David Bourke O'Connor (5 February 1938 – 1 October 2022) was an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
-
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Egyptologist
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...
who primarily worked in the fields of
Ancient Egypt and
Nubia
Nubia () (Nobiin: Nobīn, ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), or ...
.
O'Connor is the Lila Acheson Wallace Professor Emeritus at
New York University's Institute of Fine Art, the Curator Emeritus of the
University of Pennsylvania's Egyptian Museum, and the director emeritus of the Abydos Archaeology expedition in Egypt.
O'Connor is most well known for his work in the excavation of the ancient city of
Abydos in Egypt since 1967.
Early life
Born in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
in 1938, O'Connor's interests in
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
and
ancient history
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...
originated when he was a child.
His initial interest centred around the ancient civilization of
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
. O'Connor built a replica of the city of Babylon out of bricks in a field adjacent to his home, and recreated the
Fall of Babylon
The Fall of Babylon denotes the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire after it was conquered by the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BCE.
Nabonidus (Nabû-na'id, 556–539 BCE), son of the Assyrian priestess Adda-Guppi, came to the throne in 556 BCE, afte ...
by setting the field alight during the height of the 1968-69 bushfires in New South Wales.
Education
O'Connor received a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology from the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
in 1959.
While completing his bachelor's degree he focused on the
ancient history of Cyprus
The ancient history of Cyprus shows a precocious sophistication in the Neolithic era visible in settlements such as at Choirokoitia dating from the 9th millennium BC, and at Kalavassos from about 7500 BC.
Periods of Cyprus's ancient history ...
, with a broader interest in the ancient history of the
Near East
The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...
. The University of Sydney did not have a specialised department of Near East studies, so O'Connor moved to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
to continue his education.
He received a Diploma in Egyptology from
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
in 1962.
At University College London O'Connor engaged in his first fieldwork. He spent three seasons in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, working as part of the Nubian Salvage Campaign.
In Sudan he worked under
Walter B. Emery. Emery had notably discovered the Buhen Horse in the same area in 1959, the earliest example of a horse to be discovered at an
Ancient Egyptian site. As a result of their excavations in Sudan, Emery and O'Connor published works on an
Old Kingdom era town and
Middle Kingdom era fortress at
Buhen
Buhen ( grc, Βοὥν ''Bohón'') was an ancient Egyptian settlement situated on the West bank of the Nile below (to the North of) the Second Cataract in what is now Northern State, Sudan.
It is now submerged in Lake Nasser, Sudan; as a resu ...
. While working in Sudan O'Connor developed his academic focus on the differences and interactions between Ancient
Near East
The ''Near East''; he, המזרח הקרוב; arc, ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ; fa, خاور نزدیک, Xāvar-e nazdik; tr, Yakın Doğu is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the hist ...
ern civilizations.
This area of study is the focus of O'Connor's most notable publication, ''Ancient Nubia: Egypt's Rival in Africa.''
O'Connor received his PhD from the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in 1969.
Career
University of Pennsylvania
Between 1964 and 1995 O'Connor was a Professor of Ancient Egyptian History and Archaeology in the Department of Oriental Studies at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, as well as Curator-in-Charge of the Egyptian collection at the
Penn Museum
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology—commonly known as the Penn Museum—is an archaeology and anthropology museum at the University of Pennsylvania. It is located on Penn's campus in the University City neighb ...
.
O'Connor had a dual role at the institution, working as a lecturer and mentor to PhD students at the university, as well as exhibiting and maintaining the Ancient Egyptian collection at the Museum.
O'Connor claims to have always preferred education through the use of
artefacts, having previously been particularly interested in the student-accessible collections at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
and
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
.
He utilised the large collection of Ancient Egyptian artefacts to aid in tutoring post-graduate students.
O'Connor expanded his use of the Museum's collection through a series of touring exhibitions. He began with an exhibition of artefacts from
Abydos, using a mixture of the Museum's collection as well as new material distributed by the Egyptian Government.
