Amr Shahat (aS)

Staff profile

August 2020

Profile

I am specialized in ancient Egyptian archaeology and paleoethnobotany. I combine archaeological and life sciences methods including stable isotope biogeochemistry and nano-archaeology to study ancient foodways and ancient food ecology, migration histories related to social-cultural interactions. Particular focus is on the social history of non-elite and under-studied groups of women and children.

Education

B.A. Archaeological Tourism	Helwan University
M.A. Egyptology	University of Memphis; Interdisciplinary Museum Studies Certification 2015
UCLA Food Studies Graduate Certificate	Hosted by UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability & Fielding School of Public Health, Graduation May 20, 2020

Areas of Interest

- Paleoethnobotany
- Ancient Egyptian diet and foodways
- Egyptian ethnoarchaeology
- Egyptian archaeology
- Cultural heritage site preservation

Archaeological Field Work

2019-2020	Deir el Ballas excavation project winter 2020, serving as African and eastern Mediterranean paleoethnobotany specialist, December, 18th-2019-Jan 19, 2020. Project Director, Peter Lacovara
2017-2019	Paleoethnobotany and paleodietary analysis from teeth and hair remains for diet and health reconstruction of the population buried in the TT 16, Theban tomb of Panehsy. (Seasons 2016; 2017-2018; winter 2019). Project Director, Suzanne Onstine
2019	Paleoethnobotanical analysis of the plant-food remains collection from the Tomb of Kha and Merit, Museo Egizio, Torino, Italy. August, 2019.
2019	Field excavation and teaching stable isotope applications in bioarchaeology for dietary reconstruction, St. Lucia Roman Villa site, in Aguilafuente, Segovia, Spain July 7-21, 2019. Team supervisor Jesus Herrerin and Natasa Sarkic.
2012,2017,2018	UCLA Fayum excavation project, University of California field seasons (2012; and 2017, summer 2018).
2013,2014,2015	Member of the University of Memphis & Université de Montreal à Quebec archaeological mission at the Karnak Hypostyle Hall project in Luxor, Egypt during Summer 2013 & Winter 2014 &2015.
2012	Team member Italian Archaeological Mission at the tomb of Harwa at Assasif, Luxor, Egypt Fall 2012.

Academic Publications

In press	Shahat, A. & V. Jensen. In press. Social Archaeology of Food at Deir el Ballas: An Archaeobotanical Study of the Non-Elite Cemetery Food Offerings. In: El Dorry, M.-A. Ed. Feeding a Civilisation: Food and Drink in Egypt and Sudan (Bibliothèque d’Étude. Cairo). – Cairo, Institut français d’archéologie orientale
2019	Chloe Berghausen, Elizabeth Dresser-Kluchman, Natasha Fernandez-Perez, Amr Shahat, Alec Apodaca and Venicia Slotten, UC Berkeley McCown Archaeobotany Laboratory Report #88: Field Starch Extraction from Ground Stone: Experiment and Protocol Recommendations. Lab Report.
2015	Shahat, Amr and Erika Feleg, 2015, large palimpsest cartouches of Ramesses IV Usurped by Ramesses VI, poster American Research Center in Egypt Annual Meeting, Houston Texas.

Academic Awards

2020-2021	Dissertation Year Fellowship, Graduate Division, University of California Los Angeles
2019	Center for the Study of Women Travel Award, for the project "Social history of Women in Ancient Egypt: Paleoethnobotanical and stable isotope Analysis of Food remains and mummies from non-elite cemeteries"
2018	UCLA International Institute Fieldwork Fellowship
2018	UCLA Graduate Summer Research Mentorship
2018	ARCE Annual Meeting Best Student Poster
2017-2018	UCLA Cotsen Institute Steinmetz Research Travel Award
2017	UCLA Graduate Summer Research Mentorship
2016-2017	UCLA Cotsen Institute Steinmetz Research Travel Award

Research/Internships

UCLA	Urkesh Project Research assistant, my participation includes website management for Ceramic data, and community archaeology collaborator to help Syrian students from the region.
Simon Fraser University	Stable isotope in bioarcheology internship at Simon Fraser University, host professor Dr. Michael Richards, Tier 1 Scientist, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Canada, September 10-21, Summer 2019. Funded by UCLA Canadian Institute.
University of Groningen	Advanced lab training in Archaeobotany, Food from field to Fork summer lab course, Biology-Archaeology Institute, University of Groningen. Host professor Rene Cappers July 2019.
UC Berkeley	Stable isotope in ecology, host department, Integrative biology, Life Sciences building, Todd Dawson Stable Isotope Lab UC Berkeley, Spring 2019 (University of California Intercampus exchange program)
UC Berkeley	Paleoethnobotany training in McCown UC Berkeley Archaeobotanical laboratory by Professor Christine Hastorf fall 2018-Spring 2019, University of California Berkeley.
University of Utah, Salt Lake City	Stable isotope in Biogeochemistry and ecology, Camp hosted by the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Intensive course and Lab training. Graduation summer 2018.
University of Groningen and Leiden University	Paleoethnobotany training in the University of Groningen and Leiden University by Professor Rene Cappers, Netherlands. Summer of 2017.

Advisor

Prof. Dr. Willeke Wendrich

Ph.D., Leiden University, 1999