Vera Müller
Dr.
Vera Müller
Dr.
- Senior Academy Scientist
- RG »Archaeology in Egypt and Sudan«
- +43 1 51581-6113
- vera.mueller(at)oeaw.ac.at
- Dominikanerbastei 16 | 1010 Vienna
Biographical sketch
Studied Egyptology, Prehistory and Early History, Classical Archaeology and Physical Anthropology in Freiburg, Vienna and Göttingen. Doctorate in 1996 in Göttingen with summa cum laude. Since 1985 collaborator of the Austrian excavations in Tell el-Dab'a/Egypt and since 1993 of the German excavations in Abydos/Egypt. Since 1997 lectureships in Göttingen, Tübingen, Vienna; SS 2012 and WS 2012/13 visiting professor at the HU in Berlin. 1999-2007 Research associate at the SFB SCIEM 2000 in Vienna. Since 2007 research associate at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in the Commission for Egypt & Levant, respectively since January 1 in the Department Egypt & Levant of the Institute OREA. 06/2013 - 03/2016 Deputy Director of the Institute, 04/2014 - 09/2016 Head of the Department Egypt & Levant, since 10/2015 Coordinator of the Research Group »Tell el Daba Publications«.
Research Projects
- »Centre or Periphery? The Cemetery of Turah in the Creative Tension of State Formation at the End of the 4th and the Beginning of the 3rd Millennium BC in Egypt«
- »Abydos: The Tomb of Hor-Den«
- »Abydos: Ritual Objects for Osiris at the Eastern Outskirt of the Royal Tomb of Hor-Den«
- »Tell el-Dabʿa: Sacrificial Pit of ʿEzbet Ruschdi«
- »Tell el-Dabʿa: Archaeological Remains of Temple Rituals in the Sacred District A/II and their Cultural-Historical Assignement«
Research interests
- Archaeological relics of rituals and rites in Egypt and the Levant
- Burial inventories with emphasis on the early Egyptian period
- Ceramic studies
- Early writing and its significance for administration in Egypt
- Trade contacts and transfers between Egypt and the Levant
- Anchor points and weak points of the historical chronology of Egypt
Publications
- VII.Grab des Dewen/Den 1. Beschriftete Keramik und neue Festsiegel, in: G. Dreyer et al., Umm el-Qaab - Nachuntersuchungen im frühzeitlichen Königsfriedhof, 25./26./27. Vorbericht. / Müller, Vera.
In: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts. Abteilung Kairo, Vol. 73, 2017, 11.07.2018, p. 67-75. - Grab des Dewen, 2. Haldenabbau und Fundinventar, 3. Deponierungen östlich und südöstlich des Grabes, in: G. Dreyer et al., "Umm el-Qaab. Nachuntersuchungen im frühzeitlichen Königsfriedhof. 16./17./18. Vorbericht. / Müller, Vera.
In: Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo 62, Vol. 62, 15.06.2006, p. 73-92.
- Tell el-Dab'a XVII. Opferdeponierungen in der Hyksoshauptstadt Auaris (Tell el-Dab'a) vom späten Mittleren Reich bis zum frühen Neuen Reich. Teil I: Katalog der Befunde und Funde; Teil II: Auswertung und Deutung der Befunde und Funde. / Müller, Vera; Bietak, M (Editor of Series).
Vienna: ÖAW, 2008. (Untersuchungen der Zweigstelle Kairo des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes 29).
- Centre or Periphery? A New Project in Vienna Re-evaluating the Late Predynastic and Early Dynastic Period Cemetery of Turah. / Hölzl, Regina; Müller, Vera; el-Aguizy, Ola (Editor) et al.
Proceedings of the Twelfth International Congress of Egyptologists XII, 3rd-8th November 2019, Cairo, Egypt, Volume I. Kairo: IFAO Kairo, 2023. p. 165-172 (Bibliothèque générale 71). - A History of Millenia: the configuration of a cultic landscape around the tomb of king Den at Umm el-Qa'ab, Abydos. / Müller, Vera; Regulski, Ilona (Editor).
ABYDOS: THE SACRED LAND AT THE WESTERN HORIZON. LEUVEN – PARIS – BRISTOL, CT: Peeters Verlag, 2020. p. 215-234 (B R I T I S H M U S E U M P U B L I C A T I O N S O N E G Y P T A N D S U D A N). - Evidences for chests and boxes from the royal tomb of Den at Abydos. / Müller, Vera; Patch, D Craig (Editor); Adams, M (Editor).
Egypt at its Origins - The Fourth International Conference on Predynastic & Early Dynastic Egypt, New York, July 26-July 30, 2011. Leuven: Orientalia Lovaniensa Analecta, 2012. p. 00-00 (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta). - Archaeological Remains as Social Artefacts: Evidence from a Royal Tomb of the First Dynasty at Abydos. / Müller, Vera; Seidlmayer, J (Editor); Studien, Departement für Biblische (Editor of Series) et al.
Religion in Context. Imaginary Concepts and Social Reality in Pharaonic Egypt. Freiburg, 2010. (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis).
- Depiction of Rituals on Seals in the First Dynasty of Egypt: For Which Purpose and in Which Context? / Müller, Vera.
The Routledge Companion to Seals and Seal Studies in Antiquity: New Approaches to Mediterranean and West Asian Visual Culture. ed. / Sarah J. Scott; Oya Topçuoğlu. Routledge, 2025. p. 149-166. - A widely overlooked fragment of a relief-decorated resp. ceremonial palette found in the cemetery at Turah: Studies presented to Krzysztof M. Cialowicz. / Müller, Vera.
