Fatma Said is a PhD student at the Department of Anthropology, Rice University. She is investigating the technological practices applied in the production of material culture within the medieval Swahili world during the formative phase of urbanism. She is specifically interested in understanding the technical choices and practices employed by indigenous people in ceramic material production. Her research employs a range of analytical techniques, with a particular focus on ceramic petrography and experimental archaeology to trace the technological patterns and raw materials used in the making of ceramic products.

Fatma earned her Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Tanzania and her Master’s degree at the University of Lancashire in the UK. Before joining Rice, she taught classes on cultural heritage, museums, and cultural tourism at the State University of Zanzibar. She has also participated in archaeological projects focusing on early urbanism and historical archaeology prior to joining Rice. Alongside her academic work, Fatma collaborates with the Zanzibar Department of Museums and Antiquities to integrate archaeological and historical research in the preservation of Swahili history and heritage.