Naguib Kanawati

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Naguib Kanawati AM FAHA (born 1941) is an Egyptian Australian Egyptologist and Professor of Egyptology at Macquarie University in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.[1][2][3]

Early life

Kanawati was born in Alexandria, Egypt[4] to a Melkite Greek Catholic family of Syro-Lebanese descent.

Career

A native of Alexandria, Egypt, he obtained a master's degree in business administration and later emigrated to Sydney, Australia, where he obtained his second Master's degree and Doctorate, both in Egyptology. He subsequently joined the academic staff of the university, as lecturer in History (1980–1983), and Associate Professor in Egyptology (1984–1990).[5]

From 1990, Kanawati became Macquarie University's first Professor in Egyptology and holds a Personal Chair in that subject. He was instrumental in the formation of the Rundle Foundation for Egyptian Archaeology in the late 1970s and was the founder, in 1989, of the Australian Centre for Egyptology, which coordinates all Australian excavations in Egypt with the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.[1]

Kanawati's research interests focus on the Old Kingdom period of Egypt, its burial customs, art history, and socio-political development.[6] He has directed numerous excavations and epigraphic expeditions, at sites including the entire mountain of El-Hawawish (in excess of 800 Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period rock-cut tombs),[7] Quseir El Amarna, El Hagarsa (near Sohag), Deir El Gebrawi, Giza, as well as the Unis and Teti pyramid cemeteries at Saqqara, Meir and Beni Hassan.

Other interests

  • He is also the current vice-president (and member for many years) of the Parish Council of the Melkite Catholic Eparchy Church of Australia and New Zealand; vice-president, Eparchy Pastoral Council; the chairman of its Aged Care Committee; chairman of the Melkite Board of Study; and former chair of its finance committee.
  • He was the founding committee member of the Holy Saviour Community School, continuing on the committee since 1997.

Honours and awards

  • Kanawati was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1997.[5]
  • On 1 January 2001 he was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal "for services to Australian society and the humanities in the study of prehistory and archaeology".[8][9]
  • In the Queen's Birthday Honours awarded on 11 June 2007 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia "for service to education through research and the promotion and advancement of the study of Egyptology, and to the community."[8][10]
  • On 10 February 2010 Zahi Hawass presented Kanawati with a Festschrift to celebrate his contribution to the discipline of Egyptology over the past 35 years.[11]

References

  1. 1.[1.2]Abdel-Mageed, Dina (11 March 2022). "Australian Egyptologists unpack the mysteries of the Rosetta Stone 200 years on". SBS. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. 2.Angie Keller (17 April 2023). "Australians are more fascinated by ancient Egyptian culture than the Egyptians". Macquarie University. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  3. 3.Elizabeth Fortescue. "Technology takes the sting out of the ancient curse of the mummy". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  4. 4."Egyptologist Naguib Kanawati on the secrets of ancient Egypt". Conversations with Richard Fidler (Podcast). ABC. 24 May 2012. Event occurs at 07:23. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  5. 5.[5.2]"Queen's Birthday Honours List 2007". The Weekly Times Vol.86 No.23 p.6. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  6. 6."Unlocking the secrets of Ancient Egypt". Macquarie University News. May 2003. Archived from the original on 5 October 2006.
  7. 7."Travels in an antique land: The rock-cut tombs of El-Hawawish". Ancient Egypt Magazine. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  8. 8.[8.2]Cabinet, Prime Minister and (15 August 2016). "Search Australian Honours". www.dpmc.gov.au. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  9. 9.Awards list for Kanawati, Naguib, on the Australian Government "It's an Honour" website (maintained by the Awards and Culture Branch, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). Accessed 13 June 2007.
  10. 10."Order of Australia (Queen's Birthday Honours List)". Brisbane Times. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  11. 11."Festschrift in Honour of Naguib Kanawati" (PDF). The Rundle Foundation for Egyptian Archaeology Newsletter. Retrieved 4 December 2023.