The most well-travelled exhibition was of
Nubia
Nubia () (Nobiin: Nobīn, ) is a region along the Nile river encompassing the area between the first cataract of the Nile (just south of Aswan in southern Egypt) and the confluence of the Blue and White Niles (in Khartoum in central Sudan), or ...
n artefacts, displaying a selection of the Museum's collection at eight cities in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, including
New York.
In an oral history where he recounted his career, O'Connor stated that while he enjoyed his time curating exhibitions, it was not well respected by peers within his discipline, and it did little to progress his career.
This attitude of contributing to popular history sometimes at the expense of participating in more scholarly activity, such as lecturing, writing, and fieldwork, is further shown in O'Connor's appearance in documentaries about Ancient Egypt, like PBS's ''Egypt's Golden Empire'' in 2001.
The main sites O'Connor worked at during this period were Abydos and
Malkata
Malkata (or Malqata; ar, الملقطة, lit=the place where things are picked up), is the site of an Ancient Egyptian palace complex built during the New Kingdom, by the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III. It is located on the West Bank of the ...
. Abydos was an important place of worship for Ancient Egyptians to the god
Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
during the
Middle Kingdom era to the
Late Period.
O'Connor's work at Abydos began in 1967 as part of a joint Penn-Yale Expedition, and he continues to be involved in study of the site today.
O'Connor was temporarily excluded from work at Abydos as a result of the
1973 Yom Kippur War.
The
Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula
The Israeli occupation of the Sinai Peninsula was a 15-year-long military occupation of the Sinai Peninsula by Israeli forces that occurred after Israel's seizure of the region from Egypt during the 1967 Arab–Israeli War. Israeli provisiona ...
and threat of further conflict in Egypt led
Egyptian President
The president of Egypt is the executive head of state of Egypt and the de facto appointer of the official head of government under the Egyptian Constitution of 2014. Under the various iterations of the Constitution of Egypt following the Egy ...
,
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
, to evacuate foreign tourists from
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and consolidate foreign archaeologists in a few central locations.
O'Connor was relocated to the urban site of
Malkata
Malkata (or Malqata; ar, الملقطة, lit=the place where things are picked up), is the site of an Ancient Egyptian palace complex built during the New Kingdom, by the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III. It is located on the West Bank of the ...
, near
Thebes, studying the artificial lake of the Malkata Palace as well as a collection of ancient ceramics.
O'Connor co-directed this project with his former University of Cambridge peer,
Barry Kemp.
O'Connor's most notable student from his time at the University of Pennsylvania was archaeologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities,
Zahi Hawass
Zahi Abass Hawass ( ar, زاهي حواس; born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptian archaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, serving twice. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Wes ...
.
O'Connor first met Hawass when the former was excavating at Malkata in 1974, and the latter was working as an inspector of antiquities for the Egyptian Government.
They reunited at the Abydos dig-site in 1979, where Hawass's in interest
Egyptology
Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...
prompted O'Connor and co-director,
William Kelly Simpson
William Kelly Simpson (January 3, 1928 – March 24, 2017) was an American professor of Egyptology, Archaeology, Ancient Egyptian literature, and Afro-Asiatic languages at Yale University.The Cambridge University Catalogue. (2009)The Great Pyramid ...
, to invite him to the United States to view museum collections.
Hawass began his doctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania as a
Fulbright Scholar
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
in 1980, with O'Connor acting as an advisor to Hawass's dissertation.
Having left the institution in 1995, O'Connor now holds the role of Curator Emeritus of the
University of Pennsylvania's Egyptian Museum.
New York University
From 1995 to 2017 O'Connor worked at the
Institute of Fine Arts of New York University as the Lila Acheson Wallace Professor of Ancient Egyptian Art.
Here O'Connor continued his fieldwork at Abydos and role as a teacher of tertiary-level students.
O'Connor also continued to publish works on his findings at Abydos as well as in the fields of
Ancient Egyptian Art
Ancient Egyptian art refers to art produced in ancient Egypt between the 6th millennium BC and the 4th century AD, spanning from Prehistoric Egypt until the Christianization of Roman Egypt. It includes paintings, sculptu ...
and the foreign relations of Ancient Egypt with other civilizations.
