Dr. Josef Wegner

Biography

Josef W. Wegner is a Professor of Egyptian Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also serves as the Chair of the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. He received his BA in 1989 and his PhD in 1996 from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on the development of the Osiris cult in Abydos during the Middle Kingdom. Wegner is a specialist in the archaeology of Egypt's Middle Kingdom, approximately from 2050 to 1650 BCE. His fieldwork includes participating in the 1994 joint expedition with the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, where he directed excavations at the mortuary complex dedicated to Pharaoh Senwosret III in South Abydos. His research interests encompass the study of state organization, administration, and settlement archaeology during Egypt's late Middle Kingdom. His work has been supported by fellowships and grants from the American Research Center in Egypt, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Geographic Society, and the American Philosophical Society. He has published extensively, including the book "Mortuary Temple of Senwosret III at Abydos" (2007) and has contributed to significant collaborative works in Egyptian archaeology.

Research Interests