Antedating of "Egyptologist"

[Stephen Goranson]

English antedatings (those earlier than OED and ADS-L archives) marked with an
*. Other dates noted, for context, story, and possible trajectories and
tradents.

1822 Champollion, eventually, decades later, called "the father of Egyptology,"
(building on earlier work by British physician and polymath Thomas Young and
others) published his deciphering of hieroglyphics
*1832 (September-December) Asiatic Journal n.s. vol. 9 no. 36 [London] an
approving review of Klaproth's sharp criticism of Champollion's work: "As an
example...of the vague manner in which this Egyptologist proceeded in his
interpretations of a group of four hieroglyphics...."(288) "...we recommend
this volume to the attention of English Egyptologists and antiquaries, as one
which will afford them a firm footing for their future exertions"(288) The
critiques of Klaproth and others were eventually abandoned.
*1833  two US journals in Boston and Providence reprint the review from Asiatic
Journal (Cornell Making of America)
1840 Johann Friedrich von Meyer, Zur Aegyptologie. 64 p. Frankfurt a. M.
*1843 "the arch-Egyptologist himself [Champollion]", George Gliddon, Ancient
Egypt 8; "some of the most eminent Egyptologists" 17 (Google Book)
1845 "Egyptology" in review of Gliddon. Southern Literary Messenger (ADS-L;
ProQuest APS) (E.A. Poe once worked for this Richmond VA journal)
1845 E.A. Poe's story "Some Words with a Mummy" first published; G. Gliddon
appears in the story, unflatteringly. The characters in New Orleans zap an
Egyptian mummy with electricity; the mummy comes alive; conversation ensues.
1846 "Egyptology" George Gliddon, (ADS-L; Google Book, scan, by author, not
keyword)
1847 Fraser's Magazine, anonymous negative review of Bunsen, Aegyptens Stelle
(ADS-L)
1850 Gliddon assembles a large, distinguished audience in Boston for the
unwrapping of a mummy, a young woman, he announced, based on his hieroglyphic
rendering. It turns out to be a man.
1856 "The famous Egyptologue, the Vicomte de Rouge" (OED)
1859 ~ "AEgyptology, to use the fashionable phrase" (Google Book)
1859 "...recent Egyptologists...are unanimous..." (OED)
1859 "...professed Egyptologues" (OED)
1862 George Lewis, Suggestions for the Application of the Egyptological Method
to Modern History. London. Satire,
1862 "Egyptology, he [Sir George Lewis] says, has an historical method of its
own" (OED)
1864 "...the sadly Egyptological Baron Bunsen" (OED)
1876 "...the researches of Egyptology" (OED)
1876 "The historical discoveries of the earlier Egyptologers were for a time
arrayed against Revelation" (OED)
1882 "Mr. O. modestly disclaims all Egyptological pretensions" (OED)

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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