Champollion at the Collège de France : his legacy and his heirs

The last two years of Champollion's all-too-brief life were crucial. On his return to Paris on March 5 1830, he had taken a decisive step towards the deciphering of hieroglyphics. The sixteen months he had just spent in Egypt, in contact with its monuments, had enabled him to verify the accuracy of his work. The time had come to make the results known, and his entry into the Collège de France gave him the opportunity to do so. His first lectures, in 1831, laid the foundations for " Egyptian studies ". However, his health put an end to a rich but demanding life on March 4 1832, leaving him just enough time to complete his research into the hieroglyphic system, grammar and dictionary of the ancient Egyptians. Although this legacy is priceless, it is still struggling to find heirs capable of reaping its fruits and carrying on the work of the founder of Egyptology.