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! Our schedule of events appears below for 2026.
Announcements
New Egypt Travel Talks with Gayle Gibson
"Amarna Times"
March 18 – April 29, 2026
Akhenaten, king of Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty, was called "the first individual in history" by Egyptologist James Henry Breasted. Others have called him a madman, a fascist—or even Moses. Scholars have nearly come to blows debating his legacy. Join Gayle Gibson for this fascinating deep dive into one of ancient Egypt's most controversial and intriguing figures.
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.
Our Next Event
March 28th, 2026 — 7:30 PM — Eric H. Cline
Free and open to the public!
“Speak to the King, my lord and my Sun god”: Love, War, and Diplomacy in Canaan during the Amarna Age
In 1887, a cache of nearly 400 clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform was discovered at Tell el-Amarna, the capital city of the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten. Dating to the fourteenth century BCE, it is the only royal archive that has been discovered from New Kingdom Egypt so far. Within the archive are fifty letters exchanged with the other great powers of the day, including the Hittites, Babylonians, and Assyrians. However, there are also nearly three hundred letters sent by vassal Canaanite rulers, such as Biridiya, the king of Megiddo; Abdi-Heba, the king of Jerusalem; and Rib-Hadda, the king of Byblos.
The letters offer a glimpse into the vibrant diplomatic world of the Late Bronze Age, revealing royal marriages, elaborate negotiations, and exchanges of luxury gifts between the great kings, as well as political maneuvering and appeals from the vassal kings of Canaan, including Biridiya, who sent six letters to the Egyptian pharaohs. They also provide a window through which we can glimpse the competition among antiquities dealers and museums to acquire the tablets; the scholarly race between British and German teams to decipher them; and the colonial-era context in which they were unearthed.
About the Speaker
Eric H. Cline is Professor of Classics and Anthropology and Director of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at George Washington University. A two-time Fulbright Scholar, National Geographic Explorer, NEH Public Scholar, and Getty Scholar, he has more than thirty seasons of excavation experience in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Greece, Crete, and the United States, including ten seasons at Megiddo and ten at Tel Kabri where he currently serves as Co-Director. He is the author or editor of more than twenty books, perhaps best known for 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed (revised 2021) and After 1177 BC: The Survival of Civilizations (2024).
Venue
McCord Auditorium, Dallas Hall — 3225 University Blvd, Dallas, TX 75205
Important SMU Parking Information
Southern Methodist University kindly sponsors us and provides limited free parking.
Parking in Q Lot.
The lecture will be held in McCord Auditorium inside Dallas Hall. There will be limited NT-ARCE event signage to help you find your way.
Club Volunteers
2026 Officers
- President: David Kuhlmann
- Vice President: Teri Kuhlmann
- Treasurer: Samantha Tennant
- Secretary: Jennifer Danford
- Membership Chair: Mike Randrup
- Officers-At-Large: Karlene Schoonover & Susan Patterson
Refreshments generously provided by Jennifer Danford
See any of the above listed people at a meeting to discuss ideas, offer suggestions, ask questions, or volunteer to help out the club together.
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.
See more information at ARCE.org
Renew ARCE
Just want to confirm when your renewal is coming up? Contact your club membership volunteer Mike Randrup. Ready to renew? Here is a link to national ARCE to do so.