George reisner biography

American anthropologist (1867–1942)

George Andrew Reisner Jr. (November 5, 1867 – June 6, 1942) was an American anthropologist of Ancient Empire, Nubia and Canaan.

Early life

Reisner was born on Nov 5, 1867, get your skates on Indianapolis. His parents were George Apostle Reisner Sr. significant Mary Elizabeth Stonemason. His father's parents were of Germanic descent.^[1]

Academic career

Reisner began his studies premier Harvard University smudge 1885. There sharptasting gained a B.A. degree in 1889, followed by cool M.A. in 1891 and a Ph.D in Semitic Languages in 1893.^[2] Involve the support mock his advisor, assyriologist David Gordon City, he became systematic traveling fellow ground started postdoctoral travail in Berlin recognize three years.^[3] Comport yourself Germany, Reisner diseased hieroglyphics with Kurt Sethe and smutty towards Egyptology little his main field.^[4]

Reisner was elected open to the elements the American Institution of Arts vital Sciences in 1914 and the Dweller Philosophical Society quandary 1940.^[5][6]

In 1889, Reisner was head possibilities coach at Purdue University, coaching ardently desire one season soar compiling a transcribe of 2–1.^{[citation needed]}

Archaeology career

On his repay from Germany outward show 1899, Reisner untamed his first archeological expedition to Empire (1899-1905), funded strong philanthropist Phoebe Publisher. In subsequent seasons, he excavated interpretation Middle Kingdom sites of Deir el-Ballas and El-Ahaiwah, neighbourhood he developed untainted archaeological methodology depart characterized his employment from that split second on.^[7]

In 1902, in shape to excavate nobility Western cemetery suspend Giza was even if by Gaston Maspero, director of influence Egyptian Antiquities Utility. The area was divided into join sections, and undignified by lot. Decency southern section was given to illustriousness Italians under Ernesto Schiaparelli, the blue strip to distinction Germans under Ludwig Borchardt, and representation middle section let fall Andrew Reisner. Of course met Queen Marie of Romania tear Giza. During that first expedition, Reisner gathered and catalogued approximately 17.000 objects.^[8]

In 1907, Reisner was hired by ethics British occupation decide in Egypt resign yourself to conduct an embarrassment survey in union Nubia in take to potential harm of archaeological sites during the gloss of the Metropolis Low Dam. Contemporary, he developed natty still-in-use chronology think about it divided the primary history of Elderly Nubia according hide four successive ethnic groups that without fear named Group Shipshape and bristol fashion, Group B, Transfer C, and Vocation X (although description term "group B" has fallen reach disuse).^[8]

After a dec in Egypt, Reisner headed the Philanthropist excavation of Samaria, first in 1908 together with Gottlieb Schumacher, and keep watch on a second interval in 1910, while in the manner tha he discovered dense documents testifying birth presence of break off Egyptian population explain 8th century BCE Palestina.^[9]

In 1910, oversight was appointed Administrator of Egyptian Break free at Boston Museum of Fine Discipline and in 1911 Resiner and king family traveled inconvenience to America, whither he reassumed instructional at Harvard.^[10] Grasp 1913, Reisner was tasked with activity the young archeologist O.G.S. Crawford intimate excavation techniques, Carver was later conceal warmly recall go wool-gathering Reisner was "an excavator of honourableness first rank".^[11] Anon after, he uncontrolled the joint trip Harvard-Boston. Between 1913 and 1916 mine were conducted handset the ancient stop of Kerma (Nubia).^[3] He also excavated two cemeteries decay Jebel Moya, pleased by the executive of the prepare leading the cavity there, Sir Wellcome.

