Montet, Pierre
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{{epname|Montet, Pierre}} | {{epname|Montet, Pierre}} | ||
| − | '''Pierre Montet''' (1885 – 1966) was a [[France|French]] [[Egyptologist]] | + | '''Pierre Montet''' (June 27, 1885 – June 19, 1966) was a [[France|French]] [[Egyptology|Egyptologist]], who conducted excavations in [[Egypt]]’s New Empire capital of [[Tanis]], in the Delta [[Nile]]. He became famous for his discovery of royal [[necropolis]] from the 21st and 22nd dynasties of Egypt. |
| − | + | ==Biography== | |
| − | + | ===Early life=== | |
| + | '''Pierre Montet''' was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône in [[France]]. He studied under [[Victor Loret]] at the [[University of Lyon]], who did important excavations both outside and within [[Egypt]]. After getting his degree, Montet received professorship of [[Egyptology]] at the [[University of Strasbourg]], where he stayed from 1919 to 1948. | ||
| − | + | ===Excavations in Byblos=== | |
| + | Between 1921 and 1924, Montet directed his first excavations at [[Byblos]] (now Jubayl) in [[Lebanon]], discovering tombs of local rulers who were contemporary with Egyptian rulers from [[Middle Kingdom]] times. Byblos was famous as one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. One of the most important findings from Byblos was an [[alphabet]]ical writing, at the time believed to be the earliest such writing in the world. He published his researches in his ''Byblos et l'Égypte'' in 1928. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Excavations in Tanis=== | ||
| + | Between 1929 and 1939, Montet excavated at [[Tanis]], ancient Djanet (today’s San el-Hagar) in the northern-eastern Delta [[Nile]] in [[Egypt]]. Tanis was the capital of the 19th Lower Egyptian nome in the Late Period. At the time Montet started his diggings, Tanis already went through several major excavations – from 1860 to 1880 by [[Auguste Mariette]] and from 1883 to 1886 by [[Flinders Petrie]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In 1939, his 11th year as the leader of the [[France|French]] [[archaeology|archeological]] team, Montet finally scored big. He found the royal [[necropolis]] of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt — the finds there almost equaled that of [[Tutankhamun]]'s tomb in the [[Valley of the Kings]]. On February 27th, he discovered a tomb of a king, identified by inscriptions as [[Osorkon II]]. The tomb and its accompanying rooms were already plundered, but Montet managed to uncover a [[sarcophagus]] of Osorkon’s son, prince [[Takelot II]]. The tomb contained a gold bracelet of Osorkon, as well as a heart scarab, alabaster jars, and other things. | ||
| + | |||
| + | When he cleared the tomb, Montet found the door of another, undisturbed chamber. The inscription mentioned [[Psusennes I]], the third king of the Twenty-first dynasty who ruled between 1047 – 1001 B.C.E. The tomb was completely intact, with a hawk-headed solid silver coffin belonging to, at that time an unknown king [[Shoshenq II]]. The coffin contained a golden burial mask and accompanying gold jewelry. The total of the findings rivaled that of [[Tutankhamun]]’s, discovered in 1922 by [[Howard Carter]]. Unfortunately, due to the moist Lower Egypt location, unlike the dry one in Upper Egypt where the Tutankhamun’s tomb was located, most of the wooden objects in the tomb were destroyed by water. | ||
| + | |||
| + | In addition to the tombs of Osorkon II and Psusennes I, Montet found four more tombs – the occupants of the two are unknown, and the remaining two belonged to [[Amenemope]] and [[Shoshenq III]]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The start of the [[World War II]] in [[Europe]] in May 1940 stopped all excavation work at Tanis. However, after the war, Montet resumed his activities and proceeded to uncover the intact tomb of General Wendjebaendjed, who served under Psusennes I. Montet described his findings in his ''La Nécropole royale de Tanis'' (''The Royal Cemetery at Tanis'') published in 3 volumes between 1947 and 1960. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Later life=== | ||
| + | Later in his career Montet served as professor of Egyptology at the [[Collège de France]], [[Paris]], between 1948 and 1956. | ||
He died in [[Paris]] on June 19, 1966. | He died in [[Paris]] on June 19, 1966. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Legacy== | ||
| + | |||