O'Connor also expanded his academic role at the Institute of Fine Arts, beginning work in the field of
Art History
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
.
He was not formally educated in this discipline, but had always incorporated it into his Egyptological work, such as in his study of ceramics at Malkata.
This transition supported the Institute of Fine Arts' aim to diversify archaeological focuses among their faculty.
Retired since 2017, O'Connor held the title of Lila Acheson Wallace Professor Emeritus at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
until his death in 2022.
Abydos
O'Connor began work at the
Abydos archaeological site in 1967.
The first excavations occurred at Abydos in the mid-19th century under the direction of
Auguste Mariette. More systematic work began near the end of the century, undertaken by archaeologists
Émile Amélineau
Émile Amélineau (1850 – 12 January 1915 at Châteaudun) was a French Coptologist, archaeologist and Egyptologist. His scholarly reputation was established as an editor of previously unpublished Coptic texts. But his reputation was dest ...
and
Sir Flinders Petrie
Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie ( – ), commonly known as simply Flinders Petrie, was a British Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts. He held the first chair of Egypt ...
.
Abydos was historically a site for worship of the jackal god
Khenti-Amentiu
Khenti-Amentiu, also Khentiamentiu, Khenti-Amenti, Kenti-Amentiu and many other spellings, is an ancient Egyptian deity whose name was also used as a title for Osiris and Anubis. The name means " Foremost of the Westerners" or "Chief of the Weste ...
in the
Old Kingdom era before it transitioned to the main site of worship of the god
Osiris
Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...
during the
Fifth Dynasty
The Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty V) is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. The Fifth Dynasty pharaohs reigned for approximately 150 years, from the early 25th century BC until ...
.
Osiris was a god of the
netherworld
Netherworld (''nether'', ″beneath, lower″) may refer to:
*Underworld, a region thought to be beneath the surface of the world in many religions and mythologies
Film and television
* ''Netherworld'' (film), a 1992 American horror film
*''Nethe ...
who decided which souls could enter, and which could not.
A symbol of rebirth, it was believed Osiris sacrificed himself so that the banks of the
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
could flood and water the crops that grew along it.
Due to these beliefs, Osiris was worshipped by Ancient Egyptians as a god of fertility.
O'Connor's work at Abydos focused on unearthing sites connected to the worship of Osiris. These buildings most often took the form of chapels, where bodies and inscriptions of names were kept, so spirits could witness yearly festivities at the Temple of Osiris.
O'Connor excavated and researched a variety of chapels in various sites, mainly in North Abydos. His work involved distinguishing between tomb chapels, like those of pharaohs such as
Senwosret III
Khakaure Senusret III (also written as Senwosret III or the hellenised form, Sesostris III) was a pharaoh of Egypt. He ruled from 1878 BC to 1839 BC during a time of great power and prosperity, and was the fifth king of the Twelfth Dynasty of the ...
,
Ahmose II and
Tetishri in the North Cemetery, and lesser 'mahat' chapels of the
Middle Kingdom era.
Some of O'Connor's notable work at
Abydos includes:
* Locating the 'Terrace of the God', referenced in
Egyptian texts, as a collection of chapels in the North Cemetery.
* Suggestion that many structures discovered damaged in the North Cemetery were intentionally demolished after a short period of use as part of ritual celebration (with the notable exception of the funerary complex of
Khasekhemwy
Khasekhemwy (ca. 2690 BC; ', also rendered ''Kha-sekhemui'') was the last Pharaoh of the Second Dynasty of Egypt. Little is known about him, other than that he led several significant military campaigns and built the mudbrick fort known as Shune ...
).
* A theory that
Nebhepetre made cult offerings to Osiris as evidenced by the location of an offering table at a chapel at
Umm el-Qa'ab
Umm El Qaʻāb (sometimes romanised Umm El Gaʻab, ar, أم القعاب) is a necropolis of the Early Dynastic Period kings at Abydos, Egypt. Its modern name means "Mother of Pots" as the whole area is littered with the broken pot shards of o ...
