Auguste Mariette

Born in Boulogne, France, Auguste Mariette was one of the pre-eminent Egyptologists of the 19th century. Aside from his individual discoveries and triumphs, Mariette was one of the first archaeologists to support the cause of keeping Egyptian antiquities in Egypt.

Mariette joined the Louvre in 1849 and was sent to Egypt the following year to purchase Coptic manuscripts. Having had little success in his mission – and afraid to return empty handed – Mariette developed an interest in excavations.

His big break came when he stumbled across the Serapeum at Saqqara in 1851. This gigantic complex of catacombs was devoted to sacred Apis bulls and contained numerous hidden chambers and sarcophagi.

Mariette spent the next several years in Egypt and gradually came to support the then-radical notion of allowing the Egyptians to hold on to their treasures. In 1859, he convinced the Khedive to found the Department of Antiquities, with himself as its head.

In his new role, Mariette moved to curb the number of treasures exported from Egypt and sold for private gain, and granted himself a virtual monopoly on excavations. His later achievements included clearing the ground around the Great Sphinx and excavating the temples of Dandarah and Edfu.

As if Mariette’s contributions to Egyptology were not great enough, he also penned the scenario to Verdi’s opera Aida, which is still performed widely today. He died in 1881.
 

Image by Marie-Helene Cingal. All rights reserved.