Marzena Ożarek-Szilke

Marzena Ożarek-Szilke is a biological anthropologist, paleopathologist and archaeologist; member of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, the International Association of Egyptology, the Egyptian Exploration Society and the Polish Anthropological Society; co-founder and co-director of the Warsaw Mummy Project, an international, interdisciplinary research project on Egyptian mummies at the National Museum in Warsaw.

A long-time employee and collaborator of the University of Warsaw, Institute of Archeology (current Faculty of Archeology) and the Center for Mediterranean Archaeology (CAŚ), where she conducted research as well as workshops and lectures for students on, among others, human osteology, mummification and mummy research methods. Research employee at the Oncology Clinic, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, where she was responsible for paleoncology and the promotion of WUM in the world.

She has conducted research on human skeletons and cremation remains from over 50 archaeological sites, as well as on mummies and fragments of mummified remains from m.in Wrocław, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Gebelein and the Fayum Oasis – Naqlun. She is a co-author of a new method of research on cemeteries using GIS. One of her most important research interests is the study of the development and origin of diseases, including cancer. In addition, she deals with the subject of human health and living conditions from ancient times to the present day and researches new technologies and biofeedback to improve people’s quality of life and treat chronic fatigue and chronic stress syndrome. She gives numerous lectures in Poland and abroad, writes articles and co-produces documentaries and popular science films, actively works for the popularization of science, current technological achievements and research, by creating exhibition scenarious and participating in television and radio programs.

Most important publications

Ejsmond W., Ożarek-Szilke M. „The Collection of Egyptian Mummies of the University of Warsaw and their Role in the ‘Prehistory’ of Polish Egyptology”, [in:] Études et Travaux XXXV / 2022, p. 7-37
Ożarek-Szilke M., Ejsmond W., Jaworski M., Szilke S., „The Warsaw Mummy Project”, [in:] Current World Archaeology, Sept. 23, 2021, vol. 109
Ożarek-Szilke M, Ejsmond W., Jaworski M., Szilke S., „Tajemnicza Dam, tajemnicza mama”. [in:] Archeologia Żywa 3/2021, p. 42-47
Ejsmond W., Ożarek-Szilke Marzena, Szilke Stanisław, Jaworski Marcin, Jaroszewska Katarzyna, “Further evidence to confirm the ‘pregnant mummy’: A reply to Saleem (2021) [in:] Journal of Archaeological Science 137, 2022
Ejsmond W., Ożarek-Szilke M., Szilke S., Jaworski M., “A pregnant ancient Egyptian mummy from the 1st century BC” , [in:] Journal of Archaeological Science, 2021
Ejsmond W. , Ożarek-Szilke M., Jaworski M., “Mummy Mummy !”, [in:] Ancient Egypt 22 no.1, 127, 2021
Ejsmond W., Chyla J., Witkowski P., Takacs D., Wieczorek D., Ożarek-Szilke M., Ordutowski J., “Comprehensive Field Survey at Gebelein: Preliminary Results of a New Method in Processing Data for Archaeological Site Analysis, [in:] Archaeologia Polona 53 (2015), p. 617 – 621.
Ożarek M. „Egipska magia kolorów. Znaczenie kolorów używanych do produkcji amuletów i biżuterii w Starożytnym Egipcie”, [in:] Antropologia Religii 5(2012).
Dorota Dzierzbicka, Marzena Ożarek: “Two burials from cemetery A in Naqlun: archaeological and anthropological remarks”, [in:] Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 21(2009), p. 233-243
Ożarek M. „Naturalna mumifikacja na cmentarzysku z przełomu VI/VII wieku n.e. w Deir an-Naqlun (Egipt).”, [in:] AR. Archeological Annals 1(2009), p. 85-95
Ożarek M. „Symbole i znaki znalezione w wyposażeniu mumii Tutanchamona”, [in:] Antropologia Religii 4(2010) IV, p.86-97

Ożarek M. „Deir an-Naqlun (Egypt), season 2006”, [in:] Bioarchaeology of the Near East, 2(2008), p. 99-103

Awards and distinctions for research:

On January 16, 2017, the Warsaw Mummy Project won one of the Top Archaeological Project of 2016 in Poland awards, awarded by the archaeological news portal ArchaeoFeed.com

Marzena Ożarek-Szilke