.
* A theory that the tomb of
Djer once had a brick chapel attached to it which has since been lost.
O'Connor has also led a successful conservation project at the Abydos site.
King Khasekhemwy of the
Second Dynasty
The Second Dynasty of ancient Egypt (or Dynasty II, c. 2890 – c. 2686 BC) is the latter of the two dynasties of the Egyptian Archaic Period, when the seat of government was centred at Thinis. It is most known for its last ruler, K ...
was the last early Egyptian king to have been buried at Abydos, and his funerary monument,
Shunet el-Zebib
Shunet El Zebib (Arabic:شونة الزبيب lit. "raisin barn" or "storage of the raisins"), alternatively named Shuneh and Middle Fort, is a large mudbrick structure located at Abydos in Upper Egypt. The edifice dates to the Second Dynasty (c ...
, is the last standing monument of its kind in the area.
With walls reaching 12 metres tall in some parts of the complex, Shunet el-Zebib is one of the oldest mud brick buildings in the world, but, over more than 4000 years it has collapsed in some places and is at risk of further destruction as a rising water table, wind, rain erosion, and animals digging into it for burrows have compromised its stability.
From 2008 to 2009 O'Connor led a project to keep the structure standing.
This conservation work focused on supporting the current structure through the sealing of animal burrows (mostly those of hornets and foxes), and reinforcing structurally unstable walls through the fabrication and use of 150,000 mud bricks, made and put in place by local workers.
Support for the project was provided by O'Connor's employer at the time,
New York University's Institute of Fine Arts, as well as the
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
and the
Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Additional financing for the project was provided through the
American Research Center in Egypt's EAP, EAC and AEF grants, which were funded by the
USAID program.
O'Connor no longer works on site at Abydos but he remains the director emeritus of the Abydos Archaeology Project.
Death
O'Connor died on 1 October 2022, aged 84
American Research Center in Egypt
The
American Research Center in Egypt
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
(ARCE) acts as a base for American academics in Egypt and supports their research through the provision of grants and field schools.
The centre is a
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that has aided American academics since 1948.
O'Connor has been affiliated with ARCE since he first began working in Egypt.
O'Connor was involved in the running of ARCE, as its president from 1987 to 1990, and as a member of its Board of Governors from 2009 to 2015.
Fellowships and honours
*
Raymond and Beverley Sackler Foundation Distinguished Lecturer in Egyptology, 1994
*
William Fox Albright Lecturer, 1993
O'Connor was the yearly keynote speaker at the British Museum's lecture on Ancient Egypt and Nubia. His talk was on his team's findings at the Abydos site, specifically focusing on the importance of the city to the celebration of Osiris.
*
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
, 1982-1983
The Guggenheim Memorial Foundation offers fellowships to scholars in all fields to allow them to more easily engage in their research and scholarship, providing aid.
*
Taiwan Medal of Merit, 1985
* Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo, 1995 to present
Selected works
Authored
*''Ancient Egypt: A Social History'', co-author, 1983.
*''Ancient Nubia: Egypt's Rival in Africa'', 1994.
*''Society and Individual in Early Egypt'', in, ''Order, Legitimacy, and Wealth in Ancient States'', 2000.
*''Abydos: Egypt's First Pharaohs and the Cult of Osiris'', 2011.
*''The Old Kingdom Town at Buhen'', 2014.
Edited
* ''Ancient Egyptian Kingship: New Investigations,'' co-editor, 1994.
* ''Amenhotep III. Perspectives on His Reign'', co-editor, 1998.
* ''Encounters With Ancient Egypt'', co-editor, 2003.
* ''Thutmose III: A New Biography'', co-editor with
Eric H. Cline, 2006.
* ''Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt's Last Hero'', co-editor, 2012.
Reference List
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, David
1938 births
2022 deaths
Living people
Australian Egyptologists
American Egyptologists
Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge
University of Sydney alumni
Alumni of the University of London