Agnès Spycket

Agnès Spycket (1 September 1921 – 17 January 2022) was a French Assyriologist, iconologist, and archaeologist.

Biography Spycket was born on 1 September 1921 in Paris. After being "captivated" by Assyrian bulls at the Louvre at the age of 19, she pursued studies at the Catholic University of Paris, followed by EPHE (École Pratique des Hautes Études), and the École du Louvre.

There, she learned Hebrew, Akkadian, and Sumerian. She was also in link with another female assyriologist of that time, Jeanne-Marie Aynard, with whom she worked. She also played a role in organizing and conducting excavations in places like Isin, Sirkeli, and Terqa. Roman Ghirshman, who worked with her on excavations, described her as particularly "sagacious".

Despite the challenges she faced in her career as a woman, Spycket received support from some friends and colleagues, including André Parrot.

Spycket died on 17 January 2022, and was buried after a ceremony at the church of Sainte-Trinité, Paris.

Legacy In 1996, a collective work paid tribute to Agnès Spycket, expressing gratitude for her contribution to the understanding of the ancient Near East.

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