Welcome to North Texas ARCE
Welcome to the North Texas Chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt
We are one of the oldest and most active of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) chapters with regular programs, occasional seminars, and a variety of other activities. At our events you will hear and have a chance to talk with prominent Egyptologists from around the world as well as up and coming scholars. Lectures are free and open to the public.
Our monthly lectures are preceded by a social half hour with refreshments, and we enjoy a post-presentation "no host" dinner with our speaker at a nearby restaurant.
Announcements
Next Lecture is on June 13th, 2026
Our next lecture night: Sacred Writing, Hidden Power by Jonathan Winnerman
National ARCE Conference
ARCE We There Yet? Your club representatives (The Shabti Six) have returned from the road trip to Denver and the 2026 ARCE Conference from April 10th-12th. The event featured over 100 presentations under various themes such as archaeology, Greco-Roman Egypt, art history, Women in ancient Egypt, philology, religion, and more. Our group from North Texas managed to attend most of the 100+ lectures between us. Club leadership will share more soon!
Our Next Event
June 13th, 2026 — 7:30 PM — Jonathan Winnerman
Free and open to the public!
“Sacred Writing, Hidden Power: Ancient Egyptian Cryptographic Texts”
Amun-Re, the only god in ancient Egypt frequently referred to as “king of the gods,” was conceived through the unity of two separate deities: Amun and Re. Amun was the source of all creation but concealed from all of existence and even other gods. Re, on the other hand, was the visible sun itself. It was only in combining these hidden and revealed powers, however, that Amun and Re became Amun-Re and ascended to a supreme divine kingship.
This talk analyzes how terrestrial rulers took advantage of this duality to define their own power using a series of unique inscriptions, which juxtapose standard and cryptographic hieroglyphs. After a brief introduction to cryptographic writing, it will then situate these inscriptions in their historical and monumental contexts to explore how they may have activated these sacred spaces to empower the actions and agents within.
About the Speaker
Jonathan Winnerman, currently Assistant Director of Global Antiquity and future Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, is a specialist in ancient Egyptian philology (Old Egyptian through Coptic) and visual culture. He is interested in the construction of sacred kingship and power not only in ancient Egypt, but also across ancient, premodern, and contemporary worlds. Most recently, this has led him to explore different conceptions of the body politic, the relationships between real and imagined representations of power, and the rise of authoritarianism.
Jonathan is also the Assistant Director of Global Antiquity at UCLA, an initiative that foregrounds the entanglements of ancient cultures and the relevance of the ancient past for our world today. Before joining UCLA, he worked in Egypt for many years, most notably as an epigrapher with the Epigraphic Survey of the University of Chicago in Luxor and with the Tell Edfu project.
Venue
Fondren Science Building — 3215 Daniel Ave, Dallas, TX 75205
Important SMU Parking Information
Southern Methodist University kindly sponsors us and provides limited free parking.
Please be sure to park in Lot Q or Lot R next to Fondren Science Building.
It’s easiest to find lecture room 123 in Fondren if you enter from the Lot R side of the building. There will be limited NT-ARCE event signage to help you find your way once inside the Fondren Science Building.
The Club Thanks
Our members, guest speakers, and visitors, and...
Our Generous Sponsor
Southern Methodist University’s Clements Department of HistoryNT-ARCE 2026 Officers
- President: David Kuhlmann
- Vice President, Program Chair: Teri Kuhlmann
- Treasurer: Samantha Tennant
- Secretary: Jennifer Danford
- Membership Chair, Tech Role, Club Communications: Mike Randrup
- Officers-At-Large: Karlene Schoonover & Susan Patterson
Refreshments generously provided by Jennifer & Butch Danford
See any of the above listed people at a meeting to discuss ideas, offer suggestions, ask questions, or volunteer to help the club with us.
Renew ARCE
For member & membership questions, you can write to your club membership volunteer Mike Randrup.
Here is a link to national ARCE if you'd like to renew your membership now. Don't forget to designate North Texas ARCE as your affiliated local chapter. Many thanks to all those who have already renewed!
Join ARCE
Join our parent organization, the American Research Center in Egypt for online lectures, periodic reports of current excavations and projects in Egypt, and other member benefits. Don't forget to designate North Texas ARCE as your affiliated local chapter.