypt, Hay-on-Wye, September 2003.
- Welsh Federation of Museums and Galleries AGM, 2003 on the subject of access.
- Flint and the Gods. Current Research in Egyptology Symposium (CRE), UCL, London, 2003.
- The Religious Meaning Within Egyptian Dynastic Lithics. Paper presented at the conference Past Societies and Materials: Archaeological Information and Written Sources, a seminar organised by University College London, 2002.
- Widening Participation in University Museums (organised by the University Museums Group) at the Museums Association Conference 2002
Brief C.V.
Education
- B.A. Hons. Archaeology, University Of Durham 1983 (including coursework in Egyptology)
- M.A. Diploma (specialising in archaeology) 1989
- PhD. Egyptology at University College London on The Religious Significance of Flint in Dynastic Egypt
Employment
- 1983-1987 Assistant curator, Appletongate Museum, Newark
- 1987-1989 Curator, Littlehampton Museum
- 1989-1997 Curator, Neath Museum
- 1997-2022 Curator, Egypt Centre, Swansea University
Collaborations
- Department of Classics And Ancient History On development and delivery of material culture in Egyptology courses
- Advised Cyfartha Castle Museum on the identification of their Egyptological collection
- 2003 Invited participant in advocacy for university museums symposium hosted by the University of East Anglia and organised by the University Museums Group