Reisner, George Andrew

Reisner, George Andrew (1867–1942) archaeologist, Egyptologist; born in Indianapolis, Ind. After studying Semitics and Egyptology, he devoted his life to directing excavations in Egypt, Palestine, and Sudan for various American institutions (1898–1942). His fieldwork at Napata, Giza, and elsewhere earned him a reputation as America's first great archaeologist and excavator, and set the standard for scientific excavation techniques. Although he spent most of his career excavating abroad, he was on the Harvard faculty (1896–97, 1905–42) and was also curator of Egyptian art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (1910–42).