DR. SALIMA IKRAM - Egyptologist

[Bianca]

If, like me, you are 'addicted' to Ancient Egypt documentaries, you have probably wondered who the

pretty, vivacious and VERY informative lady Egyptologist is that appears in many of them....






                                           

                                             Dr. Salima Ikram

[Bianca]

 


             









Professor Salima Ikram, a well known Egyptologist, is a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, a participant in many Egyptian archaeological projects, the author of several books on Egyptian archaeology, a contributor to various magazines, and a frequent guest on television shows on the topic.

Dr. Ikram was born in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1965. On a visit to Egypt at the age of nine she became fascinated with the country, its history, and its monuments.[1]


She studied Egyptology and archaeology at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, USA, earning an A.B. in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and History. Continuing her studies at University of Cambridge, she earned her M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Egyptology and museum studies. While working for her Ph.D. she also trained in fauna analysis.

Dr. Ikram lives in Cairo and teaches Egyptology and archaeology at the American University in Cairo, where she is now full Professor of Egyptology.

She is the correspondent for Kmt, a popular Egyptological journal, and a frequent contributor to Egypt Today.

She is the co-director of the Animal Mummy Project at the Egyptian Museum.

Since 2001, Dr. Ikram has directed, with Corinna Rossi, the [North Kharga Oasis Survey (NKOS).

[Bianca]

             









Published works



Chapters in Nicholson & Shaw, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology (Cambridge: CUP)

Choice Cuts: Meat Production in Ancient Egypt (Leuven: Peeters, 1995)

Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt (Longman, 2003)

Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies In Ancient Egypt (American University in Cairo Press, 2005)

Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt (New York: OUP)

Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the Dead for Eternity (New York: Thames & Hudson/Cairo: AUC Press, 1998) (with Aidan Dodson)

Non Human Mummies Catalog (American University in Cairo Press, 2003)

Pyramids (Cairo: Zeitouna)

Royal Mummies in the Egyptian Museum (Cairo: Zeitouna/American University in Cairo Press, 1997) (with Aidan Dodson)

The Tomb in Ancient Egypt (London & New York: Thames & Hudson/Cairo: AUC Press, 2008) (with Aidan Dodson)






Works for young readers



Egyptology (Amideast, 1997)

In Ancient Egypt: Gods and Temples (Los Altos, CA: Hoopoe Books Ltd., 1998)
 
In Ancient Egypt: Mummies and Tombs (Los Altos, CA: Hoopoe Books Ltd., 1998)
 
Pharaohs (Amideast, 1997)

Land and People (Amideast, 1997)






Notes



^ Profile of Salima Ikram on the Theban Mapping Project Web site

^ http://www.animalmummies.com

^ Mark Rose,"Caring for the Dead," Archaeology 57, no. 2 (March/April 2004).

^ http://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/northkhargaoasissurvey/pages/intro.html






External links



Profile of Salima Ikram at the American University in Cairo Web site

http://www.aucegypt.edu/academics/facultyresearch/Profiles/Pages/SalimaIkram.aspx




RETRIEVED FROM

wikipedia.org

[Bianca]

             






DR. IKRAM'S WEBSITE:


http://www.thewritingcode.com/pages/transcripts/ikram.html

[Bianca]

[Bianca]

                                        An Inside Look at the Life of a South Asian Egyptologist






by zahra_nawaz

Imagine if a normal day at work involved crawling on your stomach through a foot and half wide opening into a wall of darkness. Now imagine shimmying through the opening while an unidentifiable and stinky muck seeped into your clothing and skin. No, this is not a scene from Indiana Jones; if you are Dr. Salima Ikram, this is normal day in the field. The world-renown Egyptologist does what is necessary to get into a tomb of Egyptian Goddess Isis Mummies. It seems highly appropriate that she is the one to retrieve these treasures. Isis is considered to be the patron of women after all. But, Dr. Ikram’s success in archeology is not due to divine power--it comes down to a passion and years of hard work.

