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Ernesto Schiaparelli
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Ernesto Schiaparelli
Born (1856-07-12)12 July 1856
Occhieppo Inferiore, Italy
Died February 14, 1928(1928-02-14) (aged 71)
Known for Discovery of the tomb of Nefertari (QV66)
Discovery of TT8
Scientific career
Fields Egyptology

Ernesto Schiaparelli (born July 12, 1856 – died February 14, 1928) was a famous Italian Egyptologist. An Egyptologist is a scientist who studies ancient Egypt. He is best known for discovering the tomb of Queen Nefertari. He also found the tomb of a royal architect named Kha. Schiaparelli helped make the Egyptian Museum in Turin one of the best in the world.

Ernesto Schiaparelli: An Explorer of Ancient Egypt

Ernesto Schiaparelli was born in Occhieppo Inferiore, Italy. He made many important discoveries in Egypt. In 1904, he found the tomb of Queen Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. This valley is near Deir el-Medina. Two years later, in 1906, he discovered the tomb of Kha. Kha was a royal architect. This tomb was found completely untouched. All the items from Kha's tomb are now shown in the Egyptian Museum in Turin.

Schiaparelli became the director of the Egyptian Museum in Florence in 1880. He worked to organize its collection in new buildings. Later, he became the director of the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Under his leadership, and with his many excavations, the Turin museum grew. It became the second largest Egyptian museum in the world.

Schiaparelli's Family of Scholars

Ernesto Schiaparelli came from a very smart family. Many of his relatives were scholars and famous people. His father, Luigi Schiaparelli, taught history at the University of Turin. His uncle, Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, was a famous astronomer. Other relatives included Celestino, who studied Arabic, and Cesare, a pioneer in photography. Even Elsa Schiaparelli, a very important fashion designer, was related to him.

Archaeological Expeditions

Between 1903 and 1920, Schiaparelli led twelve archaeological trips. He opened new sites in several places in Egypt. These included Heliopolis, the cemeteries of Giza, Hermopolis, Assiut, Qaw el-Kebir, Gebelein, and Aswan. One notable find in Aswan was the tomb of Harkhuf.

In 1902, Schiaparelli received permission to dig in the Western cemetery at Giza. This permission came from Gaston Maspero. Maspero was the director of the Egyptian Antiquities Service. The Giza area was divided into three parts. Schiaparelli and his Italian team were given the southern section. The Germans, led by Ludwig Borchardt, got the northern part. The middle section went to Andrew Reisner.

Main Publications

Ernesto Schiaparelli wrote several important books about ancient Egypt. Here are some of his main works:

  • Del sentimento religioso degli Egiziani (1877) - This book was about the religious feelings of the ancient Egyptians.
  • Il Libro del Funerali degli antichi Egiziani, 3 vols. (1881-1890) - This work explained the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
  • Les Hypogées de Thebes (1889) - This book was about the underground tombs in Thebes.
  • La Tomba Intatta Dell'architetto Kha Nella Necropoli Di Tebe (1927) - This book described the untouched tomb of the architect Kha in the Necropolis of Thebes.

Gallery

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ernesto Schiaparelli para niños

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