On 9 March, my close friend and colleague, the young, brilliant, and promising Egyptian archaeologist Ramadan Badri Hussein, passed away after a short illness in Germany. We all are in a state of shock. It is difficult for me to mourn my dear friend and colleague, who was an associate professor of Egyptology at the Institute of Near Eastern Studies at Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.  

Hussein was born in Cairo in December 1971. We studied Egyptology together at the Department of Egyptology at the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University from 1990 to 1944. He was always diligent, polite, loving to all, well-liked by all, and always helpful to others. Our relationship went from strength to strength after his graduation, when he joined the Giza Pyramids Inspectorate and worked under the supervision of Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass. We worked together on the Giza Pyramids antiquities, at the Bahariya Oasis excavations, and on many projects at the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the Ministry of State for Antiquities.

Hussein then travelled to the US to get his PhD in Egyptology from Brown University. After receiving his degree, he returned to Egypt and worked in many important positions at the SCA and the ministry. After the 25 January Revolution in 2011, he left Egypt and returned to the US for a while. He was then awarded a prestigious scholarship from the famous Humboldt Foundation in Germany.

He came back to Egypt and started excellent field work at Saqqara, becoming director of the Saqqara Saite Tombs Project at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. He headed the Egyptian-German mission working at Saqqara and received a grant from the German Academy of Scientific Research. He made amazing archaeological discoveries that the whole world spoke of with admiration and respect, praising this young Egyptian archaeologist who had raised the name of Egypt so highly. Through his brilliance, he acted as a representative of other Egyptian archaeologists, showing that the Egyptian school of Egyptology is full of important and promising names.

In recognition of his achievements in the field, Hussein was appointed an associate professor of Egyptology at the Institute of Near Eastern Studies at Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. During his early field work in Saqqara, he documented the “Pyramid Texts” in the Saite tombs and provided us with excellent studies on this topic. He became one of the best scholars in this field worldwide, focusing in his research on the use of these texts in the tombs of non-royal members of the Saite elite.

His name became associated with an amazing series of exceptional discoveries in the Saite cemetery at Saqqara, where he discovered a mummification cache for the first time. International television channels competed in making documentaries about his amazing discoveries, and he presented a wonderful series of documentary films on the mummification cache at Saqqara, lecturing about his discoveries in a large number of universities, institutes, and specialised scientific institutions in Egypt and abroad.

The mummification cache was voted one of Archaeology Magazine’s Top 10 Discoveries of the Year in 2018 and one of the Top 10 Discoveries of the Decade for 2010 to 2020. He became a star in the world of archaeology and a major public figure for archaeologists all over the world. He was awarded a series of prestigious grants and served as a member of many scientific committees. He participated on the editorial boards of many academic journals in the world of archaeology.

Hussein’s funeral took place in Giza on 12 March and was attended by many family members, colleagues, students, and loved ones. To this day, it seems difficult to believe that he is no longer with us. May he rest in peace as one of the best Egyptologists of our generation. His sudden passing is a great loss for us all and for the field of archaeology across the world. My dear friend, honourable colleague, and brilliant archaeologist will remain in our memories, our consciences, and our prayers.

Hussein Bassir

The writer is director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Antiquities Museum.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 31 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.