At the early age of nine, the Ikrams were on a family trip to North Africa when young Salima was blown away by the archeological wonders of Ancient Egypt. From that point on everything she did in her education was pointed towards her passion for this subject. But, she is the first to admit that even a passion can falter at times. While she was on the path to her current position as professor of Egyptology at The American University in Cairo, she had moments of feeling her academic studies ‘were a bit useless.’ This is, no doubt, a mildly comforting thought to students and adults seeking out their own passions. But, even with reservations, Dr. Ikram’s love for the field triumphed over her worries.

She embarked on a stellar career that has included teaching at the University of Cairo, working in the field, major media appearances including the Discovery Channel, and writing wildly successful academic and children’s books. And, though field work can be laborious, it has offered her thrilling adventures. Dr. Ikram was the first person to go into an undisturbed tomb in Sudan, not a feat for the faint of heart or claustrophobic. And, while working in the famed and scorching Valley of the Kings, Ikram was head of opening the entire collection of unearthed ancient jars in Tomb 63; the first tomb to be discovered there since the early 20th century. The detective work involved piecing together what the jars meant and who they belonged to. Patience, a steady hand, and the ability to draw upon years of academic study all came into play in this historic process.

Dr. Ikram’s college days at Bryn Mawr helped prepare her for her future career. Her double major in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and History laid the foundation for further MPhil and PhD study at Cambridge University. But, it was the culture at undergrad that propelled her forward with a deep sense of confidence to apply what she learned. “I was very fortunate at Bryn Mawr, since it was all women…the idea that a woman can’t do something, never crossed my mind.”

Still, once in the field Ikram acknowledges that no where in the world are people really on truly equal footing. She said there are women who get along with other women in the field, and of course there are personalities that do not. So, like other careers, archeology has its own share of politics. But, she passes on the wisdom that [gender] biases are only noticeable if you pay attention to them. Egypt may seem like a male-dominated society, but Ikram is the first to admit, that sometimes, being a woman is a major asset. “Working with men in Egypt, for the most part, people are willing to be helpful because you are female.”

With her solid academic and field training it’s hard to see who would not turn to Dr. Salima Ikram for her expertise. Her positive attitude towards her work is contagious, but personally, we think it is best to leave maneuvering through pitch-black ancient tombs to the experts for now. 



http://www.divanee.com/view_article.php?aid=251

[Bianca]

Wednesday,
June 15, 2005



Book corner


All Wrapped Up






ALTHOUGH PRACTICED BY other civilizations, mummification is most popularly associated with the ancient Egyptians. Our modern fascination with the mummy is only too apparent in the crowds that
flock to the Egyptian Museum to gawk at the wizened remains of long dead pharaohs, or the enduring popularity of certain B-rate horror movies of which they are the spine-tingling focus.

Apparently the human mummy is only just part of the story, for not only did the ancient Egyptians also mummify their animals, they did so in industrial quantities. Animal cemeteries at places such as Tuna al-Gebel, Saqqara, Bubastis and numerous other sites have yielded animal mummies that number in the millions and yet have received relatively little attention.

'Divine Creatures Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt', edited by American University in Cairo (AUC) Egyptology Professor Salima Ikram, does much to redress this imbalance though it remains, in the
most positive sense, very much still a work in progress.






We here at ArchaeoBlog

can readily testify that Dr. Ikram is indeed a delightful lecturer, and if this book reads anything like her personal style, it ought to be an excellent read. We've worked with Salima in the field and we swear that if her energy could be bottled up and sold, the Saudi royal family would be back to living in tents following herds of sheep within a month or two.

She obviously loves her work, more importantly is good at it, and has that rare ability to be both entertaining and informative at the same time. Not to mention utterly charming and with a truly
wicked sense of humor.

She also has a rather keen sense of what may be causing various bowel afflictions among furreigners
in Egypt and what to do about them.

This skill should not be underestimated.

[Bianca]

               

               Salima in the field:

[Bianca]

             

              Salima working very hard in the field



http://archaeoblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/book-corner-all-wrapped-up-although.html