A. C. Mace
Arthur Cruttendon Mace, born on July 17, 1874, in Tasmania, was a prominent archaeologist known for his significant contributions to Egyptology. Raised in a well-off yet challenging household, Mace's early education included St. Edward's School in Oxford, where he excelled in Latin, Greek, and sports. His interest in Egyptian literature blossomed during his formative years, leading him to pursue a career in archaeology. In 1897, he began working under the renowned archaeologist Flinders Petrie in Egypt, where Mace honed his skills in excavation and documentation.
Mace later joined an expedition led by George Andrew Reisner and subsequently became an assistant curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where he played a crucial role in establishing the museum's Egyptian art collection. Notably, he was involved in the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, where he conducted much of the recording and conserving of artifacts, co-authoring a book on the findings with Howard Carter. Despite his health struggles later in life, Mace's legacy in archaeology remains significant, particularly for his contributions to the understanding of ancient Egyptian culture. He passed away on April 6, 1928, at the age of fifty-three, and his relatively early death sparked speculation about the infamous "curse of Tutankhamen."
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A. C. Mace
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: July 17, 1874
- Birthplace: Tasmania (now Australia)
- Died: April 6, 1928
- Place of death: England
Biography
Arthur Cruttendon Mace was born on July 17, 1874, in Tasmania when it was a self-governing colony. He was one of twelve children, only six of whom survived to adulthood. His parents were the Reverend John Cruttendon Mace, a curate of the Church of England, and Mary Ellen “Minna” Bromby Mace, the daughter of the Bishop of Tasmania. The family was reasonably well-off and employed domestic servants, but paying for private tutors for the children was a struggle.
His family moved to England, where both of his parents had been raised, in 1882. At fifteen, Mace entered St. Edward’s School in Oxford. He did well there, especially at Latin and Greek studies and at rugby and cricket. Mace began writing stories and illustrating them, and he became interested in Egyptian literature. In 1892, he enrolled in Keble College, Oxford, to study history. Completing his studies in 1895, he found a teaching job but did not enjoy teaching.
In 1897, he traveled to Egypt to work for his older cousin, Flinders Petrie, an archeologist. Under Petrie’s direction, Mace learned to dig and to interpret and record findings, enabling him to use his skills at drawing and writing. Between digs, he spent time in Italy, studying at the art and archeology museums; he would return to Italy throughout his life. Mace worked under Petrie for four years.
In 1901, he joined an expedition led by the American archeologist George Andrew Reisner of the University of California. In 1906, he went to work for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, helping to set up a new department of Egyptian art. To build the museum’s Egyptian collection, Mace intermittently worked at the tomb of Senebtisi at Lisht over a period of fourteen years. In 1907, he was financially secure enough to marry Winifred Blyth, who enthusiastically embraced Mace’s work and travels. When Mace was promoted to assistant curator at the museum in 1909, the couple settled in New York. They returned to Egypt in 1912, and their first daughter, Margaret, was born there in 1913. Mace’s health began to fail and although he continued to travel and to lead expeditions, he was often unwell.
However, when Howard Carter’s expedition discovered the magnificent tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922, it was Mace who did much of the recording and conserving of the artefacts found there. With Carter, Mace coauthored a book, The Tomb of Tut- ankh-Amen, Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter (1923). Although Carter often receives full credit for this book, manuscripts demonstrate that Mace did most of the writing. Mace worked on King Tut’s tomb until 1924, living with his wife and two daughters in a grand house built by the museum. After 1924, Mace never returned to Egypt because of his poor health. He died in a nursing home in England on April, 6, 1928, at the age of fifty-three. His relative youth at the time of his death led to speculation that he had been killed by the curse of Tutankhamen.