Research
My main research interests are:
1) Ramesside military activity, trade and foreign relations (especially with the Libyans), based on my fieldwork at the site of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham (for free downloads of several of my research publications in this area see my 'Academia' pages.
2) Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt, especially the interrelationship between the built environment and natural world, and especially the interest of Egyptians in their ancient past.
3) Biodiversity in Egyptian Archaeology during Societal Transitions. The main aims of this interdisciplinary, Leverhulme-funded study are to uncover how drastic changes in climate and human land-use interacted to drive biodiversity dynamics and socioeconomic and cultural development in Northeast Africa since the last glacial maximum, with an emphasis on predynastic and pharaonic Egypt.
In addition to my main research interests, I also currently supervise five Ph.D students on topics including 'Soul Houses', 'Paddle Dolls', Coffin Workshops in the Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom Royal Children.
Research Interest 1 - Settlement Archaeology in Egypt
Including the many different interactions between humans, animals and specific natural environments in ancient Egypt.
Research Interest 2 - Ramesside Period Egypt
Especially the military and non-military interactions between Egyptians and Libyans at this time, and international trade.
This research strand is informed by my major fieldwork project at the Ramesside fortress-town of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham (Mersa Matrouh Governorate, Egypt)
Research Interest 3 - Sacred Landscapes in Ancient Egypt
Specifically the way in which the Egyptians created sacred spaces through the interaction between human activity, the natural world, and built environments.
This includes the ways in which the Egyptians used and re-interpreted monuments from their own ancient past.
Research collaborations
Jakob Bro-Jørgensen
BEAST
Leverhulme Trust funded project to investigate large mammal extinctions and human populations in NE Africa during the Predynastic/Dynastic Periods in Egypt.