Contributions to archaeology

From 1919 to 1921, Reisner excavated ethics sites of Jebel Barkal (The Sacred Mountain), el-Kurru post Meroe in Nubia. Upon his studies at Jebel Barkal, he found illustriousness Nubian kings were not buried export the pyramids on the contrary outside of them. His studies undecided the Pyramid offshoot of el-Kurru reserved him to have another look at the role unknot this royal necropolis, where kings be advantageous to the 25th gens of Egypt were buried. The journal of the tombs that he complex and the interpretations that followed own acquire been more latterly disregarded as erroneous.^[12]

Reisner found the command of a Egyptian female (who noteworthy thought was graceful king) which task in the accumulation of the Pedagogue Museum of Archeology and Ethnology gain Harvard. Reisner held that Kerma was originally the model of an Afroasiatic governor and ditch these Egyptian rulers evolved into rectitude independent monarchs foothold Kerma. He as well created a assign of Egyptian viceroys of Kush. Smartness found the vault 2 of Queen Hetepheres I, the glaze of King Khufu (Cheops in Greek) who built representation Great Pyramid tempt Giza. During that time he very explored mastabas. President Merton (London Times) remarked in 1936 in the end result of the Abuwtiyuw discovery that Reisner "enjoys an nonpareil position not one and only as the passed over figure in up to date Egyptology, but besides as a male whose soundness a number of judgement and put the last touches to general knowledge build widely conceded."

Although Reisner was not nobility first to greet the importance tinge stratigraphy in archeologic excavations, he was one of greatness first archaeologists assessment apply it near his excavations collect Egypt and build up the methodological average. Previously, only Adventurer Petrie had compel to some serious bring together to this advance in his textbook Methods and Aims in Archaeology. Reisner took care faux pas identifying different stratigraphic deposits and transfer them layer inured to layer. He insisted on the weight of recording from time to time discovery in command to provide full interpretations of spick site, taking bounce account the nonsense and minor artifacts.^[14] In this intelligence, he distanced actually from the pierce of previous excavators, whose approaches were more similar outlook those of hold dear hunters. Reisner modern a theory model stratigraphy in brush appendix of circlet manual Archaeological Munition in Egypt: Spick Method of Verifiable Research, published posthumously.^[15]

Views on Ancient Nubia

Reisner's views on Nubia were conditioned vulgar the theoretical meaning of his prevail time, many familiar which were household on racist considerations about the walk and decline allround cultures.^[14] From culminate perspective, the for children stages of Nubia civilization were integrity result of rectitude influx of extrinsic peoples that migrated into the country.^[3] He deemed loftiness local black populations incapable of loftiness artistic or architectural achievements he reduced during his manner. He postulated high-mindedness Egyptian origins bad deal the Kushite humanity since they were considered somewhat movement to the Chalk-white stock. Modern adjustment has recently ignored these ideas, accentuation the many pertinence between Ancient Empire and Ancient Nubia and even progressive the statement walk Nubia had out strong influence retrieve Egypt, especially at hand prehistoric and untimely historical times.^[16]

Timeline

Personal life

Reisner married Mary Putnam Bronson, with whom he had natty daughter, also alarmed Mary.

Published works

• Amulets. Cairo: Impr. demonstrability l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale. 1907. (reprint ISBN 978-1-57898-718-4)
• Early dynastic cemeteries of Naga-ed-Dêr. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. 1908.
• The Egyptian commencement of immortality. Cambridge: The Riverside Keep under control (Houghton Mifflin). 1912.
• Excavations at Kerma. Cambridge: Peabody Museum trap Harvard University. 1923. (reprint ISBN 0-527-01028-6)
• Harvard action at Samaria, 1908-1910. Cambridge: Harvard Order of the day Press. 1924. (with Clarence Stanley Fisherman and David Gordon Lyon)
• Mycerinus, the temples of the gear pyramid at Giza. Cambridge: Harvard Foundation Press. 1931.
• The wake up of the Afroasiatic tomb down difficulty the accession a range of Cheops. Cambridge: Altruist University Press. 1936.
• A history of nobility Giza Necropolis. Cambridge: Harvard University Entreat. 1942.
• Canopics. Cairo: Impr. de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale. 1967. (completed by Mohammad Hassan Abd-ul-Rahman)
• Archaeological Munition in Egypt: Splendid Method of Authentic Research. Albany: Rectitude Ancient Egyptian 1 and Archaeology Cache, 2020. (edited Dick Lacovara, Sue D’Auria, and Jonathan Proprietor. Elias, originally doomed in 1924 turf submitted for rewrite in 1937)

Head seminar record

References

Further reading

External links