Dr. Rainer Stadelmann is a German Egyptologist. He is considered an expert of the Giza Plateau

Giza Plateau

The Giza Plateau is a plateau that is located in Giza, Egypt. The famous Giza Necropolis is located in this geographical area, which is characterized by a sandy, desert climate and terrain with little vegetation....

.

After studying in Neuburg an der Donau

Neuburg an der Donau

Neuburg an der Donau, literally Neuburg on the Danube River, is a town which is the capital of the Neuburg-Schrobenhausen district in the state of Bavaria in Germany.-Divisions:The municipality has 16 divisions:-History:...

 in 1953, he studied Egyptology, Orientalism and Archeology at the University of Munich. He participated in 1955 and 1956 in the excavations of the Userkaf

Userkaf

Userkaf was the founder of the Fifth dynasty of Egypt and the first pharaoh to start the tradition of building sun temples at Abusir. His name means "his Ka is powerful". He ruled from 2494-2487 BC and constructed the Pyramid of Userkaf complex at Saqqara.- Family :Userkaf's wife was Queen...

 Solar Temple at Abusir

Abusir

Abusir is the name given to an Egyptian archaeological locality – specifically, an extensive necropolis of the Old Kingdom period, together with later additions – in the vicinity of the modern capital Cairo...

. He continued his studies at the University of Heidelberg, where in 1960 he write his doctoral thesis on the Syrian-Palestinian deities in Egypt. He was technical assistant in Heidelberg until 1967, after which he became Scientific Director at the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, where he was director from 1989 to 1998. Since 1975, he has been honorary professor at the University of Heidelberg. He has participated in numerous excavations at Elephantine

Elephantine

Elephantine is an island in the River Nile, located just downstream of the First Cataract at the southern border of Ancient Egypt. This region is referred to as Upper Egypt because the land is higher than that near the Mediterranean coast. The island may have received its name because it was a...

, Thebes

Thebes

Thebes may refer to one of the following places:* Thebes, Egypt, Thebes of the Hundred Gates, one-time capital of the New Kingdom of Egypt* Thebes, Greece, a city in Boeotia Prefecture**Ancient Thebes , Thebes of the Seven Gates...

 and Dahshur

Dahshur

Dahshur , is a royal necropolis located in the desert on the west bank of the Nile approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo...

, the latter of which he explored and wrote about the Bent Pyramid and the valley temple of King Sneferu

Sneferu

Sneferu, also spelled as Snephru, Snefru or Snofru , was the founder of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. Estimates of his reign vary, with for instance The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt suggesting a reign from around 2613 BC to 2589 BC, a reign of 24 years, while Rolf Krauss suggests a 30-year reign...

. He has also opened a new exhibition at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, to celebrate forty years of archaeological work by the Japanese.

Selected publications

• Die ägyptischen Pyramiden, vom Ziegelbau zum Weltwunder, Mayence, 1985–1997, éditions von Zabern (Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt, Bd. 30), ISBN 3-8053-1142-7