Noted Egyptologist, esteemed academician, and distinguished scholar, Manfred Bietak, has spent a remarkable four decades and a half, from 1966 to 1969, and subsequently from 1975 to 2009, leading the Austrian excavations at the illustrious Tell El-Dab'a, a paramount eastern Nile site, identified as the ancient city of Avaris.
Throughout his tenure, Bietak unearthed compelling evidence of a substantial Semitic population, which significantly contributed to a deeper understanding of the region's rich cultural heritage. Among his most notable discoveries was the unique pyramid-style tomb of a high-ranking western Asiatic official, a find that shed new light on the complex dynamics of the period.
Furthermore, Bietak's illustrious career has been marked by his role as the founder and Director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Cairo, a position he held from 1973 to 2009. His extensive research and scholarly pursuits have resulted in the publication of numerous groundbreaking papers, many of which have focused on the pivotal Hyksos period in Egypt, a testament to his unwavering dedication to the field of Egyptology.
