Valentina Anselmi

Headshot Of Valentina Anselmi

PhD Candidate

Ancient Egypt has long captivated my heart and soul. After a BA in Egyptology at the American University in Cairo and a voluntary hiatus to raise a family, I have continued to pursue the pharaonic realm with a Master's Degree in Egyptology at the University of Pennsylvania, which I obtained in 2015. I am now a PhD Candidate whose research focus is the art, language, and religion of the late Old Kingdom. My dissertation, titled An Investigation of Correlations in Art, Religion, and Language Development in the Later Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period, delves into the fascinating and controversial occurrence of the so-called Second Style, an artistic rendition of the deceased, expressed in statues of the funerary ensembles, which, due to its exaggerated idiosyncrasies, has been compared to late Renaissance mannerisms by some scholars. The emergence of such a style, according to preliminary research, could possibly have been reflected in other cultural aspects of the time.

I am available as a contact to prospective Egyptology students.

Research Interests

Academic and Professional Honors:

Ahmed Fakry Award in Egyptology, The American University in Cairo, Cairo (Egypt), Junior Year

Samiha El Barkouky Award in Egyptology, The American University in Cairo, Cairo (Egypt), Senior Year

Fieldwork:

Epigrapher, University of Pennsylvania Project on Middle Kingdom Seals from the Site of Abydos, Dec. 2014-Jan. 2015

Museum Experience:

Egyptian Galleries Tour Guide, 2015-present

40 Winks with the Sphinx Hieroglyphs’ Workshop Teacher, 2015-2018

Courses Taught

Teaching and Advising:

Fall 2015: Introduction to the Ancient Near East (NELC 101)

Spring 2016: Land of the Pharaohs (NELC 062)

Fall 2016: Introduction to the Bible (NELC 150)

Spring 2017: Land of the Pharaohs (NELC 062)

Spring 2018: Land of the Pharaohs (NELC 062)