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Staff profile

Overview

Dr Mohamed Abouarab

Biography

Web of Science: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/W-4672-2017

Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57201397567

Orcid: www.orcid.org/0000-0001-5360-5589

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.eg/citations?user=wqp-5PYAAAAJ&hl=en

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohamed-A-R-Abouarab

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-a-r-abouarab-709b3149

Academia: https://kfs.academia.edu/MohamedAHMEDRADIABOUARAB

 

I am a specialist in Classical and Coptic archaeology with a particular focus in areas of both archaeology as well as field excavations. After reading Classical Studies (Greco-Roman and Coptic) at Kafrelsheikh University (BA 2000), I continued to develop my interest in archaeology, excavations and geoarchaeology. My specialist research for my Ph. D was about Classical, Coptic Archaeology and Arts (2013), and my Master (2003) was about Classical, Coptic Archaeology and Arts at Department of Prehistory and Archaeology and the Department of Medieval History and Historiography Science and Techniques, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, Granada University, Spain. Evolving out of this study, I continue to research Classical archaeology and Geoarchaeology.

I worked for eight years as Inspector and Excavations Expert (Classical Archaeology) at Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (2001-2009), where I developed a wider passion for material culture of Greco-Roman Egypt, the Classical World, and the North Africa. Since 2009 I have been employed as an Assistant Lecturer in Classical and Coptic Archaeology and Arts, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, Kafrelsheikh University.

My first archaeological work was at Buto “Tell El-Farar'in”, Egypt near Kafr El Sheikh, Delta of Egypt, while I was at university. I have since participated on Buto site as trainer with the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo and IFAO - Institut français d'archéologie orientale.

I am currently also carrying out excavation work at Buto “Tell El-Farar'in, in order to understand cultural transitions during the Predynastic to Roman period. This project will include heritage development and Environmental Archaeology aspects. It has been supported by funding from the Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt.

I am interested in the Greco-Roman life in the Nile delta including coping with the Nile's flood regime in the past, the development of urban centres and the tension between agricultural life and the state. I am also interested in the integration between Remote Sensing, GIS, Geophysics, ancient Maps, ancient sources, Environmental Archaeology and archaeology.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/arp.1898

 

My current work is focused upon searching for the origins of ancient cities in relation to the Greek-Roman civilization, using new technologies such as satellite technologies and GIS tools, environmental archaeology as well as searching in the writings of historians and old maps, and integrating all the sciences from classical sources, analyzes of optical and radar satellite images, and geophysical tools and devices, and studying all of this in depth to reach the boundaries of the ancient cities and the most important legacy of the ancient remains such as temples and buildings.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/24/3039

 

The excavated sites with major settlements in Upper Egypt between Qena and Luxor and Lower Egypt in the Nile Delta proved that the Predynastic period was an extension of the Egyptian Neolithic period dating approximately between 4500 BCE and 3000 BCE.

Furthermore, the Neolithic period and the Predynastic and Early Dynastic eras were part of a network connecting Africa, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Asia Minor. The united Egyptian state (Northern and Southern kingdoms) in the Early Dynastic period (c.3100 BCE) begins a sequence of more than 500 kings, divided into around thirty dynasties ending with the Ptolemaic kings and Roman emperors.

Historically, the Nile was divided into several branches (seven branches were known in the 1st century AD), and the large alluvial plain between Cairo and the Mediterranean Sea assumed its present form since the middle Holocene (ca. 7000 BP). Archaeological excavations conducted in the Nile Delta during the past few years have clearly demonstrated that the area was inhabited before the dynastic era. There remains, however, a lack of knowledge concerning the influences on the Nile Delta cultures during the late Quaternary period and especially the impacts of the prehistoric and early historic communities.

Unfortunately, the rapidly increasing modern population has led to a sprawl of urban and cultivated areas in Egypt that has negatively affected many ancient sites (ancient buildings and Koms or Tells), especially in the Nile Delta. In the last decades, satellites have offered new opportunities to monitor climate change, urbanization, looting, and site destruction. Archaeologists have used satellite images since the early 1980s as well as both aerial and space platforms mainly operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researchers.

Thus, beginning with aerial photos, optical satellite remote sensing (passive data), environmental archaeology has played an important role in the field of archaeological investigation over much of the last century. Recently, archaeological investigations conducted using SAR data (active data) have moved remote sensing survey forward to another stage focusing on archaeological detection and monitoring using backscattering change. Concerning SAR data, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the C-band Sentinel-1A satellite in April 2014 and Sentinel-1B in April 2016. Sentinel-1 data can give valuable information to feed into research of landscape archaeology and large-area monitoring activities.

