James Burton (Egyptologist)

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James Burton (1788 – 1862) was an early British Egyptologist, who worked at a number of sites throughout Egypt, but notably in the Valley of the Kings.

He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1822, despite having no mineralogical knowledge, was invited by Pasha Mohammed Ali to work as a mineralogist in the Geological Survey of Egypt. He left in 1824 and started to invesigate the ancient monuments of Egypt. In 1825, he traveled south on the Nile journeying to Abu Simbel he spent several months in Thebes, excavating at Medinet Habu, Karnak and in several of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. During this time he entered KV5, but only partially explored the first few chambers.

None of Burton's explorations were published, but his notebooks and sketches were donated to the British Museum after his death.

James was the eldest brother of Decimus Burton the architect, both being the sons of James Burton the famous London Builder, and founder of St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex.