Natasha Ayers

Natasha Ayers is a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow in the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) ESPRIT program, affiliated with the Research Group 'Archaeology in Egypt and Sudan' at the Austrian Archaeological Institute. Her work combines material culture analysis with identity theory to examine social dynamics in ancient Egypt and Nubia (c. 2000-1070 BC). She specializes in ceramic studies and has contributed to excavations at Tell Edfu since 2007.

• PhD in Egyptian Archaeology, University of Chicago (2017)
• Current project: "Communities Reassembled - Rethinking Identity in Ancient Egypt" (FWF ESP 293-G)
• Prior projects: FWF START project "Beyond Politics" (2019-2021), Endowment Fund for Postgraduates in Egyptology grant (2022-2023)

Her research spans grave and settlement archaeology, focusing on intercultural contacts between Egypt, Nubia, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Publications highlight pottery analysis and theoretical frameworks for understanding community identity. She has collaborated with institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum.

Key Scientific Awards

• FWF ESPRIT program grant (ESP 293-G)
• FWF START project (Y754-G19)
• Endowment Fund for Postgraduates in Egyptology