PIRELLI Rosanna

Curriculum Vitae of Rosanna Pirelli
Unique researcher identifier(s): ORCID: 0000-0002-4584-099X
Nationality: Italian

CURRENT POSITION
Associate Professor of Egyptology and Coptic Civilisation (STAA-01/B, formerly L-OR/02), University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ (UNIOR), Department of Asian, African and Mediterranean Studies (DAAM), Italy.

PREVIOUS POSITIONS
• 2001–2019 University Research Fellow in Egyptology (L-OR/02), University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’, Department of Studies and Research on Africa and the Arab Countries (since 2012 Department of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean), Italy.

• 2008–2012 Archaeology expert at the Italian Archaeological Centre of the Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo (seconded from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

• 1986–2001 Graduate Technician (L-OR/02), “Orientale” University Institute, Department of Studies and Research on Africa and the Arab Countries, Italy.


RESPONSIBILITIES IN RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS IN ITALY AND EGYPT
Italy:
• 2025 to present: Technical and scientific manager for the new exposition of the Egyptian Section of the Museo del Sannio as part of the project by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage – Directorate-General for Museums entitled ‘Refurbishment of the Museo del Sannio and repurposing of the museum spaces’. Planning of the Strategic Plan for Major Cultural Heritage Projects. Ministerial Decree No. 173 of 3 May 2024.
• 2022–2025: Principal Investigator of the 2022 PRA research project at the University of Naples ‘l’Orientale’: “ Constructing Sacred Space in Ancient Egypt (COSSAE) – construction, perception, use and reappropriation of sacred space within its archaeological, landscape and socio-cultural context. The case study of the solar temples of the 5th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt”. [Approved by Rector’s Decree No. 684 of 29 July 2022].
• 2020–2023: Scientific Director of a partnership between the Province of Benevento and the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ for an exhibition project featuring the Egyptian Collection of the Arcos Museum in Benevento.
• 2013–2016: Scientific Director of the new exhibition project for the Egyptian Collection at the MANN, which reopened to the public in October 2016.

Egypt:
• 2010 to present: Director, then co-director of the Italian archaeological mission at the solar temple of Niuserra at Abu Ghurab, funded by the MAECI and the University of Naples UNIOR;
• 2011–2023: Director, then co-director of the Italian-Egyptian project for the study and conservation of the Monastery of Abba Nefer at Manqabad, Asyut, in collaboration with the Supreme Council of Antiquities;
• 2011–2016: Deputy Director of the Italian archaeological mission in the Egyptian Eastern Desert between Wadi Hammamat and Mons Claudianus, led by Irene Bragantini (UNIOR).

PARTICIPATION IN PROJECTS AS A MEMBER
• 2003–2004 – Expert for the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Paris: study of the cultural heritage of the Arab region.
• 2001–2007, epigraphist on the research project ‘Archaeological investigations of the Pharaonic port of Wadi Gawasis on the Red Sea coast in Egypt’, directed by Professor R. Fattovich of the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’.
• 1998, coordinator of a group of Egyptologists and Egyptology students as part of their participation in the AGAM Research Project, directed by Professor Domenico Silvestri of the Department of the Classical World and the Ancient Mediterranean at the I.U.O.
• 1997, member of the Archaeological Mission of the Milan Civic Museum, led by Dr Francesco Tiradritti, at the tomb of Harwa (TT 37) in West Thebes (Upper Egypt).
• From 1992 to 1996, member of the Polish Epigraphic Mission at the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, led by Dr Janusz Karkowski.
• 1987–1993 – member of the research project ‘Egyptian and Egypt-related materials in Campania’, directed from 1987 to 1989 by Professor C. Barocas and from 1990 to 1993 by Professor R. Fattovich
• 1982–1986 – member of the Archaeological Mission of the I.U.O. of Naples at the Predynastic site of Naqada (Upper Egypt), as part of the research project ‘Definition of Pre- and Protodynastic Egyptian Urban Sites’, directed by Professor C. Barocas
• 1982–1985 – member of the research project for the topographical survey of the area between Nubet and Thebes (Upper Egypt, West Bank), (funded by the C.N.R.), led by Professor Claudio Barocas.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees
• Academic Year 2001–2008: Egyptology at UNIOR for the Bachelor’s degree (72 hours per year) and the Master’s degree (36 hours per year);
• Academic Year 2010: History of the Middle and New Kingdoms at UNIOR (Level I Master’s degree, 25 hours);
• Academic Year 2012–2013: Egyptology (Bachelor’s degree, 72 hours) and Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 36 hours);
• Academic Year 2014–2015: Egyptology (Bachelor’s degree, 72 hours), Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 hours) and Language and Literature of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 hours);
• Academic Year 2015–2016: Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 hours);
• Academic Year 2016–2017: Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 hours);
• Academic Year 2017–2018: Egyptology (Bachelor’s degree, 72 hours), Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 hours);
• Academic Year 2018–2019: Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 hours);
• Academic Year 2019–2020: Egyptology (Bachelor’s degree, 72 credits); and Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 48 credits).
• Academic Year 2020 to present: Egyptology (Bachelor’s degree, 54 hours); and Archaeology and Art History of Ancient Egypt (Master’s degree, 36 hours).

