CIARQ Research Group
Sciences in archaeology:
innovative resources in medicine, botanic, geology, and architecture
for the recovery of the past
With members from multiple disciplines (history, archaeology, forensic medicine, architecture, geology, chemistry, palynology, etc) that combines cutting-edge approaches and technologies for the understanding of the past through a multidisciplinary global approach.
The main frame of action for this research group is the history and archaeology of ancient Egypt, mainly through the Middle Kingdom Theban Project, the archaeological expedition of the University of Alcalá to Egypt, responsible for the excavation, conservation and study of the tombs of Henenu (TT 313) and Ipi (TT 315), both located in the necropolis of Deir el-Bahari (Luxor).
The dominant position of both monuments, previously examined in the 20’s by the mission of the Metropolitan Museum of New Yoro, and the critical role played by the tomb owners makes it a relevant initiative and necessary to understand the period.
The incorporation of innovative techniques and results from analysis in various scientific fields, mainly conducted in situ by the project members, should shed light on the diverse aspects of the Middle Kingdom. In this period, many of the fundamental religious concepts and social principles that will later define the pharaonic culture are defined. Not in vain the Egyptians themselves understood the Middle Kingdom as a classical period in history, culture, and society.
Members of CIARQ
Marta Arranz Cárcamo
Associate Researcher at the University of Alcalá and member of The Middle Kingdom Theban Project and the archaeological expedition of the UAH to Deir el-Bahari. For her PhD at the University Autonoma of Madrid, she works on the topic of the iconography for the snake goddesses in ancient Egypt. In addition, she has recently been awarded the AEDE Research Prize for conducting a research on ancient Egyptian snake goddesses.
Teresa Bardají Azcárate
Professor of Geology and Geomorphology at the University of Alcalá. Her main research interests are the environmental evolution and the paleoecology. She has also demonstrated professional experience in the localization of Quaternary deposits, neotectonics, active faults, geomorphology and other geological processes.
Manuel F. Carrillo Rodríguez
MD degree in Medicine and Surgery (MD) from the University Complutense in Madrid, Master in Physical and Forensic Anthropology (MSc) from the University of Granada and PhD from the University of Alcalá. He passed his certified residence training in Legal and Forensic Medicine.
Flavio Celis D’Amico
Professor in Sustainability Architecture, mainly teaching and conducting research in the Master Degree in Architecture developed at the University of Alcalá.
Enrique Dorado Fernández
PhD in Medicine and Surgery from the University Complutense in Madrid, MSc in Physical and Forensic Anthropology at the UCM; especialist degree in Legal and Forensic Medicine; MSc in Medical Law and Bioethics (UCLM); Certificate for direction of x-rays medical centres; and Diploma on Archeozoology.
Ernesto Enrique Echeverría Valiente
Professor in Design and Geometry at the Architecture degree of the School of Architecture (University of Alcala, Spain). His main areas of interest include Heritage’s documentation and Conservation linked with Bioclimatic Architecture and Environmental sustainability.
María José Gil García
Professor in Design and Geometry at the Architecture degree of the School of Architecture (University of Alcala, Spain). His main areas of interest include Heritage’s documentation and Conservation linked with Bioclimatic Architecture and Environmental sustainability.
Antonio J. Morales (PI)
Ramón y Cajal researcher and assoc. professor of Egyptology in the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Alcalá. He is the head of the Middle Kingdom Theban Project, the archaeological project of the UAH in Egypt, as well as the head of the MINECO I+D+i project “Proyecto Reino Medio Tebano” (HAR2017-84505-P) and the research group CIARQ.
Jónatan Ortíz García
PhD in Cultural Heritage (Egyptology) from the University of Valencia, with an MA in Cultural Heritage (Classical Archaeology) from the same institution. His main research areas are religious cloths and clothing, funerary beliefs and practices, as well as religious interactions in ancient Egypt.
María Blanca Ruiz Zapata
Professor of Geology in the Department of Geology, Geography and Environment at the University of Alcalá. Her main research interests are human biology, paleoenvironmental evolution, paleoclimate, palynology, and paleontology.
Raúl Sánchez Casado
BA degree in History and MA in Sciences of the Antiquity and the Middle Ages from the University of Granada. In 2013, he initiated his PhD at the University of Seville, where he is writing his dissertation about the figure of the ka-servant and his functions during the Old Kingdom.