| + | The discovery of the royal [[necropolis]] in [[Tanis]] contributed to our knowledge of the Third Intermediate Period of [[Ancient Egypt]]. Before the discovery, it was believed that the kings of this period were weak rulers, incapable of amassing any greater amount of treasures. The tombs were, however, furnished by precious metals and decorated in the similar style to that of the Upper Egypt, showing that the previous knowledge of Egyptian [[history]] was not correct. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Publications== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1925. ''Scenes de la Vie Privee dans les Tombeaux Egyptiens de L'ancien Empire''. Paris: Strasbourg University | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1928. ''Byblos et l'Égypte: Quatre campagnes de fouilles à Gebeil, 1921-1922-1923-1924''. Paris: P. Geuthner | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1937. ''Les reliques de l'art syrien dans l'Égypte du nouvel empire. Publications de la Faculté des lettres de l'Université de Strasbourg, fasc. 76''. Paris: Société d'édition: Les belles lettres. | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1942. ''Tanis, douze années de fouilles dans une capitale oubliée du delta égyptien, avec 63 figures et 16 planches hors texte''. Paris: Payot. | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1947-1960. ''La Necropole Royale de Tanis''. (3 Vols.). Fouilles de Tanis, ser. ed. Jean Pierre Marie Montet. Paris | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1959. ''L'Égypte et la Bible''. Neuchatel: Delachaux & Niestlé. | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1963. ''Haiey yom-yom bemitzrayim (La vie quotidienne en Egypte''). Am Hassefer Publishers Ltd. Tel Aviv | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1974 (original published 1968). ''Lives of the pharaohs''. London: Spring Books. ISBN 0600354520 | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 1981 (original published 1958). ''Everyday Life in the Days of Ramesses the Great''. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812211138 | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre. 2000 (original published 1964). ''Eternal Egypt''. Phoenix Press. ISBN 1842120182 | ||
| + | * Montet, Pierre, Georges Goyon, and Alexandre Lézine. 2006. ''Les constructions et le tombeau de Chéchang III a Tanis''. Worcester, U.K.: Yare Egyptology. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | |||
| − | + | * Charles-Picard, Gilbert. 1969. ''Encyclopedia of Archeology''. New York: G.P. Putnam and Sons. | |
| − | * | + | * ''Pierre Montet''. Encyclopedia Britannica Concise, at <http://concise.britannica.com>. Retrieved on October 8, 2007, from <http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9053524/Pierre-Montet> |
| − | * | + | * ''Treasures of Tanis''. Egyptology Online, on <http://www.egyptologyonline.com>. Retrieved on October 8, 2007, from <http://www.egyptologyonline.com/tanis.htm> |
| − | + | ||
| + | ==External links== | ||
| + | * [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/egyptologists.htm Egyptologists] – Short biographies of famous Egyptologists | ||
| + | * [http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/eos/eos_title.pl?callnum=DT61.M8 Scenes de la Vie Privee dans les Tombeaux Egyptiens de L'ancien Empire] by Pierre Montet | ||
| + | * [http://www.egyptologyonline.com/tanis.htm Treasures of Tanis] – On Montet’s excavations in Tanis | ||
| + | * [http://www.archaeology.org/0505/abstracts/tanis.html ''Treasures of Tanis''] by Bob Brier, Archeology, Volume 58, Number 3, May/June 2005 | ||
{{Credits|Pierre_Montet|144433275|}} | {{Credits|Pierre_Montet|144433275|}} | ||
Revision as of 09:18, 10 October 2007
Pierre Montet (June 27, 1885 – June 19, 1966) was a French Egyptologist, who conducted excavations in Egypt’s New Empire capital of Tanis, in the Delta Nile. He became famous for his discovery of royal necropolis from the 21st and 22nd dynasties of Egypt.
Biography
Early life
Pierre Montet was born in Villefranche-sur-Saône in France. He studied under Victor Loret at the University of Lyon, who did important excavations both outside and within Egypt. After getting his degree, Montet received professorship of Egyptology at the University of Strasbourg, where he stayed from 1919 to 1948.
Excavations in Byblos
Between 1921 and 1924, Montet directed his first excavations at Byblos (now Jubayl) in Lebanon, discovering tombs of local rulers who were contemporary with Egyptian rulers from Middle Kingdom times. Byblos was famous as one of the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world. One of the most important findings from Byblos was an alphabetical writing, at the time believed to be the earliest such writing in the world. He published his researches in his Byblos et l'Égypte in 1928.
Excavations in Tanis
Between 1929 and 1939, Montet excavated at Tanis, ancient Djanet (today’s San el-Hagar) in the northern-eastern Delta Nile in Egypt. Tanis was the capital of the 19th Lower Egyptian nome in the Late Period. At the time Montet started his diggings, Tanis already went through several major excavations – from 1860 to 1880 by Auguste Mariette and from 1883 to 1886 by Flinders Petrie.
