George Smith
Born in Chelsea, LondonBorn on 26th of March 1840
Died on 19th of August 1876
Smith, from a humble background and with limited formal education, became in his brief life an Assyriologist of some note. While apprenticed as a banknote engraver he used his spare time to study at the British Museum, fascinated by Assyrian history and culture. He was co-opted to work on fragments in the Museum’s collection, and was eventually employed by the Museum in 1870. His discoveries included an inscription about an eclipse that helped establish a time frame for other events in Assyrian history; and most famously what we now refer to as The Epic of Gilgamesh. He died aged 36 near Aleppo while on an archaeological expedition.
More famous Britons here
Contributors: Do you have a site related to George Smith?
Supply some content
for this page and we will gladly add a link to your site. Email here.
5493 views since 21st January 2008
Brit Quote: |
|
On this day: |