Salima Ikram

Salima Ikram (; born 17 May 1965) is a Pakistani 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 guest on pertinent television programs.

Early life and education Ikram was born in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1965. She developed an interest in archaeology at the age of eight upon receiving copies of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Tanglewood Tales and Ancient Egypt by Time Life Books Editors. A visit to Egypt when she was nine heightened her interest in Egyptology.

Ikram studied Egyptology and Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College, earning a BA degree in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and History. Her PhD thesis was entitled "Choice cuts: meat production in Ancient Egypt".

Career Ikram lives in Cairo and teaches Egyptology and Archaeology at the American University in Cairo, where she is a Distinguished Professor of Egyptology. There she taught the courses Death and Burial, and Food and Drink in Ancient Egypt. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017 as an international honorary member. Since 2001, she has directed the North Kharga Oasis Survey (NKOS) with Corinna Rossi, and directed the North Kharga Oasis Darb Ain Amur Survey and the Amenmesse Mission of KV10 and KV63 in the Valley of the Kings. She co-directed the Predynastic Gallery Project.

Ikram has an active media presence, contributing to articles on Egyptology in Egypt Today and National Geographic. She has also written for Kmt, a journal of modern Egyptology. Ikram has appeared on documentary series and specials for PBS, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Netflix, and the BBC. She has been featured in over 30 documentaries and specials focusing on her area of expertise. Some of her television credits include 'Unearthing Ancient Secrets: Animal Mummies' on Sci Channel; 'Da Vinci Code: Decoded' on Channel 4 UK; 'Tomb Raiders: Robbing the Dead' on History Channel; and 'The Real Scorpion King' on History Channel.

In 2018, Ikram participated in Tenerife (Spain), in the international congress "Athanatos. Inmortal. Muerte e inmortalidad en las poblaciones del pasado". During this congress, there was an exhibition of mummies from different parts of the world, including the Guanche mummies of the ancient inhabitants of the island of Tenerife, with a technique similar to the Egyptian mummies.

She lectures year-round at various conferences, museums, and more around the world. Annual Award in Investigation by the Spanish Geographical Society (2013). Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017).

Published works

Choice Cuts: Meat Production in Ancient Egypt (Leuven: Peeters, 1995). Pyramids (Cairo: Zeitouna, 1995). Royal Mummies in the Egyptian Museum (with Aidan Dodson, Cairo: Zeitouna/American University in Cairo Press, 1997). The Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the Dead for Eternity (with Aidan Dodson, New York: Thames & Hudson/Cairo: AUC Press, 1998). Diet in: Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001). Catalogue général of Egyptian antiquities in the Cairo Museum: 24048/24056, Non-human mummies (Cairo: Supreme Council of Antiquities Press, 2002). Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt (Longman, 2003); Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies In Ancient Egypt (American University in Cairo Press, 2005). The Tomb in Ancient Egypt: royal and private sepulchres from the early dynastic period to the Romans (with Aidan Dodson, London & New York: Thames & Hudson/Cairo: AUC Press, 2008). 'Meat Processing' in Nicholson, P. and Shaw, I. Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009). Ancient Egypt: An Introduction (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010). Ancient Nubia: African Kingdoms on the Nile (edited, with M. Fisher, P. Lacovara, and S. D'Auria, Cairo: AUC Press, 2012). Chasing Chariots: Proceedings of the First International Chariot Conference (Cairo 2012) (edited, with André J. Veldmeijer, Amsterdam: Sidestone, 2012). Egyptian Bioarchaeology: Humans, Animals, and the Environment (with Jessica Kaiser; Roxie Walker, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015). Divine Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt (Cairo: The American University in Cairo, 2016). Animals in Ancient Egypt: Then and Now (with Richard Hoath) (Cairo: The American University in Cairo, 2026)

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)

Archaeological tours

Salima Ikram leads Egyptology tours for Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural trips and Ancient World Tours