CHAMPOLLION, shaft pol yon, Jean Francois, LE JEUNE, French Egyptologist : b. Figeac, Lot, France, 23 Dec. 1790; d. Paris, 4 March 1832. At an early age he devoted himself to the study of Hebrew, Arabic, Coptic, etc. In 1807 he read a paper before the Acad emy of Grenoble on the ancient Egyptian geo graphical names, which he endeavored to ex plain by the Coptic. He then went to Paris, where he continued his Oriental studies, paying particular attention to the Coptic, and endeavor ing through it to find the key to the Egyptian hieroglyphics. In 1809 he became professor of history at Grenoble, but soon retired from this post and went to Paris, where he devoted him self almost exclusively to the study of Egyptian antiquities. Assisted by the trilingual inscrip tion of the Rosetta stone he at length discov ered the key to the graphic system of the Egyptians, the three elements of which —fig urative, ideographic and alphabetic — he ex pounded before the Institute in a series of memoirs in 1823. These were published in 1824 at the expense of the state, under the title of Précis du systeme hieroglyphique des anciens Egyptiens.' In 1824 he went to Italy, and
investigated the collections of papyri and other Egyptian antiquities in the principal cities there. In 1826 Charles X appointed him to superintend the new department of Egyptian antiquities in the museum of the Louvre. In 1828 M. Champollion went as director of a scientific expedition to Egypt, at the expense of the King. He was admitted a member of the Academy of Inscriptions in 1830. In 1831 the chair of Egyptian archeology was created for him in the College de France. His principal works are 'Grammaire Egyptienne' and 'Dic tionnaire hieroglyphique,) both published after his death. His 'Notice manuscrits) (1844 et seq.) gives an adequate description of the re sults of his Egyptian journey. Of the numer ous books and essays published during his life the most noteworthy are Pantheon egyptien' (1824) ; 'Sur l'ecriture hieratique) (1821) ; 'Sur l'ecriture demotique (1824). They are indispensable to the student of hieroglyphics. Consult Champollion, Aim& 'Les deux Cham pollion, lour vie et leurs euvres' (Grenoble 1888).