Karl Richard Lepsius

Karl Richard Lepsius (December 23rd 1810 - July 10th 1884) is a Linguiste and German Egyptologist .

Born twenty years day for day after Champollion, he studies with Leipzig and Göttingen Greek antiquities of 1829 with 1832, and learns the Sanskrit. Noticed at twenty-three years, its professors incite it to move towards the study of the Hiéroglyphe S. Seulement, eager to sit its social position, the Egyptology does not mean anything for the Lepsius young person.

In 1834, here with Paris, where it takes note of the writings of Jean-François Champollion and impregnates Description of Egypt , realizing that many things remain to make in Egyptology and that it can acquire there a fame worthy of his ambitions. Consequently, it will be thrown in the study of the hiéroglyphes. Then, it goes in Italy, with Pisa, where it at the time of following the courses of Ippolito Rosellini, and author of the only book published then on the discoveries of the free-Tuscany mission.

It returns to Germany in 1839, eager to visit the Egypt and to make a mission thorough there than that of the scanner. In 1842, he is the holder of the second pulpit of European Egyptology and is seen entrusting the responsibility for a scientific expedition in Egypt. The Kaiser Frederic-Guillaume {{IV}} and the queen Elisabeth are at the origin of this nomination and it leaves with three hundred and thousand francs gold. The sovereign is well decided to leave the print of his reign for future times.

Lepsius arrives at Alexandria and brings to Mehemet Ali of sumptuous present, which will open all the doors to him. In addition, the German scientist will not hesitate to return to Berlin all those which oppose its ambitions.

As of its arrival, it goes to Gizeh, and the day of the birthday of Guillaume V, celebrated at the top of the Pyramide of Khéops, it leaves a hieroglyphic inscription to the glory of the sovereign. There remain long months with Gizeh and discover more than one hundred thirty private tombs, of which he raises the Bas-relief S and carries sixty-seven papyri. It draws up a list of the pyramids (of which certain monuments proved later not to make party of this type of construction) that it met on its road.

It moves then towards Saqqarah, where it explores fall it from Maya, which dealt with the treasure of Toutânkhamon. He visits, during this same period, the pyramid with degrees, already visited by Gerolamo Segato in 1821, and dismounts there the lintels and the amounts of a door, where the name of the Pharaon appears who made build this incredible monument: Neterikhet. No one does not know which is this Pharaon. In 1899, one will discover an inscription mentioning Neterikhet Djéser, whose mummy and the other parts found in the pyramid by Segato, at sea lost in a shipwreck North.

In the Fayoum, Lepsius discovers the labyrinth, mentioned by Hérodote and Strabon, near to the pyramid of Amenemhat with Hawara. It goes up then on Thèbes and, often walking on the traces of Champollion and Rosellini, the young German philologist passes to Deir el-Bahari, where it collects parts for the future Musée of Berlin. With the difference of Champollion, Lepsius remains insensitive in modern Egypt, the beauty of its ancient monuments, and its only interest for the country will be of order philological. It classifies the Arab music with the row of plague of Egypt.

Following the example Champollion, Lepsius explores the site of Médinet Habou and, in addition to the inscriptions which it recopies, it takes the low-reliefs which it will transport to Berlin. Following the gifts offered by Kaiser, Méhémet Ali will let take along much archaeological material.

The German scientist falls under the charm from Philae. “ the week that we passed on the crowned island belongs to the most beautiful memories of our voyage. ” the November 6th, it leaves Philae for the Ethiopia, while passing by the Nubie and Abou Simbel. It hopes to find well there the traces of a civilization of African origin, ancestor of Egypt of the Pharaons.

It was fixed for objective to exceed Ouadi Halfa, where Champollion had placed its Pillars of Hercules .

To Djebel Barkal, it brings back to the boat the monumental statue of a ram representing Amon, guard of Amenhotep {{III}}. It carries then its glances towards Méroé, but its search is hardly satisfactory, because it has under the eyes of the pyramids not going up beyond I er. It prevents the local, avid lord all the same finding a possible treasure, from continuing the dismantling of the 184 pyramids. After discussion, this last ceases the massacre.

Lepsius was the first to raise the presence of the Talatate S in Thèbes and is interested in the tombs of Such el-Amarna, in 1845. In twelve days, Lepsius collects important information for the future generations: Akhénaton, the unobtrusive Pharaon will be able to leave the lapse of memory where the clergy of Amon succeeded in plunging it.

In 1846, a pleasing building in Prussia 294 cases, with 1500 objects, jewels, papyrus, of the funerary rooms complete, of the Sarcophagus S, a column of the temple of Philae, a Obelisk and the sphinx of Djebel Barkal, which will decorate the Egyptian museum of Berlin. Lepsius visited the ruins of about thirty pyramids, more than 130 mastabas (of which much disappeared since). Frederic-Guillaume V is so proud of what brings back for him the German Egyptologist that it decides to make publish a luxurious work, in twelve volumes large folio which will be published of 1849 to 1859, including/understanding 894 boards, and which will be from now on a reference on the matter: Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien ( Monuments of Egypt and Ethiopia ). Concerning the format of the work, Mariette will note, with humor: To consult Denkmäler, it is necessary to make sure the assistance of a corporal and four men.

Member of the Academy and conservative of the museum of Berlin, it founds a publication Revue language and of Egyptian archeology . It dies with Berlin in 1884, after devoted its life to Egypt and, even if some do not fail to point out that he plundered the tombs and the monuments, it will answer that it saved good number of his loans of the true plunderers, which ransacked all in the search of a treasure. It started again Egyptology, in lethargy since the disappearance of Champollion.

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