Bachelor of Egyptian Archaeology
Level 6 - Undergraduate Degree (e.g. BA/BSc), Graduate Certificate/Diploma
| Status | Complete |
|---|---|
| Part Time | No |
| Years | 2012 - 2016 |
Ahmad Mohammed's Qualifications (4)
Diploma of African Anthropology
Level 7 - Postgraduate Masters (MA/MSc), Undergraduate Integrated Masters (e.g. MEng), Postgraduate Diploma/Certificates (e.g. PGCE)
Status Complete Part Time No Years 2019 - 2020 Awarding Institution Cairo University
Masters in Egyptian Archaeology
Level 7 - Postgraduate Masters (MA/MSc), Undergraduate Integrated Masters (e.g. MEng), Postgraduate Diploma/Certificates (e.g. PGCE)
Status Complete Part Time No Years 2017 - 2019 Project Title Structures Scenes in the New Kingdom’s Private Tombs at Western Thebes Project Description This thesis delves into the documentation and analysis of structure scenes depicted on the walls of individual tombs in western Thebes, focusing on both religious (temples) and funerary (tomb) contexts, dating back to ancient Egypt before 7000 B.C. The ancient Egyptians were pioneers in recording such scenes, providing valuable insights into their architectural and cultural practices.
Employing analytical and comparative methodologies, this MA thesis examines various aspects of these scenes, drawing from documentary evidence, inscriptions, and visual representations. The primary objectives include describing religious structure scenes, identifying unidentified temples, reconstructing ruined temples through scene depictions, elucidating the relationship between depicted scenes and actual temple locations, comparing depicted scenes with existing temples, analyzing artistic perspectives, classifying tomb representations, and tracing the development of tomb superstructures during the New Kingdom period.
Methodologically, the research integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative methods encompass descriptive, historical, and analytical techniques, while quantitative analysis is employed to quantify data throughout the thesis.
The study's findings reveal that the Karnak temple features prominently in individual tombs at the Sheikh Abdel Quanah necropolis, with scenes depicting temple activities most prevalent during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. Notably, frontal view poses emerge as a dominant artistic style for representing both temple and tomb scenes, with pylons being the most representative architectural element of temples. Funeral processions are commonly depicted preceding tomb scenes, and temple scenes are predominantly found in priests' tombs. Furthermore, the research identifies eight types of tomb scenes and nine methods of temple representation.
In conclusion, the temple and tomb scenes examined in this study offer valuable insights into New Kingdom-era Egyptian culture and architecture. Their investigation yields significant results that warrant further research and comparative studies across different sites, facilitating a deeper understanding of ancient Egyptian structure scenes and their broader cultural significance.
Doctor of Philosophy
Level 8 - Doctorate Degrees (PhD/DPhil)
Status Current Years 2022 - 2025 Project Title Spatial and Social Dynamics of Pottery Workshops in Ancient Egypt through Ethnoarchaeological Parallels Project Description This project investigates the spatial and social organisation of pottery workshops in ancient Egypt, proposing a new interpretive framework termed the craftscape. Moving beyond traditional typological or techno-functional models, the study conceptualises workshops as dynamic, socially embedded spaces shaped by material practices, labour relations, environmental constraints, and institutional systems.
The central aim is to reconstruct how and why workshops were organised at multiple scales—from household units to state-run facilities—by integrating archaeological data, ethnographic fieldwork, and spatial technologies. The research is rooted in an interpretivist, interdisciplinary methodology that employs the chaîne opératoire as both an analytical and spatial tool, complemented by GIS-based mapping, remote sensing, photogrammetry, and reflexive ethnographic heuristics. This multi-method approach allows for a nuanced exploration of how ancient Egyptian craftspeople structured and navigated their production environments.
The study is structured around five interlinked objectives. First, it investigates the internal spatial logic of workshops by analysing the arrangement of production zones—clay preparation, forming, drying, and firing—and how these layouts varied across domestic, communal, and institutional contexts. Case studies include Amarna Q48.4, El-Kab, Nag Baba, and Abu Sir. Second, the project examines the relationship between workshop organisation and social structures such as kinship, apprenticeship, labour hierarchy, and gender. Drawing from fieldwork in El-Nazlah and other contemporary pottery-producing villages, it reveals how social identities and production knowledge are spatially inscribed.
Third, the research explores the influence of environmental and logistical factors—such as proximity to resources, seasonal rhythms, and climate—on workshop form and function. Fourth, it adapts the chaîne opératoire model to a spatialised context, reconstructing production sequences as both technical processes and lived routines. Fifth, the study highlights methodological innovation through the integration of digital tools and ethnographic analogy, not as direct parallels but as heuristic strategies to pose spatial and social questions of archaeological data.
Awarding Institution Durham University (OUTPUTS - NO FUNDER ACKNOWLEDGED) Director of Studies Penny Wilson Second Supervisor Kamal Badreshany