Fields of interest

- Egypt during the Old Kingdom, New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period 
- Archaeology, art history and material culture especially concerning elite tombs (mastabas (OK), ‘temple tombs’ (NK), and coffins (TIP)) 
- Saqqara

CV

Education
  
1998: PhD in Egyptology at Leiden University (Dissertation:  The coffin of Djedmonthuiufankh in the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden, I, Technical and iconographic/iconological aspects) 
1978: MA in Egyptology at Leiden University 
1976: MA in Art History and Archaeology at Leiden University 

Employment 

1979-present: Lecturer in Egyptology (School of Middle Eastern Studies) at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS) 

Related activities

1998-2008: Field director with Maarten Raven of the Dutch archaeological mission at Saqqara 
1990: Co-field director with Harco Willems of the American-Dutch archaeological mission at Deir el-Bersha 
1986: Staff member of the British-Dutch archaeological mission in Saqqara, discovery of the tomb of Maya and Meryt 
1975-1979: Staff member of the British-Dutch archaeological mission in Saqqara, discovery of the tomb of Horemheb

Key publications

For more publications, see the 'Published Work' tab next to 'Profile' 

Books

(2008)  Mastabase: a research tool for the study of the secular or 'daily life' scenes and their accompanying texts in the elite tombs of the Memphite area in the Old Kingdom (CD-ROM). Leuven: Peeters. 

(2005)  Iconography of Old Kingdom Elite Tombs: Analysis and Interpretation, Theoretical and Methodological Aspects (Mededelingen en Verhandelingen Ex Oriente Lux 35). Leiden/Leuven: NINO/Peeters, XII-130 pp. 

(1997)  The Coffin of Djedmonthuiufankh in the National Museum of Antiquities at Leiden/1: Technical and iconographical, iconological aspects, in 2 parts (Egyptologische uitgaven 10). Leiden: NINO, 575 pp., 166 ill. 

(1995)  De iconografie van Egyptische elitegraven van het Oude Rijk. De studie van iconografieprogramma's van Egyptische elitegraven van het Oude Rijk. Theoretische en methodologische aspecten. Nijmegen, 85 pp. 

Articles and chapters in books 

(forthcoming) 'Diversification and variation in Old Kingdom funerary iconography as the expression of a need for ‘individuality’', in: Festschrift on behalf of Geoffrey T. Martin (±25 pp.). 

(2006) 'Sense and sensibility. On the analysis and interpretation of the iconography programmes of four Old Kingdom elite tombs' in: Fitzenreiter, M. & Herb, M. (Eds.), Dekorierte Grabanlagen im Alten Reich. Methodik und Interpretation, pp. 277-332. London: Golden House Publications. 

(2006) 'Meaningful places: Pragmatics from ancient Egypt to modern times. A diachronic and cross-cultural approach', in: K. Zijlmans (ed.),  Site-Seeing: Places in Culture, Time and Space, Leiden: CNWS, pp. 111-140. 

(2003) 'The tomb of Meryneith',  Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 38, pp. 5-23. 

(2003) 'Une tombe royale de la deuxième dynastie à Saqqara sous la tombe du Nouvel Empire de Meryneith. Campagne de fouille 2001-2002',  ArchéoNil 13, pp. 6-15. 

(2003) Raven, M.J.; Walsem, R. van; Aston, B.G.; Strouhal, E., 'Preliminary report on the Leiden excavations at Saqqara, season 2001: The tomb of Meryneith',  Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 37, pp. 71-89. 

(2003) Raven, M.J.; Walsem, R. van; Aston, B.G.; Strouhal, E., 'Preliminary report on the Leiden excavations at Saqqara, season 2002: The tomb of Meryneith',  Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 37, pp. 91-109. 

(2001)  'Preliminary report on the Dutch excavations at Saqqara, season 2000',  Jaarbericht van het Vooraziatisch Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 35-36, pp. 5-25. 

(2001) 'Sporen van een revolutie in Saqqara. Het nieuw ontdekte graf van Meryneith alias Meryre en zijn plaats in de Amarna-periode',  Phoenix : bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 47(1-2), pp. 69-89. 

(2000) 'Deir el-Medina as the place of origin of the coffin of Anet in the Vatican (Inv.: XIII.2.1., XIII.2.2)'. In Demarée, R.J. & Egberts, A. (eds),  Deir el-Medina in the Third Millennium A.D. A tribute to Jac.J. Jansen, Egyptologische Uitgaven 14, Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, pp. 337-349. 

(1999) Walsem, R. van & Aston, B.G., 'Preliminary report on the Saqqara excavations, season 1999',  Oudheidkundige mededelingen uit het Rijksmuseum voor Oudheden te Leiden 79, pp. 19-35. 

(1999) 'Tijd en eindtijd in het oude Egypte',  Leidschrift 14(2), pp. 13-32. 

(1998) 'The caption to a cattle fording scene in a tomb at Saqqara and its implications for the Seh/Sinnbild discussion on Egyptian iconography', in: Clarysse, W., Schoors, A. & Willems, H. (eds),  Egyptian religion: The last thousand years. Studies dedicated to the memory of Jan Quaegebeur, vol. 2,   Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 85, Leuven: Peeters, pp. 1469-1485. 

(1998) 'The Interpretation of Iconographic Programmes in Old Kingdom Elite Tombs of the Memphite Area: Methodological and Theoretical (Re)considerations', in: Eyre, C. (ed.), Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Egyptologists, Cambridge, 3-9 September 1995, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 82, Leuven: Peeters 1998, pp. 1205-1213. 

(1997) 'The struggle against chaos as a "strange attractor" in the ancient Egyptian culture. A descriptive model for the chaotic development of cultural systems', in: Dijk, J. van (ed.),  Essays on ancient Egypt in honour of Herman te Velde, Egyptological memoirs, 1, Groningen: Styx Publications, pp. 317-342. 

Teaching

Egyptian Art History, Egyptian Archaeology (methodology), Epigraphy, seminar on the Iconography of Old Kingdom elite tombs

PhD supervision

2005-2011: Leo Roeten,  The certainty of change 
2006-2011: Sasha Verma,  Significance of identity, individuality & ideology in Old Kingdom elite tomb iconography

Publications