Nicole Hansen

Nicole Hansen holds a faculty position in Egyptology at Amideast Study Abroad in Cairo. She is an alumnus of the University of Chicago’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, where she completed her PhD dissertation exploring continuity in Egyptian reproductive practices across 5,000 years. Her research focuses on Egyptology, ancient foodways, Egyptian folklore, and tourism history, with particular attention to cultural continuity between ancient and modern practices.

Dr. Hansen has taught over a dozen courses across institutions including the Oriental Institute Museum (University of Chicago), Amideast Study Abroad, and the American University in Cairo. Courses include Egyptian Culture and Religion, Hieroglyphs-by-Mail, and Ethnoarchaeological Methodologies. She has also contributed to archaeological projects such as the Theban Mapping Project, blending traditional archaeology with digital database technologies.

Her interdisciplinary work bridges ancient and modern Egyptian traditions, examining topics like Kyphi perfumes in Arabic cookbooks, quail hunting rituals, and the symbolic association of baboons with lunar cycles. Publications span peer-reviewed journals, encyclopedic entries, and edited volumes, with a focus on magic, folk medicine, and cultural preservation.

Recent research priorities include analyzing pre-modern medical practices’ persistence in contemporary Egypt, exploring how Pharaonic traditions intermingle with Coptic and Islamic beliefs. This work aims to challenge disciplinary divides by integrating archaeological, historical, and ethnographic evidence across millennia.