Dr. Maria Gatto is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences, where she directs the BORDERSCAPE Project. Previously she held research and teaching positions in Egyptology and Archaeology at the University of Leicester, University of Birmingham, Yale University and at the British Museum. In recent years, Maria has been a Visiting Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, a Visiting Professor of Archaeology at the University of Bologna, and a Guest Lecturer in Prehistory at the Sapienza University of Rome. Since 2017, she is an Honorary Visiting Fellow at the School of Archaeology and Ancient History of the University of Leicester. Maria’s research explores processes of interregional interaction, cultural contact, human-environment interaction, and socio-political dynamics in the Nile Valley and the Sahara. She has worked extensively in North Africa and since 2005 she is the PI and co-director of the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological Project in Egypt.
Dr. Oren Siegel received his PhD in Egyptian Archaeology from the University of Chicago in Spring 2020. His research interests include Pharaonic and Nubian boundary making practices and monumental architecture—with a particular focus on how social power was articulated through the manipulation of the built environment. He has participated in archaeological fieldwork at Tell Edfu, Dendara, and Uronarti, and worked from 2016-2021 as a GIS analyst at the Center for Ancient Middle Eastern Landscapes as part of the Afghan Heritage Mapping Partnership.
