The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA) at Cal State San Bernardino will present “Tomb Robbery in Ancient Egypt,” a lecture by Kate Liszka, assistant professor of history and the Pamela and Dr. Benson Harer fellow, as part of the museum’s monthly Conversations on Art series. The event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 18, 6-8 p.m.

Ancient Egyptians believed that their name, their body and their memory needed to be preserved to ensure life after death. So that their memory would persevere for the rest of eternity, they were frequently buried in large visible tombs with the often luxurious objects that they needed in the afterlife. These wealth-filled tombs acted like a beacon of opportunity for criminals. Learn how various tombs were broken into in antiquity, how the Egyptian designed their tombs in an attempt to ward off tomb robbers, and how the tomb robbers were tried and punished for their crimes.

This will be Liszka's first public lecture at RAFFMA since joining CSUSB as the Pamela and Dr. Benson Harer fellow and assistant professor of history. Liszka completed her degree in Egyptology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012. In her dissertation, she studied the evolution of the Medjay from the Old Kingdom — when they were a Nubian ethnic group of itinerant laborers — to the beginning of the New Kingdom — when they became an elite military group who protected places of pharaonic interest, such as the borders of Egypt against the Nubians.

In addition, she directs an archaeological and epigraphic project at Wadi el-Hudi, Egypt. Wadi el-Hudi is a region in the Eastern Desert where the ancient Egyptians mined for amethyst and gold. They built several settlements at the site and carved over 250 inscriptions in the course of their expeditions.

About RAFFMA

The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art is a nationally recognized museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The only accredited art museum in San Bernardino, RAFFMA has accumulated a permanent collection of nearly 1,200 objects focusing on Egyptian antiquities, ceramics and contemporary art. Located at Cal State San Bernardino, RAFFMA houses the largest permanent and public display of Egyptian art in Southern California.

General admission to the museum is free. Suggested donation is $3. Parking at Cal State San Bernardino is $6 per vehicle and $3 on weekends.

The museum is open Monday – Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday, noon – 8 p.m. and closed Friday and Sunday. For more information, call (909) 537-7373 or visit the RAFFMA website at http://raffma.csusb.edu.