Born: 5 April 1858 (Dalston, Middlesex, now London)
Died: 13 July 1933
Biography:
Mary (May) Brodrick FRGS (5 April 1858 – 13 July 1933) was a British archaeologist and Egyptologist, known for being one of the first female excavators in Egypt. Despite facing opposition from her tutors and peers, Brodrick persisted in her studies and achieved distinction in her field. In 1906, The Daily Mail recognized her as perhaps the greatest lady Egyptologist of the day.
Brodrick was born on 5 April 1858 at 18 Navarino Terrace, Dalston, Middlesex (now London). She was the eldest daughter of Thomas and Mary Brodrick, with her father working as a solicitor. The 1861 census revealed that the family resided within the Liberty of the Close, in the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire. Brodrick had two sisters, Edith and Ethel, and a brother named Thomas who tragically died in South Africa in 1888.
In her pursuit of Egyptology, Brodrick broke barriers by becoming the first woman to study under Gaston Maspero at the Sorbonne, where she also studied Hebrew and Semitic archaeology under Ernest Renan at the Collège de France. However, both Maspero and Renan initially discouraged her interests. Maspero famously rejected her with the statement, But we do not take little girls here, and Renan vowed to never teach a woman. Despite these obstacles, Brodrick remained steadfast and insisted on attending the classes. This led Maspero to bring the matter before the Sorbonne council, which found no rule prohibiting women from attending. Undeterred, Brodrick faced the challenges of a male-dominated institution. The other students initially treated her with roughness and rudeness, even pouring ink down her back on one occasion. However, Brodrick’s resilience and laughter eventually won them over, and she formed lasting friendships with her peers.
Upon returning to England, Brodrick enrolled at College Hall, London in 1888, where she continued her studies under the guidance of Stuart Poole, co-founder of the Egypt Exploration Society, and Peter le Page Renouf. Despite her previous accomplishments, Brodrick did not pursue a University of London degree due to her prior studies. In 1893, she was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by the College of the Sisters of Bethany at the University of Kansas, the same institution that had also granted a PhD to the renowned Egyptologist, Amelia Edwards. Brodrick’s dedication to academia and her expertise in Egyptology led her to lecture at the British Museum and study under Flinders Petrie in 1893–94 and 1894–95. Additionally, she held the Pfeiffer Fellowship of College Hall from 1894 to 1896.
Throughout the mid-1890s, Brodrick spent a significant amount of time abroad, immersing herself in her research. She traveled to various countries, including Italy and Greece, but her primary focus remained on Egypt and its archaeological wonders. Brodrick further contributed to the field by working for the Egyptian Exploration Fund in America and serving as a member of the Committee of Philology and Literary Archaeology of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
Brodrick’s remarkable dedication and contributions to Egyptology were internationally recognized. In 1896, she was elected a life member of the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris and College Hall in London. Her involvement in groundbreaking research and her pioneering role as a female archaeologist in Egypt paved the way for future generations of women in her field. Mary (May) Brodrick’s work stands as a testament to her determination, intelligence, and enduring contributions to the field of Egyptology.