Michael Zach

Michael Zach is an Associate Professor at the Department of African Studies, Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna. His research focuses on Austrian travelers to Northeast Africa in the 19th century, Meroitic Studies, Nubian Studies, and African archaeology.

His research interests include:

• Reconstructing Meroitic civilization through archaeological and textual sources
• Exploring Austria’s historical involvement in African affairs
• Analyzing museum archaeology and the provenance of lost Meroitic objects
• Studying intercultural interactions between Europe and Africa

Recent publications highlight themes such as:

• Meroitic artifact recovery and cultural heritage (2023)
• Christian Nubian architecture (2022)
• Meroitic iconography and chronology (2021)
• Nonnus of Panopolis’ literary duality (2018)

He serves as editor for Beiträge zur Sudanforschung and organized the 11th International Conference for Meroitic Studies in Vienna (2008). His work bridges historical exploration with contemporary archaeological practices.