Gaston Maspero
Gaston Maspero
Gaston Maspero was a French Egyptologist and he was born in Paris on the 23rd of June 1846. He died suddenly in 1916 while attending a meeting of the Académie. Maspero was talented in the subject of history and at the age of 14, he started to be interested in hieroglyphic writing. Maspero was originally trained in linguistics but soon began his career in translating hieroglyphics. On the death of his colleague, Auguste Mariette, Maspero took over the directorship of excavations in Egypt.He later on went and continued to learn how to read hieroglyphics. His interest in hieroglyphics was probably what triggered him to want to become an Egyptologist. Maspero established the French institute of oriental Archaeology at Cairo. He was the director of the French Egyptian Museum and he had edited the first fifty volumes catalogues of the Egyptian collection there.
Auguste Mariette had given Maspero two newly discovered hieroglyphic texts of the time and they were of considerable difficulty to study, but Maspero, a self-taught, young scholar could translate them rather quickly and accurately. It was a great achievement in those days since Egyptology was still in its early stages.
In 1886, Maspero resumed the work begun by Mariette to uncover the Sphinx, removing more than 65 feet of sand and seeking tombs below it, which were found only later. He also introduced admission charges for Egyptian sites to the increasing number of tourists to pay for their upkeep and maintenance. Maspero was popular with museum keepers and collectors and was known to be a "pragmatic" director of the Service of Antiquities.
“Egyptian Archaeology” written by Maspero and published in 1887 was a staple of early ancient art courses in the English-speaking world. Maspero had written over 10 publications. Maspero's art histories focus more on the stories about art than strict object analysis. He was a key player in the establishment of Egyptian art discoveries. In 1907 it was he who
Gaston Maspero was a French Egyptologist and he was born in Paris on the 23rd of June 1846. He died suddenly in 1916 while attending a meeting of the Académie. Maspero was talented in the subject of history and at the age of 14, he started to be interested in hieroglyphic writing. Maspero was originally trained in linguistics but soon began his career in translating hieroglyphics. On the death of his colleague, Auguste Mariette, Maspero took over the directorship of excavations in Egypt.He later on went and continued to learn how to read hieroglyphics. His interest in hieroglyphics was probably what triggered him to want to become an Egyptologist. Maspero established the French institute of oriental Archaeology at Cairo. He was the director of the French Egyptian Museum and he had edited the first fifty volumes catalogues of the Egyptian collection there.
Auguste Mariette had given Maspero two newly discovered hieroglyphic texts of the time and they were of considerable difficulty to study, but Maspero, a self-taught, young scholar could translate them rather quickly and accurately. It was a great achievement in those days since Egyptology was still in its early stages.
In 1886, Maspero resumed the work begun by Mariette to uncover the Sphinx, removing more than 65 feet of sand and seeking tombs below it, which were found only later. He also introduced admission charges for Egyptian sites to the increasing number of tourists to pay for their upkeep and maintenance. Maspero was popular with museum keepers and collectors and was known to be a "pragmatic" director of the Service of Antiquities.
“Egyptian Archaeology” written by Maspero and published in 1887 was a staple of early ancient art courses in the English-speaking world. Maspero had written over 10 publications. Maspero's art histories focus more on the stories about art than strict object analysis. He was a key player in the establishment of Egyptian art discoveries. In 1907 it was he who