Older and recent topographic maps provide efficient data for archaeological studies and Environmental Archaeology. They can help to define archaeological sites within their natural environment and to determine the characteristics of archaeological settlements supporting the development of hypotheses regarding the settlement pattern and environment that are testable through excavation. The digitization and analysis of these historic maps thus creates the possibility for finding ancient archaeological sites, besides giving a good opportunity for gaining insight into landscape archaeology.

Data from ancient maps, geographic positioning of data, quick georeferencing, creating accurate layers, and verifying GPS points are considered central activities in the production of scientific archaeological maps. Generally, this study is focused on highlighting the advantage of using the integration between the historic topographical maps, Optical Landsat data, and the Radar Sentinel1 data in archaeological and heritage studies and also Environmental Archaeology

https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/6/11/378

 

The research mainly consists of:

• Studying the extent of the Greek-Roman civilization in the study area.

• Trying to detect as possible the sites of the un-discovered Greek-Roman sites depending on the historian (e.g., Herodotus, Strabo, etc.) beside the integration with the old topographic maps and the Remote sensing data.

• Applying the new techniques in the archaeological field and Environmental Archaeology.

• Creating a new map includes the unknown Greek-Roman sites after finishing the study.

The study area is located in the north of the Nile Delta, Kafr El-Sheikh. Climatically, the study area is characterized by a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. According to analysis of satellite images, ancient historical, literary sources and topographic maps, the study area is covered by large zones of cultivated land, some small cities, and eight archaeological Koms or mounds.An additional purpose of my research is the search for ancient Greco-Roman ports in Egypt as well as the Environmental Archaeology.

MA and PhD Topics:

I am interested in supervising students in subjects connected with Remote Sensing, GIS, Geophysics, Ancient Maps, Ancient sources, Environmental Archaeology and Archaeology of the Delta, Settlement Archaeology and Classical material culture of all periods. In addition, I am also keen to supervise work on Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology are also of interest.

Selected Publications:

Hader Sheisha, David Kaniewski, Nick Marriner, Morteza Djamali, Gamal Younes, Zhongyuan Chen, Gad El-Qady, Amr Saleem, Carla Khater, Alain Véron, Edward Anthony, Mohamed Mustapha Abdelmaguid, Mohamed A.R. Abouarab, Zahra Akacha, Maria Ilie, Christophe Morhange, Feeding the pyramid builders: Early agriculture at Giza in Egypt, Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 312, 2023, 108172, ISSN 0277-3791.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108172

https://www.sciencedire...e/pii/S0277379123002202

 

Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Khaled Abutaleb, Doaa M. Naguib, Wael Mostafa, Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, Aiman Ashmawy, Penelope Wilson, Rosa Lasaponara Tracking the effects of the long-term changes on the coastal archaeological sites of the Mediterranean using remote sensing data: The case study from the northern shoreline of Nile Delta of Egypt, Archaeological Prospection, Volume 30, Issue 3, 2023, 369-390, ISSN:1099-0763.

https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1898

https://onlinelibrary.w...om/doi/10.1002/arp.1898

 

Elfadaly, A, Mohamed A. R Abouarab, Eldein, A.S., Lasaponara, R. (2023). Remote Sensing Applications for Cultural Heritage Sites Sustainability: Case Studies from Egypt. In: El-Qady, G.M., Margottini, C. (eds) Sustainable Conservation of UNESCO and Other Heritage Sites Through Proactive Geosciences. Springer Geology. Springer, Cham, One Volume, 2023, 615-639, Print ISBN978-3-031-13809-6 - Online ISBN978-3-031-13810-2, Electronic ISSN: 2197-9553, Print ISSN 2197-9545.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13810-2_32

https://link.springer.c...07/978-3-031-13810-2_32

 

Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Ayat Hassan Shams, Walid Elbehery, Mahmoud Elftatry, Osama Wafa, Amira M. A. Hiekl, Penelope Wilson, Jay Silverstein, Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, Revealing the paleolandscape features around the archaeological sites in the northern Nile Delta of Egypt using radar satellite imagery and GEE platform, Archaeological Prospection, Volume 29, Issue 3, 2022, 369-384, ISSN:1099-0763.

https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1860

https://onlinelibrary.w...om/doi/10.1002/arp.1860

 

Elfadaly A, Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, M. El Shabrawy RR, Mostafa W, Wilson P, Morhange C, Silverstein J, Lasaponara R. Discovering Potential Settlement Areas around Archaeological Tells Using the Integration between Historic Topographic Maps, Optical, and Radar Data in the Northern Nile Delta, Egypt, Remote Sensing, Volume 11, Issue 24, 2019, 3039, ISSN: 2072-4292.

