Michel Auguste Martin Agénor Azéma de Montgravier (28 October 1805, in
Béziers
Béziers (; oc, Besièrs) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hérault Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Every August Béziers hos ...
– 14 September 1863, in
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
) was a French archaeologist and soldier.
Career
He was one of the most distinguished students at the ''
École Polytechnique
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
'' from 1825 to 1828, then started his military career in the artillery. Promoted to lieutenant in 1831, captain in 1837 and then ''
Chef d'escadron
In the French armed forces (and in the armed forces of former French colonies such as the armed forces of Niger to which he was appointed in 1859.
Montgravier spent three periods in
, from 1832 to 1834, from 1839 to 1845, and finally from 1846 to 1851. In the first two periods he acted as Officer for Arab affairs, and in the third period he started as assistant officer in the
Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
bureau, becoming chief officer in 1849 and then moving on in 1850 to the advisory committee on Algeria at the Ministry of War.
Archaeology
He was passionate about antiques, and was one of the pioneers of Roman Archaeology in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
. In 1840, he was the first to identify
Cherchell
Cherchell (Arabic: شرشال) is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the k ...
as the ancient Caesarea, the capital of
Mauretania
Mauretania (; ) is the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb. It stretched from central present-day Algeria westwards to the Atlantic, covering northern present-day Morocco, and southward to the Atlas Mountains. Its native inhabitants, ...
. He was an active member of the ''Société Historique Algérienne'', and copied and published many ancient stone inscriptions discovered during his missions.
His contribution to North African Archaeology led to him being elected corresponding member of the ''
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres
The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France. The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions ( epig ...
'' on 27 December 1850.
At the end of his life, he carried out excavations at the Roman ruins of Murviel-les-Montpellier on behalf of the ''Commission de la Carte des Gaules''.
He was decorated with the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
on 14 April 1844, and was created officer of the same order in 1862.
Publications
* ''Lettre sur les inscriptions trouvées à Orléansville et à Tenez'' (1843)
* ''Observations sur les antiquités romaines de la province d'Oran et en particulier sur les ruines de
Tiaret
Tiaret ( ar, تاهرت / تيارت; Berber: Tahert or Tihert, i.e. "Lioness") is a major city in northwestern Algeria that gives its name to the wider farming region of Tiaret Province. Both the town and region lie south-west of the capital o ...
'' (1843)
* ''Les Tumulus de Lachdar, province d'Oran'' (1844)
* ''Études historiques pour servir au projet de colonisation d'une partie du territoire de la province d'Oran'' (1846)
* ''Excursions archéologiques d’Oran à
Tlemcen
Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the por ...
'' (1847)
* ''Mémoire sur l’occupation de la Mauritanie par les Romains'' (couronné par la 1re médaille au concours de 1848 à l'Académie des Inscriptions)
* ''Deux lettres au Président de la République'' (1849–1850)
* ''Les Deux Paris ou 1848 et 1858. Chant lyrique'' (1858)
* '' Murviel. Ruines d'un "oppidum" des Volces arécomiques'' (1863) en collaboration avec Adolphe Ricard
* ''Notice biographique sur Mme de Tencin'' (s.d.).