Auguste Mariette French scientist, archaeologist and Egyptologist Date of Birth: 11.02.1821 Country: France

Biography of Auguste Mariette

Auguste Mariette was a French scholar, archaeologist, and Egyptologist. He was born on February 11, 1821, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a city in northern France with a rich history dating back to Roman times. Mariette showed talent as an artist and draughtsman, earning a living by giving private lessons in Douai while writing on various historical and archaeological topics for local newspapers and journals.

In 1841, he began teaching at the College of Boulogne-sur-Mer, and it was around this time that his passion for studying ancient Egyptian artifacts was ignited after visiting the Egyptian department of a local museum. In 1845, Mariette's cousin Nestor L'Hôte, an Egyptologist, artist, and researcher who accompanied the famous Jean-François Champollion on his expeditions, passed away. Mariette took it upon himself to sort through his cousin's remaining papers, and this sparked his deepening interest in Egyptology.

Mariette was primarily self-taught in the field of Egyptology, as it was still an emerging science at the time, with few scholars working in the discipline. He independently studied Coptic language and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. In 1847, Mariette compiled an analytical catalog of the Egyptian gallery at the Boulogne museum. His catalog was so well-received that two years later, he received an offer to work at the Louvre Museum, which housed one of the most significant collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts at the time.

In 1850, Mariette embarked on his first trip to Egypt with a government mission to acquire the best Coptic, Syrian, Arabic, and Ethiopian manuscripts for the Louvre collection. Unfortunately, Mariette was not successful in acquiring the manuscripts, but during his journey, he discovered a hidden underground temple complex with tombs in Saqqara in 1851. This remarkable find included thousands of statues, bronze tablets, and other priceless treasures. Mariette remained in the desert for four more years, diligently sending his discoveries to the Louvre and gaining recognition for his work.

In 1858, Mariette accepted an offer from the Egyptian government and relocated with his family to Cairo, where he became the custodian of Egyptian monuments. From that point on, his career became a continuous list of brilliant achievements. He played a key role in the creation of the renowned Egyptian Museum in Cairo, uncovered entire pyramid fields in Memphis, and excavated the necropolises of Meidum, Abydos, and Thebes. He also conducted important excavations in Karnak, Medinet-Habu, and Deir el-Bahri.

Under Mariette's guidance, the Sphinx was meticulously cleared down to the bedrock, leading to the discovery of the famous granite stele of Pharaoh Thutmose IV. Due to an agreement between the French and Egyptian governments, Mariette had virtually no rivals, leaving the Germans and the British, who also desired historical treasures for their museums, envious.

In 1869, at the personal request of the Egyptian Khedive, Mariette wrote a brief plot summary for an opera, which was later presented to Giuseppe Verdi and became the famous opera "Aida." European honors and orders were bestowed upon Mariette, and the Egyptian authorities appointed him as a bey and pasha.

Unfortunately, Mariette faced significant hardships in his life. In 1878, a flood devastated the Egyptian Museum. While the artifacts were saved, a large portion of Mariette's notes and drawings were irretrievably lost. By the beginning of 1881, almost blind, Mariette chose his successor among his compatriots, linguist and archaeologist Gaston Maspero. Auguste Mariette passed away on January 19, 1881, in Cairo and was buried in a sarcophagus displayed in the garden of the Egyptian Museum.