On Wednesday 3 December 2025, the College of Archaeology and Tourism Guidance at Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST) hosted a lecture by Dr Giulio Lucarini, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Heritage Science of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISPC). The event was organised by Prof. Omaima El Shal, Dean of the College, and Prof. Marwa Soliman, in collaboration with the Archaeological Centre of the Italian Cultural Institute in Cairo, represented by Prof. Giuseppe Cecere.
The lecture, explored the late prehistory of the Eastern Sahara during a crucial phase between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, when the region west of the Nile was still characterised by the presence of water and rich environmental resources. Drawing on the results of the ‘Farafra Oasis Prehistory Project (FOPP)’, the lecture illustrated how human communities established settlements in the region, practising hunting, wild grass gathering and early animal herding, providing some of the earliest evidence of domestic species in Africa.
Particular attention was given to the wide mobility of these prehistoric groups, documented by artefacts made from non-local materials, and to the extraordinary rock art of the region, which reflects a complex symbolic and spiritual world. Dr Lucarini also discussed how the progressive aridification of the Sahara led to population movements towards the Nile Valley, contributing to the long-term cultural processes that ultimately underpinned the emergence of ancient Egyptian civilisation.
The event was warmly received and represented an important occasion for scholarly exchange and for promoting Italian archaeological research in Egypt within an international academic setting.
The FOPP is funded by MAECI, the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, by ISMEO – The International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies, and by the Ethnos-Kalos Foundation.
Useful links:
the Farafra Oasis Prehistoric Project
the Italian Archaeological Mission to the Farafra Oasis (Western Desert, Egypt)