SALIMA IKRAM
PROFESSOR / ARCHEOLOGIST / AUTHOR
AS SEEN ON
ABOUT
Dr. Salima Ikram is a Professor, Archaeologist and Author. She is also the leading expert on animal mummies. As a founder of the Animal Mummy project at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, she has emerged as one of the leading scholars in Egyptian funerary archaeology. Combining an interest in and understanding of the past with a passion of preserving it for the future, she has brought the little known world of animal mummies to light.
In addition to the authoritative works "Divine Creatures", "The Mummy in Ancient Egypt", " The Tomb in Ancient Egypt", and "Death and Burial in Ancient Egypt", she has written a line of children's books as well as numerous articles. She also lectures year round at conferences, museums and more around the world.
Education (Abreviated List)
PhD, 1994, Cambridge University, Cambridge, United Kingdom .
AB, 1985, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA.
Courses Taught (Abreviated List)
Introduction to Egyptian Architecture.
Site Analysis.
Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt II.
Culture and Society of Ancient Egypt.
MEDIA APPEARANCES
Dr. Salima Ikram is a proud contributor, and on camera personality, featured in "Tomb of Saqqara" (Netflix), which reached #5 on Netflix Most Watched Shows during early 2021. You can catch her and her animal mummies now on Netflix.
Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb
#5 in Top 10 Netflix
Most Popular Shows (March 2021)
Download one of my academic papers or click the online links to read more.
Latest Adventure
"I've been fortunate to have gone on many adventures. However at the top of my bucket list, it's always been a dream of mine to skydive over the pyramids. At the start of 2023 I was finally able to fulfill that dream as I free fell and flew over the Great pyramids. What a rush of joy and excitement to see the most magnificent structures on Earth from above Earth."
- Salima Ikram
Skydive Pyramid Jump
"Being an archaeologist means that you never have to grow up, and the past is always part of the present."
- Salima Ikram to Morgan Freeman
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ANIMAL MUMMIES
The ancient Egyptians mummified animals as well as humans. Animals played an important role in Egyptian culture, not only as food, a source of raw materials, and as pets, but also for religious reasons. They were typically mummified for four main purposes — to allow beloved pets to go on to the afterlife, to provide food in the afterlife, to act as offerings to a particular god, and because some were seen as physical manifestations of specific gods that the Egyptians worshipped.
Animals of all sorts were mummified and buried all through Egypt. Millions of ibises, raptors, crocodiles, dogs, and cats are found interred in pit tombs and catacombs. These shed light on ancient Egyptian religious practices, mummification technology, trade, economy, veterinary science, the environment, and the complex human-animal relationship.
TV CREDITS
Salima is a regular on TV. She has been featured in over 30 documentaries, series and specials on Egypt, Pyramids, Mummies, and Animal Mummies.
Her TV credits include "Unearthing Ancient Secrets: Animal Mummies" (Sci Channel), "Da Vinci Code: Decoded" (Channel 4 UK), "Tomb Raiders: Robbing the Dead" (History Channel), "The Real Scorpion King" (History Channel), the series on KV63, and several more series and specials for Discovery Channel, History, Nat Geo Channel, BBC, Channel 4 UK, Canal+ and many more.
She has also served as an advisor on Universal Pictures hit movie "The Mummy."
PRESS
What's Salima Saying
AVAILABLE FOR TV & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
I would love to share my exciting work with you and others around the world. Contact me for any enquiries on speaking engagements, TV Shows, Interviews and more. It would be a pleasure to hear from you in general or if you have any questions
North Kharga Oasis Darb Ain Amur Survey
KV10/63
Participant in:
Djehuty Project
Saqqara Dog Catacombs
Sharuneh Project
Quesna
Malqata
Swiss Mission to the Valley of the Kings
IFA Abydos Project