Per vias aegypti et orientis medii. ed. / Mariusz A. Jucha. Krakow: Institute of Archaeology. Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Archaeologica Foundateion. Profil-Archeo publishing house, 2025. p. 179. - The hippopotomus hunt and its relationship to other rituals in the 1st Dynasty as represented on seals. / Müller, Vera; Claes, W (Editor); de Meyer, - (Editor).
Remove that Pyramid! Studies on the Archaeology and History of Predynastic adn Pharaonic Egypt in Honour of Stan Hendrickx. Leuven - Paris - Bristol, CT: Peeters, 2021. p. 853-870 (Orientalia Lovaniensa Analecta). - Re-excavating Re-excavated Materials - A Case Study from the Royal Necropolis of the Early Dynastic Period at Umm el-Qaab/Abydos. / Müller, Vera; Kilian, A (Editor); Zöller-Engelhardt, M (Editor).
Excavating the Extra-Ordinary. Challenges & Merits of Working with Small Finds. Heidelberg: Propylaeum, 2021. p. 47-69. - Chronological Concepts for the Second Intermediate Period and Their Implications for the Evaluation of Its Material Culture. / Müller, Vera; Forstner-Müller, Irene (Editor); Moeller, Nadine (Editor).
The Hyksos Ruler Khyan and the Early Second Intermediate Period in Egypt: Problems and Priorities of Current Research. Proceedings of the Workshop ..., Vienna, 4-5, 2014. Wien: Verlag Holzhausen, 2018. p. 199-216 (Ergänzungshefte zu den Jahresheften des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes 17). - Gedanken zur Beigabe von (Modell)Speichern in Grabkontexten der ägyptischen Frühzeit. / Müller, Vera; Blöbaum, Anke Ilona (Editor); Eaton-Krauss, Marianne (Editor) et al.
Pérégrinations avec Erhart Graefe, Festschrift zu seinem 75. Geburtstag. Münster: Zaphon Verlag, 2018. p. 405-419 (Ägypten und Altes Testament, Band 87). - Seal Impressions from Den's Tomb at Abydos: new evidence adn new interpretations. / Müller, Vera; Midant-Reynes, Béatrix (Editor); Tristant, Yann (Editor) et al.
Egypt at its Origins 5: Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference "Origin of the State. Predynastic adn Early Dynastic Egypt", Cairo, 13th - 18th April 2014. Leuven/Paris/Bristol, CT: Peeters, 2017. p. 791-804 (Orientalia Lovaniensa Analecta 260). - Evidence for chests and boxes from the Royal Tomb of Den at Abydos. / Müller, Vera; Adams, M (Editor); Midant-Reynes, B (Editor) et al.
Egypt at its Origins 4. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference "Origin of State. Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", New York, 26th - 30th July 2011. Leuven - Paris - Bristol, CL: Peeters, 2017. p. 335-354 (OLA 252). - Relations between Egypt and the Near East during the 1st Egyptian Dynasty as Represented by the Royal Tomb of Den at Umm el-Qaab / Abydos. / Müller, Vera; Höflmayer, Felix (Editor); Eichmann, Ricardo (Editor) et al.
Egypt and the Southern Levant in the Early Bronze Age. Rahden/Westf.: Marie Leidorf GmbH, 2014. p. 241-258 (Orient-Archäologie 31). - Do seal impressions prove a change in the administration during the reign of king Den? / Müller, Vera; DUISTERMAAT, K (Editor); REGULSKI, I (Editor).
Seals and Sealing Practices from Ancient Times until Present Day. Developments in Administration and Magic Through Cultures,Proceedings of a workshop in the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, 2–3 December 2009. Leuven: Peeters, 2012. p. 17–32 (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 202). - A peculiar pottery shape from Abydos and its relationship to the Upper Egyptian sanctuary. / Müller, Vera; Friedman, R (Editor); Fiske, P.N (Editor).
Egypt at its Origin 3, The Third International Colloquium on Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt, The British Museum, London, Sunday 27th July – Friday 1st August 2008. Leuven: Peeters, 2011. p. 595–603 (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 205). - Der Goldschatz im Königsfriedhof von Umm el-Qaab/Abydos (Ägypten). / Müller, Vera; Deger-Jalkotzy, S (Editor); Schindel, N (Editor).
GOLD. Tagung anläßlich der Gründung des Zentrums für Archäologie und Altertumswissenschaften an der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 19.-20. April 2007. Vienna: ÖAW, 2009. p. 11-22 (Origines Schriften des Zentrums Archäologie und Alterumswisenschaften). - Archäologische Relikte kultischer Aktivitäten in Umm el-Qaab/Ägypten. / Müller, Vera; Mylonopoulos, J (Editor); Roeder, H (Editor) et al.
Archäologie und Ritual - Auf der Suche nach der rituellen Handlung in den antiken Kulturen Ägyptens und Griechenlands. Wien: Phoibos-Verlag, 2006. p. 37-52. - Eine kritische Darstellung der derzeitigen Diskussion zur historischen Chronologie Ägyptens in der 2. Hälfte des 2. Jt. v. Chr. / Müller, Vera; Yalcin, C (Editor); Pulak, R (Editor).
Das Schiff von Uluburun - Welthandel vor 3000 Jahren. Katalog der Ausstellung des Deutschen Bergbau-Museums Bochum vom 15. Juli 2005 bis 16. Juli 2006. 2005. p. 193-210.