On the evening of September 25, 2024, Research Centre of History and Culture  held the first series of casual tea and academic exchange lectures of the Autumn semester 2024 , which was sponsored by the CentreofForeign Languages and Cultures of theFacultyof Humanities and Social Sciences and FHSS Teaching and Learning Grant. In his presentation, Dr. Rune Nyord of Emory University in United States explained the role of images in the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, and Dr. Yegor Grebnev, an assistant professor from UIC whose research focuses on Early China, supplemented the presentation with some observations from ancient Chinese history.

    “The Book of the Dead”, a collection of various ritual texts of funerals in ancient Egypt, has always been understood as a guide for afterlife existence. Recent research has questioned the role of this collection, leading to new questions about how it was understood and used in ancient times. Dr. Nyord shared a series of images from the Book of the Dead with interpretations, delving into the practical role of the book in antiquity. After the lecture, the audience asked Dr. Nyord questions related to the presentation.

    After the main part, Dr. Yegor Grebnev expanded on some examples of early Chinese studies and religious studies.

    In addition to the presentation, the moderator, Xie Yuchen, a third-year student majoring in Chinese Culture and Global Communication, had a relaxed interaction with the students and faculty, having introduced the activities planned by RCHC this semester.