Abstract

Egyptology, one of the pillars of the Polish School of Mediterranean Archaeology, has always been the focus of Études et Travaux. Accordingly, this year’s issue is dedicated to two lesser-known Polish Egyptologists, who, although they did not have the opportunity to fully develop their careers, played an important role in two formative periods of the discipline in Poland: the nineteenth century, just before Poland’s independence, and the decades after the Second World War and the development of Egyptology. The first of these Egyptologists is Tadeusz Smoleński (1884–1909), whose 140th birthday we celebrated this year. A student of the Jagiellonian University, he was among the first Polish Egyptologists to translate ancient Egyptian texts, publish scientific articles, write a doctoral thesis, and excavate in Egypt. The other is Tadeusz Andrzejewski (1923–1961). The centenary of his birth was celebrated in December 2023. Andrzejewski belonged to the first generation trained in Egyptology after the Second World War. While working at the National Museum in Warsaw and later at the University of Warsaw, he studied ancient Egyptian texts, especially papyri, popularised the discipline, and excavated and participated in field projects in Egypt and beyond.