Richard Lepsius, a Biography
1887
Richard Lepsius, a Biography
1887
Translated by Zoe Dana Underhill
This biography emerges from a singular source of authority: Georg Ebers was Richard Lepsius's student, friend, and fellow traveler in the wilds of 19th-century Egyptology. Written just three years after Lepsius's death in 1887, it carries the intimacy of personal recollection alongside the perspective of historical assessment. Ebers traces Lepsius's journey from son of a classical scholar to the man who would essentially invent modern Egyptian chronology, leading the landmark Prussian Expedition of 1842-1845 and developing the standardized genealogical framework of pharaohs that scholars still use today. The biography illuminates a pivotal moment when Egyptology shifted from romantic treasure-hunting to rigorous scientific inquiry, capturing the collaborations, rivalries, and intellectual currents that defined the field's founding generation. For readers curious about how modern archaeology came to be, or who want to understand the personal bonds beneath great scholarly achievements, Ebers offers an inside view from someone who lived it.
