Gaston Maspero

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Gaston Maspero
Born	Gaston Camille Charles Maspero (1846-06-23)23 June 1846 Paris, France
Died	30 June 1916(1916-06-30) (aged 70) Paris, France
Occupation	Egyptology
Predecessor	Auguste Mariette
Spouse(s)	Harriett Yapp (1871-1873) Louise Balluet d'Estournelles de Constant de Rebecque (1880-)
Children	Georges Maspero Harriett Maspero Henri Maspero Jean Maspero
Relatives	François Maspero, grandson

Sir Gaston Camille Charles Maspero KCMG^[1] (23 June 1846 – 30 June 1916) was a French Egyptologist and director general of excavations and antiquities for the Egyptian government. Widely regarded as the foremost Egyptologist of his generation, he began his career teaching Egyptian language in Paris becoming a professor at the Collège de France. In 1880, he led an archaeological mission to Egypt, which later became the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale.

In 1881, Maspero's investigation led to the discovery of a hidden tomb near Dayr al-Baḥrī, containing 40 mummies, including pharaohs Seti I, Amenhotep I, Thutmose III, and Ramses II. His study of these findings was published in Les Momies royales de Deir-el-Bahari (1889). After a brief period in Paris, he returned to Egypt to organize a vast collection of antiquities at a museum in Cairo's Būlāq district, which later became the foundation of the Egyptian Museum established in 1902. During his second tenure as director general (1899–1914), Maspero regulated excavations, combated illicit trade, preserved monuments, and oversaw the archaeological survey of Nubia.^[2]

Maspero was highly regarded for his versatility and contributions to Egyptology. He authored the comprehensive Histoire ancienne des peuples de l’Orient classique (1895–1897) and was the first editor and translator of the Pyramid Texts, known as the Book of the Dead. His work extended to art, mythology, and religion, influencing many through his role as editor of the Recueil de travaux and Director of the Egyptian Service des Antiquités. Maspero's son, Henri Maspero, became a notable sinologist and scholar of East Asia.