Profile

Historian and archaeologist, Dr. José Carlos Castañeda Reyes graduated from the Escuela Normal Superior de México, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia. He earned his Master's and Doctorate in Asian and African Studies, specializing in the Middle East (Ancient History) at El Colegio de México. Additionally, he pursued postgraduate studies in Egyptology and ancient Egyptian art at the Faculty of Archaeology at the University of Cairo, Egypt. His research led him to complete stays at the University of Cairo (1997-1998, 2004-2005, 2008-2009) and at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago as a Visiting Scholar (2000), among other international institutions.

Throughout his career, he has published various scholarly books and articles in specialized journals and newspapers. His academic activity includes delivering lectures at the Museo Nacional de las Culturas, INAH, where he was also a researcher assigned to the Arab World curatorship until 1994.

During his tenure as a professor-researcher in the Department of Philosophy, History of the State and Society area, at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa Campus, he focused on the study of the ancient history of the Middle East and the history of classical Islam. He developed a particular interest in the social history of ancient Egypt, focusing on popular movements in this civilization, a line of research he extended into the socio-economic history of contemporary Egypt. Additionally, he collaborated on archaeological research projects in Mexico. His academic and research work earned him membership in the National System of Researchers (SNII), where he achieved Level II.