Mark Lehner

Mark Lehner is a Senior Fellow at the Capitol Archaeological Institute of George Washington University and Research Associate at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. He serves as Director and President of Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA), leading interdisciplinary archaeological projects at Giza since 1984. His work focuses on ancient Egyptian urban infrastructure, monumental construction, and labor organization.

Education: B.A. in Anthropology from American University in Cairo (1973-1977), Ph.D. in Egyptology from Yale University (1990).

Research highlights include discovering the 'Lost City of the Pyramids' and mapping the Great Sphinx. He directs the Giza Plateau Mapping Project, uncovering workshops, bakeries, and administrative centers of pyramid builders. His work integrates archaeology, geochronology, and faunal analysis.

Funding partners include David H. Koch Foundation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Foundation, and Charles Simonyi Fund. Since 2005, he has led archaeological field schools in Giza, Luxor, and Memphis, training international students in Egyptian archaeology.