Dr Mohamed Kenawi

Mohamed Kenawi is a Research Associate at the School of Archaeology and Ancient History University of Leicester. He was a Researcher and Training Manager at the School of Archaeology University of Oxford for the Endangered Archaeology of the Middle East and North Africa project. He was Head Researcher (2011-16) followed by Acting Director (2016-17) of the Hellenistic Centre of Bibliotheca Alexandrina. He taught at the American University in Cairo and at Catania University. He has participated in various archaeological missions in Libya Italy and Egypt among them those at Kom al-Ahmer/Kom Wasit Athribis Dionysias and Manqbad. He currently collaborates on projects with Padua University in Italy and Tübingen University in Germany.

Research is focused on documentation of Cultural Heritage sites in North Africa and the Middle East. In particular, Roman Archaeology in Algeria, Archaeology of the Western Desert of Egypt, Roman and Late Roman Nile Delta, and the transformation of sacred spaces. 

Books

2022     Kenawi, M. and Simi, F. Gara: A Forgotten Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert (Manar al-

             Athar, Oxford University).

2018     Kenawi, M. and Marchiori, G. Unearthing Alexandria’s Archaeology: The Italian

             Contribution (Archaeopress, Oxford).

 

Monograph

2014     Kenawi, M. Alexandria’s Hinterland: Archaeology of the Western Nile Delta (Egypt), Oxford (Archaeopress, Oxford).

 

Edited Book

2019     Kenawi, M. Kom al-Ahmer and Kom Wasit I: Excavation in the Metelite Nome,

             Egypt. (Archaeopress, Oxford).

 

Articles  

2023    Kenawi, M. “What is Happening to Egyptian Heritage? The Case of Privately-owned 

            Buildings” in Routledge Handbook of Heritage Destruction. eds. J.A. González Zarandona, E. Cunliffe, and M. Saldin. Abingdon: Routledge: 357–371.

 

2022     Lehmann, L and Kenawi, M. “Cities of the Delta on the mosaic of the church of St.

             Stephen, Umm el-Rasas, Jordan”, in The Delta Survey Workshop. Proceedings from

             Conferences held in Alexandria (2017 and Mansoura (2019), eds. A. Wahby and P.

             Wilson, Oxford: 283–299.  

 

2021     Furlan, U and Kenawi, M. “Magic and Ritual in the Late Dynastic Period at Kom

             Wasit”, in Constructing, Remaking, and Dismantling Sacred Landscapes in Lower Egypt,

             Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology Monographs 11, pp. 99–110. 

 

2020      Kenawi, M., Mondin, C., Asolati, M., Calò, M., Carvalho, L., Trevisan, M., and Larosa,

              N. “Conservazione e valorizzazione del patrimonio culturale di Rosetta: il caso del

              Museo Casa Amasili”, in Richerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 8, pp.1–32.  

             

2020      Asolati, A., Badalucco, B., Crisafulli, C., Kenawi, M., Larosa, N., Marchiori, G.,  

              Mondin, C., and Patanè, M. L. “Scavi archeologici nel Nomos Metelites 2017–2019, In

              Richerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 8, pp. 33–56. 

     

2020      Mondin, C., Kenawi, M., Larosa, N. and Patanè, M. L. “Kom Wasit (Egitto): Le Terme

              Ellenistiche e la sua Successiva Occupazione Romana », with C. Mondin, N. Larosa, M.

              Lucia, in Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautorum ACTA 46, pp. 575–584. 

 

2019      Kenawi, M. and Mondin, C. “Continuity of production: kilns and fuel in Egypt and the

             Mediterranean”, in Fuel and Fire in the Ancient Roman World, towards an integrated

              economic understanding, eds. R. Veal and V. Letich, pp. 87–96.

 

2019      Eller, A. and Kenawi, M. “Metelis and the Metelite Nome”, with Audrey Eller, in Kom

             al-Ahmer – Kom Wasit I: Excavations in the Metelite Nome, Egypt, ed. M. Kenawi, pp. 1-

            18.  

 

2019      Furlan, U., Kenawi, M. and Wilson, A. “Catalogue of Finds from the House of the

              Horses”, in Kom al-Ahmer – Kom Wasit I: Excavations in the Metelite Nome, Egypt, ed.

              M. Kenawi, pp. 99-121.  

 

2019     Müller, M and Kenawi, M. “The Temple Area of Kom Wasit”, in Kom al-Ahmer –

             Kom Wasit I: Excavations in the Metelite Nome, Egypt, ed. M. Kenawi, pp. 122-171.  

 

2019     Furlan, U., Kenawi, M. and Wilson, A. “Catalogue of Finds from the Temple Enclosure 

             at Kom Wasit”, in Kom al-Ahmer – Kom Wasit I: Excavations in the Metelite Nome,

            Egypt, ed. M. Kenawi, pp. 175-188.  

 

2019     Kenawi, M. and Marchiori, G. “Late Roman Cistern”, in Kom al-Ahmer – Kom Wasit I: 

             Excavations in the Metelite Nome, Egypt, ed. M. Kenawi, pp. 256-278.  

 

2019     Kenawi, M. and Marchiori, G. “The Early Islamic Presence”, in Kom al-Ahmer – Kom

             Wasit I: Excavations in the Metelite Nome, Egypt, ed. M. Kenawi, pp. 279-291.  

