Samuel Birch (Egyptologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Birch
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| Born | 3 November 1813 St Mary Woolnoth, London, England, United Kingdom
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| Died | 27 December 1885 (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Egyptologist |
| Employer | British Museum |
Samuel Birch (born November 3, 1813, died December 27, 1885) was a British expert in ancient Egypt. He was also an antiquarian, meaning he studied old objects and history.
Contents
Samuel Birch's Life
Early Life and Education
Samuel Birch grew up in London, England. His father was a rector, a type of church leader. Samuel went to Merchant Taylors' School for his education.
From a young age, Samuel loved learning about unusual topics. This passion helped him later in archaeology, which is the study of human history through digging up old sites.
Working at the British Museum
After a short time working in the Record Office, Samuel got a job at the British Museum in 1836. He was hired because he knew Chinese, which was very rare at that time. Soon, he started to study ancient Egyptian as well.
Later, the museum's large department was split into smaller sections. Samuel Birch became the head of the Egyptian and Assyrian section. He had some help with Assyrian, but for many years, he was almost the only person at the museum who understood ancient Egyptian. He was in charge of organizing his entire department.
His Important Work
Even with all his responsibilities, Samuel Birch found time to do very important work on ancient Egypt. He created a hieroglyphical grammar and a dictionary. He also translated famous ancient texts like The Book of the Dead and papyrus Harris I. He wrote many catalogs and guides for the museum.
Beyond Egypt, he wrote a well-known history of pottery. He also studied the ancient writing system of Cyprus and continued to show his interest in Chinese culture through his writings. Samuel Birch was known for being very knowledgeable and careful in his studies of languages. He was also very hardworking and had a special talent for understanding ancient texts.
Family and Legacy
Samuel Birch's grandfather, who was also named Samuel Birch, was a famous writer and even served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1814.
In 1869, Samuel Birch was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society. He passed away on December 27, 1885, and is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.