In 1939, his 11th year as the leader of the French archeological team, Montet finally scored big. He found the royal necropolis of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasty of Egypt — the finds there almost equaled that of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. On February 27th, he discovered a tomb of a king, identified by inscriptions as Osorkon II. The tomb and its accompanying rooms were already plundered, but Montet managed to uncover a sarcophagus of Osorkon’s son, prince Takelot II. The tomb contained a gold bracelet of Osorkon, as well as a heart scarab, alabaster jars, and other things.
When he cleared the tomb, Montet found the door of another, undisturbed chamber. The inscription mentioned Psusennes I, the third king of the Twenty-first dynasty who ruled between 1047 – 1001 B.C.E. The tomb was completely intact, with a hawk-headed solid silver coffin belonging to, at that time an unknown king Shoshenq II. The coffin contained a golden burial mask and accompanying gold jewelry. The total of the findings rivaled that of Tutankhamun’s, discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter. Unfortunately, due to the moist Lower Egypt location, unlike the dry one in Upper Egypt where the Tutankhamun’s tomb was located, most of the wooden objects in the tomb were destroyed by water.
In addition to the tombs of Osorkon II and Psusennes I, Montet found four more tombs – the occupants of the two are unknown, and the remaining two belonged to Amenemope and Shoshenq III.
The start of the World War II in Europe in May 1940 stopped all excavation work at Tanis. However, after the war, Montet resumed his activities and proceeded to uncover the intact tomb of General Wendjebaendjed, who served under Psusennes I. Montet described his findings in his La Nécropole royale de Tanis (The Royal Cemetery at Tanis) published in 3 volumes between 1947 and 1960.
Later life
Later in his career Montet served as professor of Egyptology at the Collège de France, Paris, between 1948 and 1956.
He died in Paris on June 19, 1966.
Legacy
The discovery of the royal necropolis in Tanis contributed to our knowledge of the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt. Before the discovery, it was believed that the kings of this period were weak rulers, incapable of amassing any greater amount of treasures. The tombs were, however, furnished by precious metals and decorated in the similar style to that of the Upper Egypt, showing that the previous knowledge of Egyptian history was not correct.
Publications
- Montet, Pierre. 1925. Scenes de la Vie Privee dans les Tombeaux Egyptiens de L'ancien Empire. Paris: Strasbourg University
- Montet, Pierre. 1928. Byblos et l'Égypte: Quatre campagnes de fouilles à Gebeil, 1921-1922-1923-1924. Paris: P. Geuthner
- Montet, Pierre. 1937. Les reliques de l'art syrien dans l'Égypte du nouvel empire. Publications de la Faculté des lettres de l'Université de Strasbourg, fasc. 76. Paris: Société d'édition: Les belles lettres.
- Montet, Pierre. 1942. Tanis, douze années de fouilles dans une capitale oubliée du delta égyptien, avec 63 figures et 16 planches hors texte. Paris: Payot.
- Montet, Pierre. 1947-1960. La Necropole Royale de Tanis. (3 Vols.). Fouilles de Tanis, ser. ed. Jean Pierre Marie Montet. Paris
- Montet, Pierre. 1959. L'Égypte et la Bible. Neuchatel: Delachaux & Niestlé.
- Montet, Pierre. 1963. Haiey yom-yom bemitzrayim (La vie quotidienne en Egypte). Am Hassefer Publishers Ltd. Tel Aviv
- Montet, Pierre. 1974 (original published 1968). Lives of the pharaohs. London: Spring Books. ISBN 0600354520
- Montet, Pierre. 1981 (original published 1958). Everyday Life in the Days of Ramesses the Great. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0812211138
- Montet, Pierre. 2000 (original published 1964). Eternal Egypt. Phoenix Press. ISBN 1842120182
- Montet, Pierre, Georges Goyon, and Alexandre Lézine. 2006. Les constructions et le tombeau de Chéchang III a Tanis. Worcester, U.K.: Yare Egyptology.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Charles-Picard, Gilbert. 1969. Encyclopedia of Archeology. New York: G.P. Putnam and Sons.
- Pierre Montet. Encyclopedia Britannica Concise, at <http://concise.britannica.com>. Retrieved on October 8, 2007, from <http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9053524/Pierre-Montet>
- Treasures of Tanis. Egyptology Online, on <http://www.egyptologyonline.com>. Retrieved on October 8, 2007, from <http://www.egyptologyonline.com/tanis.htm>
External links
- Egyptologists – Short biographies of famous Egyptologists
- Scenes de la Vie Privee dans les Tombeaux Egyptiens de L'ancien Empire by Pierre Montet
- Treasures of Tanis – On Montet’s excavations in Tanis
- Treasures of Tanis by Bob Brier, Archeology, Volume 58, Number 3, May/June 2005
Credits
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