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.
Come Join Us at Our Next Event
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.
Announcements
Cleopatra I, Mother of the Dynasty by Mary Curwen Current Event Details
"Tutankhamun: Revolution's End" with Gayle Gibson
April 29th, 2026 (Lecture 4 of 4) — Akhenaten's life and reign end with mysteries. Who was Smenkare, his successor? Was Tutankhamun always under the thumb of Horemheb and Ay or did he manage to assert his own will? Did his widow Ankhesenamun write to the king of the Hittites for a new husband? Did the Amarna revolution leave any lasting mark on Egyptian culture?
Learn more about this Online Event Series
This event is not presented by NT-ARCE, but by long time member and friend of the club Gayle Gibson.
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
May 2nd, 2026 — 7:30 PM — Mary Curwen
Free and open to the public!
“Creating the Profile of a Ptolemaic Queen: Cleopatra I, Mother of the Dynasty”
Within studies of Ptolemaic queenship, Cleopatra I plays second fiddle to the more renowned Cleopatra VII and Arsinoe II: at most she is mentioned in passing, often in connection to her male relatives, and afforded a short biographical summary of her ‘regency’. Yet the political career of Cleopatra I played an integral role in the development of female Ptolemaic power.
This paper therefore considers Cleopatra I as a watershed for the role of Ptolemaic queens, arguing that she emphasized her role as ‘mother of the king’ to bolster her position at court. Using both iconographic and textual evidence, the multifaceted ways that Cleopatra I capitalized on and fundamentally defined her political and religious position are considered through her role as mother, often drawing on a multicultural background of influence and precedent.
First, her dating formula examines a mode of self-presentation during her co-rule with her son. Second, private dedications attest to the reception of her power, and her success at court can be understood to stem from a powerful support base which drew on her entourage of eunuchs.
She solidified her position through the religious sphere by establishing a greater affinity with Isis, the archetypal mother. Finally, Cleopatra’s titular, posthumous priesthoods and the institution of a dynastic name attest to her importance for Ptolemaic queenship, centering her not just as mother of the king, but of the dynasty.
About the Speaker
Mary Curwen is a PhD candidate in Ancient History at Yale University. She holds a BA in Classics and Egyptology as well as a Master of Studies (MSt) in Ancient History from the University of Oxford (St John’s College).
Mary’s work predominantly focuses on Graeco-Roman Egypt and she has a keen interest in cultural interaction, intellectual history, religious syncretism, and women’s history. She strives to employ interdisciplinary approaches within her work, and thus she often finds herself traversing the liminal spaces between various departments and disciplines.
She is currently writing a dissertation titled “The Nile Flows with Gold: Imitation, Transformation and Transmutation in the Development of Graeco-Egyptian ‘Alchemy’” which aims to both recentre the Pharaonic period roots of Graeco-Egyptian alchemy and assess the socio-economic and cultural factors which impacted its spread during the Graeco-Roman period.
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.