A sledgehammer strike against a stone bull in the Apadana Palace remains one of the most recorded acts of archaeological destruction attributed to Jane Dieulafoy. Beyond such controversial actions at the Susa excavation site, her life involved fighting in the Franco-Prussian War, navigating remote regions of Qajar Iran, and securing formal state permission to wear men's clothing in public.
Early Life and Wartime Service
Born Jeanne Henriette Magre in Toulouse in 1851, she was raised in a family of merchant bourgeoisie. Her formal education occurred at the Couvent de l’Assomption d’Auteuil near Paris, concluding in 1870. That year, she married Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy. Shortly after the wedding, the Franco-Prussian War necessitated her husband's service at the front. She joined him, wearing a military uniform and participating in combat operations alongside him.
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Following a decade of travel across Egypt and Morocco, the Dieulafoys shifted their focus to the Middle East in 1879. Between 1881 and 1884, they undertook multiple expeditions to Qajar Iran. Reaching their destination via the Caucasus and Azerbaijan, they documented their findings through extensive photography, sketches, and daily journals. These records were later compiled into works such as La Perse, la Chaldée et la Susiane. Their excavations at Susa uncovered numerous friezes and artifacts that were eventually transported to the Louvre.
Professional Recognition and Literature
The French government awarded Dieulafoy the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1886 for her contributions to archaeology. Her literary career included novels such as Parysatis, published in 1890, which provided the narrative basis for an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns, and Déchéance, released in 1897. She also contributed to the literary landscape by serving on the jury for the prix Femina from 1904 until her death.
Social and Legal Challenges
Dieulafoy routinely adopted male attire and kept her hair short to facilitate safer movement throughout Muslim-majority territories. Upon returning to France, she secured a specialized police authorization to continue dressing in trousers, a practice technically prohibited for women at the time. She rationalized this preference as a practical measure to save time for professional output. Her advocacy extended to the military, where she campaigned for expanded roles for women.
Fast facts
- Born: 1851, Toulouse
- Died: 1916, Pompertuzat
- Spouse: Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy
- Major Awards: Montyon Prize, Prix Jules-Favre
- Notable Site: Susa
- Citizenship: France
- Burial Site: Cemetery of Terre Cabade
Questions readers ask
Why did Jane Dieulafoy dress in men's clothing?
She adopted the style primarily to travel more freely in the Middle East and later secured legal permission to continue the practice in France, claiming it saved time for her work.
What did the Dieulafoy missions contribute to the Louvre?
The missions excavated artifacts and friezes from the Apadana Palace in Susa, including the well-known Lion Frieze, which are currently housed in two rooms of the museum.
Achievements
- Montyon Prize
- Prix Jules-Favre
- Recorded as explorer, anthropologist and archaeologist
