E. A. Wallis Budge
1857–1934 (age 77)
Biography
E. A. Wallis Budge, born in 1857, devoted his life to the study of the ancient Near East and became one of the foremost Egyptologists of his day. As Keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum he oversaw excavations, acquisitions, and the careful presentation of priceless artefacts.
He translated seminal texts such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, wrote accessible histories that introduced millions to the ancient world, and championed the idea that these stories belonged to all humanity, a mission he carried on until his death in 1934.