James Burgess (archaeologist)


James Burgess CIE FRSE FRGS MRAS LLD, was the founder of The Indian Antiquary in 1872 and an important archaeologist of India in the 19th century.

Life

Burgess was born on 14 August 1832 in Kirkmahoe, Dumfriesshire. He was educated at Dumfries and then the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh.
He did educational work in Calcutta, 1856 and Bombay, 1861, and was Secretary of the Bombay Geographical Society 1868-73. He was Head of the Archaeological Survey, Western India, 1873, and of South India, 1881. From 1886-89 he was Director General, Archaeological Survey of India.
In 1881 the University of Edinburgh awarded him an honorary Doctor of Letters.
He retired to Edinburgh around 1892.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1894. He won its Keith Medal for 1897-99, and served as their Vice President 1908 to 1914.
He died on 3 October 1916, at 22 Seton Place in Edinburgh.

Selected publications