Inter-university Postgraduate School in Archaeological Heritage Or.Sa (UNISA - UNIOR)
• Academic Year 2021–2022: Archaeology and Civilisation of Egypt (30 hours)
• Academic Year 2022–2023: Archaeology and Civilisation of Egypt (30 hours)
• Academic Year 2023–2024: Archaeology and Civilisations of Egypt and the Nile Valley, co-taught with A. Manzo (15 + 15 hours)
• Academic Year 2024–2025: Archaeology and Civilisations of Egypt and the Nile Valley, co-taught with A. Manzo (15 + 15 hours)
• Academic Year 2025–2026: Archaeology of Egypt, co-taught with S. Mainieri (15 + 15 hours)

OTHER
• Academic Year 2024–2025: Upgrading and Advanced Training Course for tourist guides. Ancient Egypt in Campania (Analysis of the MANN’s Egyptian collection).
• Academic Year 2023–2024: Upgrading and Advanced Training Course for tourism professionals, Ancient Egypt in Campania (The Isiac cults in Campania with visits to the MANN and the Museo del Sannio);
• 2016: Member of the teaching staff at the ‘School of Advanced Studies in Egyptology’, within the Department of History, Anthropology, Religions, Art and Performing Arts (SARAS) at ‘La Sapienza’ University of Rome.
• 2012: Member of the teaching staff at the Université Française d’Égypte, in collaboration with the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France; 2010: Member of the teaching staff for the Level I Master’s degree in
• Egyptology, L’Orientale University of Naples (Unior);
• 2008: Member of the Scientific Committee for the Level II Master’s degree in Egyptology, University of Turin, in collaboration with the Fondazione per l’Arte della Compagnia di San Paolo, “Venaria Reale” and the Associazione Culturale Harwa 2001 ONLUS;

SUPERVISION OF PHD STUDENTS, RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS AND RTDA PROJECTS

• From 2024: scientific coordinator of the RTDA (Stefania Maineri) for the PNRR Project, specifically the RecoGnISe project (MSCA2024_0000023 – CUP: C63C25000430001;
• 2022–2024: Scientific supervisor for research fellows (M. Diletta Pubblico and Stefania Mainieri) involved in the research project for the COSSAE Project (PRA 2022);
• 2017–2020: Academic supervisor of a postdoctoral research fellow (Ilaria Incordino) (Unior-DAAM), Coptic pottery from the Manqabad site:

• 2013–2020 – 1 PhD in Egyptology, in collaboration with the Université Paris “La Sorbonne”, France;
• Since 2001 – 7 PhDs in Egyptology, L’Orientale University of Naples, Department of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean (Unior-DAAM), Italy.



ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• 2018 – present – Chair of the Committee for the Validation of Other Educational Activities and Work Placements, DAAM – UNIOR.
• 2014–2019 – Member of the Quality Assurance Group for the Master’s degree programme in Archaeology: East and West, DAAM – UNIOR.
• 2013–2019 – Member of the Departmental Executive Committee.

ROLES ON EDITORIAL BOARDS
• Since 2017 – Member of the Scientific Committee of the journal of the Egyptian Museum of Turin, “http://rivista.museoegizio.it”.
• Since 2018 – Member of the Scientific Committee of the journal “I quaderni del MANN (National Archaeological Museum of Naples)”
• Since 2018 – Member of the Scientific Committee of the MANN’s journal “Archeologie”.
• Since 2012 – Editor of the ‘Serie egittologica’ series published by DAAM, UNIOR.


MEMBERSHIP OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
• Member of the International Association of Egyptologists (IAE)
• Member of the Executive Council of the Italian Institute for Egyptian Civilisation (IICE).


MAIN COLLABORATIONS
• Since 2020 – Agreement on scientific activities with the Warsaw Academy of Sciences.
• Since 2019 – Agreement on scientific activities with the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of California (Berkeley).
• Since 2016 – Scientific collaboration with the Egyptian Museum in Turin, Italy.
• 2013–2020 Agreement on scientific activities with Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
• 2011–2020 Collaboration with the Restoration and Projects Section of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
• Since the 1980s Ongoing collaboration with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), Naples, Italy.


ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES AND SYMPOSIUMS (Last 10 years)

• 5–7 July 2023: co-organiser, with S. Mainieri, of the International Symposium ‘Ancient Egypt – New Technology II’, at the University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’.
• 19–20 June 2023: Organiser of the international workshop ‘Abusir and Saqqara in the Old Kingdom: latest research’, as part of the COSSAE project.
• 15–17 June 2022: Organiser of ISAAE III: The International Symposium on Animals in Ancient Egypt, the Middle Nile and their hinterlands; in collaboration with CISA UniOr, Indiana University, Bloomington, and the Faces Revealed Project (H2020-MSCA-GF 2019: 895130).
• 27 September–13 October 2021 Coordinator of the Summer School ‘Ancient Egyptian Coffins and Sarcophagi: Study, Conservation, Diagnostic and New Technologies’, a webinar held at DAAM-UNIOR.
• 1–12 July 2019 Coordinator of the Summer School ‘The Pottery of the Nile Valley: Classification, Documentation and New Methods of Analysis’, held at DAAM-UNIOR.
• 13–14 June 2019 Member of the Scientific Committee for the EVOA 2019 national conference: ‘Egypt and the Ancient Near East: between past and future’, held at DAAM-UNIOR.
• 2017 (3–6 May) – Member of the Scientific Committee and keynote speaker at the International Conference ‘Current Research in Egyptology 2017’, with a presentation entitled: ‘Past and present of Egyptological research at the University of Naples, l’Orientale’.


PARTICIPATION IN CONFERENCES AND CONGRESSES (LAST 5 YEARS)

