The Burial Place of Lithuania’s First Female Egyptologist Uncovered

The burial site of the distinguished Lithuanian Egyptologist Marija Rudzinskaitė-Arcimavičienė (1885–1941) was previously unknown even to her relatives. However, recently, it has been discovered in Saulės (Sun) Cemetery in Antakalnis Eldership, Vilnius, by representatives of the National Museum of Lithuania, the Department of Cultural Heritage, and the cemetery administration.

When it became apparent that the devoted researcher of death culture in ancient Egypt had no proper resting place of her own, a sarcophagus-shaped cenotaph with the inscription “THE DAUGHTER OF ANCIENT EGYPT ENCHANTED BY THE SUN” was created by sculptor Ksenija Jaroševaitė to honour her memory.

“Although Marija Rudzinskaitė-Arcimavičienė worked at Vilnius University only for a short time until her death, she had maintained an indirect connection with the University since the very beginning of her career. The researcher specialised in Egyptology after she studied under Prof. Borisas Turajevas – the most prominent Egyptologist of the time and a graduate of the 1st Vilnius Gymnasium (founded in the premises of the closed Vilnius University in the 19th century). She firmly declined multiple invitations to work at the University until the capital was restored to Lithuania. After Vilnius was regained, albeit for a short while, Marija Rudzinskaitė-Arcimavičienė completed her final works and research at the University,” says Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, Rector of Vilnius University.

According to him, Vilnius University is honoured to contribute to the commemoration of Lithuania’s first Egyptologist: “May this cenotaph serve as a symbolic reminder for all those pursuing science and seeking knowledge to embrace the untrodden paths and remain open to the world.”

The cenotaph was erected in the open territory of the cemetery near the former grave site by the National Museum of Lithuania and its partners: M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, which preserves the researcher’s collection, and Vilnius University – her last workplace.

The eccentric personality of the renowned Egyptologist

Marija Rudzinskaitė-Arcimavičienė left a lasting impression on those who knew her, remaining in their memory as an exotic woman who dived into the history of ancient Egypt with all her heart and soul. She referred to herself as ‘the daughter of the Sun’ and would invite others to visit “my Egyptian gods”.

During her lifetime, Marija Rudzinskaitė-Arcimavičienė was both the first and only professional Egyptologist in Lithuania who devoted her entire life to studying ancient Egypt’s historical legacy. She did her utmost to spread her passion for ancient Egypt to students and society; the researcher popularised it by publishing her travel diaries, stories about archaeological research, and her discoveries in the periodical press.

“She made three trips to Egypt for scientific purposes. In the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, she explored the newly discovered tomb of Tutankhamun and visited various monuments and excavation sites. These travels and the contacts she made resulted in her acquiring a small collection of valuable ancient Egyptian artefacts, which our museum now houses,” says Daina Kamarauskienė, Director General of M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.

The memorial cenotaph of Marija Rudzinskaitė-Arcimavičienė is located in Saulės Cemetery in Antakalnis Eldership, Vilnius, near her original burial site next to St Vincent de Paul Chapel.