J. de (Jacques) Morgan

Born in France in 1857, Jacques de Morgan trained as an engineer before building a wide-ranging career as a geologist, archaeologist, and prehistorian. He worked across an unusually broad map for his time, with research and excavations in places including the Caucasus, Egypt, and Iran.

He is especially remembered for serving as Director of Antiquities in Egypt in the 1890s and for major excavations at sites such as Dahshur and Susa. His work helped expand knowledge of ancient civilizations in both Egypt and the Near East, and he became known as one of the important archaeological figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

As an author, de Morgan wrote for readers interested in humanity's earliest past as well as for specialists. His writings on prehistory and archaeology draw on firsthand experience in the field, giving them the appeal of both scholarship and discovery.