• 2026 (26 March) Invited speaker at the MANN Archaeology Meetings, title of the presentation: The Temple of Isis in Benevento: from Champollion to the most recent discoveries. Archaeology Meetings of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, 26 March 2026.
• 2026 (31 January) Invited speaker at the Egyptology Afternoon at the Civic Museum of Crema and the Cremasco, as part of the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Italian Institute for Egyptian Civilisation; title of the presentation: New findings on the sculptures of the Temple of Isis of Domitian in Benevento: towards a new exhibition of Isis-related artefacts at the Museum of the Sannio.
• 2025 (25 September) Speaker at the 24th Conference on Egyptology and Papyrology (Syracuse, 25–28 September 2025), presenting a paper entitled “Statues of priests supporting Osiris Hydreios/Canopus: new hypotheses”, which will be published in the conference proceedings.
• 2025 (24 May) Invited speaker at the International Conference ‘Una quae est omnia (?)’. Ancient universal religions between locality and supra-regionality with specific emphasis on the example of the Isis and Osiris cults, with a paper entitled “News about Three Priests’ Statues from the Domitian Iseum in Benevento”, which will be published in the conference proceedings.
• 2024 (16 December) Speaker on the panel ‘Caring for a museum: research, conservation and promotion’, at the international symposium ‘Memory is Our Future’, as part of the bicentenary celebrations of the Egyptian Museum in Turin.
• 2024 (29 October) – Invited speaker at the international conference *People, Commodities and Cultures in Exchange: Trade Routes as Spaces of Contact in Ancient Egypt*, presenting a paper entitled: “Agents of the Egyptian Expeditions to Punt in the Middle Kingdom: Evidence from Wadi Gasus and Mersa Gawasis”.
• 2023 (6–11 August) – Speaker at the 13th International Congress of Egyptologists, held in Leiden, the Netherlands, presenting a paper entitled: “Domitian’s Iseum in Benevento: a re-assessment”.
• 2023 (19–20 June) - Speaker at the international workshop: ‘Abusir and Saqqara: Latest Research’, presenting a paper entitled: ‘The Sun Cult and the “Sole” Obelisks: From Nyuserra to Domitian’.
• 2022 (15–17 December) Speaker at the 21st Conference on Egyptology and Papyrology, Syracuse, presenting a paper entitled: “The Iseum of Benevento: Isis, Domitian and the Egyptian Cults”.
• 2022 (15 June) Keynote lecture at ISAAE III: “Sacred animals in Domitian’s Iseum in Benevento”.


MAJOR EVENTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMMES ORGANISED FOR THE ITALIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CENTRE IN EGYPT

• 23 October 2014 – Co-organiser, alongside the Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo, of the conference “Italy–Egypt – Pioneers of Archaeology: From Ippolito Rosellini to Modern Egyptological Research”
• 14–21 November 2011: School of Archaeology and Papyrology “Texts and Their Landscape. Papyrology and Archaeology in the Fayum”: in collaboration with the German Archaeological Centre (DAIK) and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
• 23 January 2011: Seminar and photographic exhibition in collaboration with the University of Naples “L’Orientale” and the Supreme Council of Antiquities: “Mersa/Wadi Gawasis: a Pharaonic port on the Red Sea”, Conference Hall of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
• 7–27 January 2011, in collaboration with the University of Catania, the Archimede Consortium, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo – “Practical Workshop on Preventive Conservation for Library Collections” aimed at librarians, archivists, museum curators and students on conservation and restoration courses at Egyptian universities.
• 4 May 2010, International seminar ‘The Painted Desert: the Rock Art Caves of Wadi Sura – Gilf Kebir’, in collaboration with the Italian-Egyptian Environmental Cooperation Programme, funded by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation.
• 31 October – 2 November 2010: International symposium ‘Natural and Cultural Landscapes in the Fayoum. The Safeguarding and Management of Archaeological Sites and Natural Environments’ (Fayoum, Egypt), in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, Italian Cooperation, the UNESCO Cairo Office and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
• 26 January 2010, 26 January: co-organisation of the exhibition “Ippolito Rosellini and the Beginnings of Egyptology: Drawings and Manuscripts from the Franco-Tuscan Expedition to Egypt (1828–29)” at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, in collaboration with the Chair of Egyptology at the University of Pisa and the University Library of Pisa.
• January 2009 – Italian-French symposium “The Red Sea in Pharaonic Times”, in collaboration with the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
• 21–24 March 2009, International conference “Lower Nubia: Revisiting Memories of the Past, Envisaging Perspectives for the Future”, a conference to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the appeal launched by Egypt and Sudan to UNESCO for an international campaign to save the monuments of Nubia, in collaboration with the UNESCO Cairo Office.
• • 3 June 2009 – Contribution to the photographic exhibition “Europe-Egypt. A long-standing archaeological collaboration”, organised by the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology and sponsored by the European Commission Delegation in Egypt; the exhibition opened at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
• Furthermore, from October 2008 to spring 2012, the Archaeological Centre regularly organised and held:
 conferences of the directors of archaeological missions
 annual hieroglyphics courses at two levels.