Raymond O. Faulkner
Encyclopedia
Dr Raymond Oliver Faulkner, FSA
, (26 December 1894 — 3 March 1982) was an English
Egyptologist and philologist of the ancient Egyptian language.
He was born in Shoreham
, Sussex
, and was the son of bank clerk Frederick Arthur Faulkner and his wife Matilda Elizabeth Faulkner (née
Wheeler). In 1912 he took up a position in the British
Civil Service
, but his employment was interrupted by World War I
, when he entered the armed forces. After a brief period of service, he was invalid
ed out and rejoined the Civil Service in 1916.
Faulkner developed an interest in Egyptology
, and in 1918 he took to studying Egyptian hieroglyphs
in his spare time at University College London
under the tutelage of Margaret Murray
. In 1926 he became the full-time assistant to Dr Alan Gardiner
, from whom he received philological training and encouragement to publish his works on hieroglyphic texts.
He was the editor of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
from 1946–59, and wrote many books, articles, and reviews. In 1950 he was admitted as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
.
In 1951 Faulkner became an assistant in language teaching at University College London, progressing to become a lecturer in Egyptian language - a post he held from 1954 to 1967. He received his Doctor of Letters
degree
from the University of London
in 1960.
Faulkner's main area of interest was Egyptian philology, and he made major contributions to Egyptology with his translations and indexes of many important ancient Egyptian texts, as well as his autographic dictionary of Middle Egyptian
(which remains an important and standard reference for modern Egyptologists and students of the ancient Egyptian language).
He died in Ipswich
, Suffolk
, on 3 March 1982.
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, (26 December 1894 — 3 March 1982) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Egyptologist and philologist of the ancient Egyptian language.
He was born in Shoreham
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and was the son of bank clerk Frederick Arthur Faulkner and his wife Matilda Elizabeth Faulkner (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Wheeler). In 1912 he took up a position in the British
British Civil Service
Her Majesty's Home Civil Service, also known as the Home Civil Service, is the permanent bureaucracy of Crown employees that supports Her Majesty's Government - the government of the United Kingdom, composed of a Cabinet of ministers chosen by the prime minister, as well as the devolved...
Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, but his employment was interrupted by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when he entered the armed forces. After a brief period of service, he was invalid
Invalid
Invalid may refer to:* Patient, a sick person* A person with a disability* .invalid, a top-level Internet domain not intended for real useAs the opposite of valid:* Validity, in logic, true premises cannot lead to a false conclusion...
ed out and rejoined the Civil Service in 1916.
Faulkner developed an interest in Egyptology
Egyptology
Egyptology is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious practices in the AD 4th century. A practitioner of the discipline is an “Egyptologist”...
, and in 1918 he took to studying Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
in his spare time at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
under the tutelage of Margaret Murray
Margaret Murray
Margaret Alice Murray was a prominent British Egyptologist and anthropologist. Primarily known for her work in Egyptology, which was "the core of her academic career," she is also known for her propagation of the Witch-cult hypothesis, the theory that the witch trials in the Early Modern period of...
. In 1926 he became the full-time assistant to Dr Alan Gardiner
Alan Gardiner
Sir Alan Henderson Gardiner was one of the premier British Egyptologists of the early and mid-20th century...
, from whom he received philological training and encouragement to publish his works on hieroglyphic texts.
He was the editor of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology or JEA is a scientific journal containing scholarly articles and reviews of recent books of importance to Egyptology....
from 1946–59, and wrote many books, articles, and reviews. In 1950 he was admitted as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
.
In 1951 Faulkner became an assistant in language teaching at University College London, progressing to become a lecturer in Egyptian language - a post he held from 1954 to 1967. He received his Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1960.
Faulkner's main area of interest was Egyptian philology, and he made major contributions to Egyptology with his translations and indexes of many important ancient Egyptian texts, as well as his autographic dictionary of Middle Egyptian
Middle Egyptian
Middle Egyptian is the typical form of Egyptian written from 2000 BCE to 1300 BCE .Although evolving into Late Egyptian from the 14th century, Middle Egyptian remained in use as literary standard language until the 4th century AD. As such, it is the classical variant of Egyptian that historically...
(which remains an important and standard reference for modern Egyptologists and students of the ancient Egyptian language).
He died in Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, on 3 March 1982.
Further reading
- Morris L. Bierbrier, ed., "Who was Who in Egyptology", ISBN 0-85698-125-7, (1995), London, p. 149.
- Harry S. Smith and C. Spaull, article in Journal of Egyptian ArchaeologyJournal of Egyptian ArchaeologyThe Journal of Egyptian Archaeology or JEA is a scientific journal containing scholarly articles and reviews of recent books of importance to Egyptology....
60 (1974), pp. 5–14. Includes portrait & bibliography. - Harry S. Smith and C. Spaull, article in Journal of Egyptian ArchaeologyJournal of Egyptian ArchaeologyThe Journal of Egyptian Archaeology or JEA is a scientific journal containing scholarly articles and reviews of recent books of importance to Egyptology....
69 (1983), pp. 141–144. Obituary, including portrait & further bibliography. - Rosalind Janssen, "The First Hundred Years: Egyptology at University College London, 1892-1992", ISBN 0-902137-33-6, (1992), p. 72.
- EES Oral History Project, Harry Smith on R O Faulkner
Selected bibliography
- Raymond O. Faulkner, "The Plural and the Dual in Old Egyptian", 1929.
- Raymond O. Faulkner, "The Papyrus Bremner-Rhind", 1933.
- Raymond O. Faulkner, Egypt from the Inception of the Nineteenth Dynasty to the Death of Ramesses III, fascicule 52 for the "Cambridge Ancient HistoryCambridge Ancient HistoryThe Cambridge Ancient History is a comprehensive ancient history in fourteen volumes, spanning Prehistory to Late Antiquity, published by Cambridge University Press. The first series, of twelve volumes, was planned by J. B. Bury and published between 1924 and 1939. A second series, revising and...
", ISBN 0-521-04477-4, 1966. - Raymond O. Faulkner, "The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts", ISBN 0-85668-297-7, 1969. Oxford University hardcover reprint ISBN 0-19-815437-2.
- Raymond O. Faulkner, "The Book of the Dead: Book of Going Forth by Day", ISBN 0-8118-0767-3, 1972.
- Raymond O. Faulkner and S. Glanville, "Catalogue of Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum. Vol.II: Wooden Model Boats", ISBN 0-7141-0914-2, 1972.
- Raymond O. Faulkner, "A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian", ISBN 0-900416-32-7, 1962, 2nd ed. 1972.
- Raymond O. Faulkner, "The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts", ISBN 0-85668-754-5, 3 vols., 1972-78.
- William K. Simpson, E. Wente, and Raymond O. Faulkner, "The Literature of Ancient Egypt", ISBN 0-300-01687-5, 1969.