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11243039

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/24/3039

 

Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, دراسة لمجموعة من المسارج من تل الشقافیة, A study of a Group of Oil Lamps from Tell Shaqafiya, Journal of the Service Center for Research Consulting, Division of Historical and Archaeological Studies, Faculty of. Arts, Menoufia University, 1st Edition, Jan 2019, 1-36, ISSN: 2090-9489.

https://search.mandumah.com/Record/1297698

 

Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, Alberto Gavini, Il culto di Iside tra Egitto e Sardegna alcune riflessioni storiche e archeologiche, dall'età faraonica all'età romana, Journal of Literary studies and Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Kafr El Sheikh University, 1st Edition, Volume 17, June 2018, 370-400, ISSN: 2314-7431.

 

Mohamed. A. R. Abouarab, A Study of some Roman Musical Instruments in Yemen, Journal of Literary studies and Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Kafr El Sheikh University, 3rd Edition, Volume 14, June 2017, 1711-1746, ISSN: 2314-7431.

https://search.mandumah.com/Record/1091916/Details

 

Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Osama Wafa, Mohamed. A. R. Abouarab, Antonella Guida, Pier Giorgio Spanu, Rosa Lasaponara, Geo-Environmental Estimation of Land Use Changes and Its Effects on Egyptian Temples at Luxor City, ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, Volume 6, Isuue 11, 378, 1-19, 2017, ISSN: 2220-9964.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi6110378

https://www.mdpi.com/2220-9964/6/11/378

 

Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Hanaa Ahmed, Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, Osama Wafa, Antonella Guida, Rosa Lasaponara, Detect the deterioration in temple of Horus due to the changes in land-use during the last fifty years using the integration between Archaeological, remote sensing, and hydrological studies at Edfu, Egypt, Archaeology and Heritage in a Changing World, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, 29 - 30 Octuber 2017.

 

Mohamed. A. R. Abouarab, Vicente Barba Colmenero, Simbolismo e Iconografía en la Cerámica Copta Entre los Siglos VI y VIII, I Jornadas de Ciencias de la Edad Media, 20-22 April 2017. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Volume 1, 1-24.

https://cienciasedadmediauam.wordpress.com/

 

Mohamed. A. R. Abouarab, Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Osama Wafa, Rosa Lasaponara, Measurement the Advantages of Using High Resolution Satellite Images and Advanced GIS Techniques in The Suggested Excavation Project At Tell El-Farar'in, Egypt, Fifth International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of the Environment (RSCy2017), Volume 10444, 2017.

 

Osama Wafa, Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Mohamed. A. R. Abouarab, Antonella Guida, Pier Giorgio Spanu, Rosa Lasaponara, The Christian reuse of the Egyptian temples and keeping methods using remote sensing and GIS techniques in Luxor city, Egypt, Fifth International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of the Environment (RSCy2017), Volume 10444, 2017.

 

Mohamed A. R. Abouarab, Dayanna Lee Carbonel Arana, La Iconografía Y el Concepto del Tiempo en los Mosaicos de Hispania – Romana, Arqueología y Sociedad, 2015, Volume 30, 141–169, ISSN: 0254-8062.

https://doi.org/10.15381/arqueolsoc.2015n30.e12257

https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/Arqueo/article/view/12257

 

Mohamed AHMED RADI ABOUARAB, La simbología de los colores en el arte Copto, Arqueología y Sociedad, Primera edición, 2012, 391-414, ISSN: 0254-8062.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353566229_LA_SIMBOLOGIA_DE_LOS_COLORES_EN_EL_ARTE_COPTO

 

Mohamed AHMED RADI ABOUARAB, El Simbolismo en el Arte Copto, III semana Internacional de Sinestesia, Ciencia, Arte y Creatividad, Ediciones Fundación Internacional Artecittà, E-book interactive. Publicación realizada exclusivamente para los participantes del curso, Fundación Internacional Artecittà, Primera edición, 2011, 92-169, ISBN: 13: 978-84-939054-0-8.

Publications

Chapter in book

Journal Article