Defining the Role of Indigenous Nomadic Groups in Egyptian Policy-Making
This project explores the history of the interactions between the desert nomadic communities and settled communities in the Nile Valley in Egypt, and the state’s policies in shaping and regulating those interactions through a deep-time approach, stretching from the Late Bronze Age through the Modern Period. The project strives to highlight possible avenues of cooperation in order to suggest policies that rely on inclusion, sustainability, and mutually beneficial endeavors.
Project Participant Bios
Maryan Ragheb is a PhD Candidate in Archaeology, interested in forms identity expressions pre and post state formation in ancient Egypt through the study of body ornamentation, with a focus on ancient Egypt. Her dissertation topic led her to further research the interaction and representation of nomadic communities in Egypt and the Sudan both in ancient and modern times, and the involvement of the state in shaping and regulating those representations. Maryan has worked on several archaeological excavations in Egypt and Ethiopia and worked closely with national entities in Egypt, such as the Ministry of Antiquities. In the future, Maryan would like to work on initiatives for public outreach that is based on creating an inclusive environment for teaching and community involvement in the study of history.
Matei Tichindelean is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology where he focuses on the (semi)nomadic peoples of northeast Africa and their interactions with the state and the settled populations along the Nile Valley. His dissertation tries to understand the lifeways and roles that nomads, on the edge of state-level societies, played in supra-regional economies. While archaeology is primarily a study of the past, Matei’s projects are rooted in the present and often deal with questions about the local communities’ needs and concerns and their interactions with their cultural heritage. Matei has worked on several projects in Egypt, Sudan,Oman, Romania, Italy, and the American Southwest.