 

2019     Mondin, C., Kenawi, M. “The Greeks at Kom Wasit (Western Nile Delta), Egypt”, in

            Greco-Roman Cities at the Crossroads of Cultures, ed. G. Bąkowska-Czerner and R.

            Czerner, pp.137–143. 

 

2018     Mondin, C., Asolati, M. and Kenawi, M. “Kom al-Ahmer I. Campagne di Scavo 2014-

             2016”, in Richerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 7, pp.233–244. 

 

2018    Pirelli, R., Bosco, A., Buzi, P., D’Andrea, A., Kenawi, M., Incordino, I., Musella,

            P.,  Mainieri, S., Diletta Pubblico, M., Ragionieri, A. and Salsano, A. “The Italian Egyptian

            Project of Study and Conservation of the Monastery of Abba Neffer at Manqabad 2018 –

            5^th Campaign”, in Newsletter di Archeologia CISA 9, pp. 305–350. 

 

2018     Asolati, M., Kenawi, M. and Marchiori, G. “La moneta nel contesto archeologico, la 

             moneta come contesto archeologico: il caso dell’Unità 4 di Kom al-Ahmer (Delta del

             Nilo, Egitto)”, in European Journal of Post Classical Archaeologies 8/2017, pp. 253–270.

 

2017     Kenawi, M and Larosa, N. “The Tholos Bath at Kom Wasit”,

             in Collective Baths in Egypt 2: New Discoveries and Prespectives, Études urbaines 10,

             IFAO, pp.41–50. 

 

2017     Kenawi, M and Mondin, C. “Commeri in epoca tardo romana-bizantina a Kom al-

             Ahmer, vicino ad Alessandria (Egitto)”, in LRCW5, pp. 869-880. 

 

2016    Mondin, C., Asolati, M., Marchiori, M., Larosa, N., and Kenawi, M. “Kom al-Ahmer

            –  Kom Wasit Archaeological Project: I primi risultati della campagna di scavo 2016”,

            in Studi di Egittologia e di Papirologia 13, pp. 65–74.

 

2016    Kenawi, M. and Marchiori, M. “La missione italiana nel delta occidentale del Nilo: Kom

            al-Ahmer/Kom Wasit Archaeological Project”, in Maggia d’Egitto, ed. P. Militello, pp.

            175–182. 

 

2015     Kenawi, M. “The Economy of the Western Nile Delta: Kom al-Ahmer, Metelis, and Trade

             with the Mediterranean”, in Thonis-Heracleion in Context, Oxford Centre for

             Maritime Archaeology Monographs 8, pp. 283–296. 

 

2013     Kenawi, M. and Rosetti, I. “Kom al-Ahmer I (Antica Metelis?): rapporto preliminare

             sulle missioni 2008–2012”, in Ricerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 6 ed. R. Pirelli, 169–

             182. 

 

2012     Kenawi, M., Macaulay-Lewis, E., and McKenzie, J. “A Commercial Nursery near Abu  

             Hummus, Egypt, and the Reuse of Amphoras in the Roman Plant Trade”, in Journal of

             Roman Archaeology 25, 195–225. Published in Arabic in Bulletin de la Société

             archéologique d'Alexandrie 49, pp. 35–73.

 

2012    Kenawi, M. “Roman Pottery from the Western Delta of Egypt: Surface Pottery Analysis

            Kilns”, in Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautorum Acta 42, 309–317. 

 

2012    Kenawi, M. “Regional and Interregional Economy in the Western Delta of Egypt”,

            in Scienze dell’Antichità 17, 107–115. 

 

2011    Kenawi, M. “Beheira Survey: rapporto preliminare sulle missioni 2008 – 2010”,

            in Ricerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 5, ed. R. Pirelli, 187–200. 

2011    Kenawi, M. “The Fayoum after the Graeco-Roman Period”, in Natural and

            Cultural  Landscapes in the Fayoum – The Safeguarding and Management of

             Archaeological Sites and Natural Environment, ed. R. Pirelli, 134–138. 

 

2010    Kenawi, M. “Beheira Survey – I centri di produzione vinicola nel delta occidentale

            del  Nilo”, in Ricerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 4, ed. R. Pirelli, 177–193. 

 

2010    Papi, E., Bigi, L., Camporeale, S., Carpentiero, G., D’Aco, D., Kenawi, M., Mariotti, E.,

            and Passalacqua, L. “La missione dell’università di Siena a Qasr Qaroun – Dionysias

            (2009-10)”, in Ricerche Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 4, ed. R. Pirelli, 239–255. 

 

2009     Kenawi, M. “Beheira Survey – I siti romani nel delta occidentale del Nilo”,in Ricerche

             Italiane e Scavi in Egitto 3, ed. R. Pirelli, 143–155. 

 

 

The archaeology of the Egyptian Delta 

Field Survey methodologies and heritage documentation 

Living Heritage in MENA region: interaction between past and present 

The economy of the Roman Empire: the Egyptian case 

Transformation of sacred spaces 

Survey and documentation of archaeological sites 

Conservation of heritage buildings 

Reuse of Classical building materials

 

• PhD in Archaeology and Cultures of the Roman Provinces, 2011. University of Siena, Italy.
• Master degree (Laurea Specialistica) in Archaeology and cultures of the Ancient World, 2008, University of Bologna, Italy.
• BA in Archaeology and Classical Studies, 2005, Alexandria University, Egypt.