Mohamed-Moustapha Abdel-Maguid

4 October 1967, Egypt

He has worked with Franck Goddio since 1996.

Mohamed Moustapha discovered archaeology at University. He had planned to be a guide, but changed, and in 1992 he joined the Department of the West Delta, Supreme Council of Antiquities, where he worked as a land archaeologist. In 1994, he started working in underwater archaeology with two colleagues. He joined the Department of Underwater Archaeology in 1996.

He likes archaeology because it is continually interesting… and scientific. Every day, every few months… there is new work, new sites… “It is very stimulating to always be finding ‘new’ things. I can’t imagine having a monotonous job.” He likes diving because you can move in six directions… two more than on land. It’s really another world. He figures that if archaeology is exciting and diving is exciting, then the two together make it all exciting!! (exciting squared!)

His favorite experience was in his first underwater excavation, when he found one of the largest sphinxes. He was able to translate the hieroglyphs. He is amazed this year at Heracleion by the seven shipwrecks found all together… six side-by-side, with one inside the another. It is also incredible to find the ancient anchor that still has its wooden fluke in place. “I hope we can work excavating Heracleion for many years --- there is so much yet to be discovered here!”