CURIEL, Raoul. Cairo 23.6.1913 — Paris 23.2.2000. French (citizen 1947) Indologist, Iranian Scholar, Numismatist and Archaeologist. Son of Daniel C., a wealthy banker, of a Francophone Sephardic Jewish family. In 1933 came to Paris for law study, but also studied Indology (Lévi, Bloch and Foucher), Iranian (Benveniste) and sociology (Mauss). Returned to Cairo in 1938 and worked as teacher of French. During the war he served in the France Libre in Brazzaville and Beirut and became friend with Schlumberger and Seyrig. After war joined D.A.F.A., participated in excavations at Lashkari Bazar and Surkh Kotal and studied Sasanian and Kushano-Sasanian coins. In 1954-58 Director-General of Archaeological Survey of Pakistan. From 1960 adjoint in Direction des Musées de France and 1965 Conservateur des monnaies orientales at Cabinet des Médailles. Retired 1978. He was learned and esteeemed, but published very little (and even these mostly in order to assist others), and never applied for important posts. In 1994 living in Paris.
Publications: In the 1940s articles on archaeology of Baalbek and Palmyre, using a pseudonym, in 1954-59 anonymous contributions on the archaeology of Pakistan. Some small articles on eastern numismatics, reviews.
– With D. Schlumberger: Le trésor monétaire d’Afghanistan. 130 p. 16 pl. MDAFA 14. P. 1953; with G. Fussman: Le trésor monétaire de Qunduz. 93 p. 60 pl. MDAFA 20. P. 1965.
– “Les inscriptions de Surkh Kotal”, JA 1954, 189-205; “Monnayes arabo-sasanides”, Revue numismatique 1965, 321-328; 1966, 61-69; 1967, 103-116; “Les monnaies sasanides”, in C. Augé, R. C. & G. Le Rider, Terrasses sacrées de Bard-è Néchandeh et Masjid-i Solaiman. Mém. Dél. Arch. en Iran 44. P. 1979, 165-184.
– With R. Gyselen: “Une collection de monnaies de cuivre sasanides tardives et arabo-sasanides”, Studia Iranica 9, 1980, 165-184; 10, 1981, 61-83 & 177-198.
Sources: Fr. Edelmann, Le Monde 25.2.2000 (first half in lemonde.fr); G. Fussman, Studia Iranica 11, 1982, 7-13 and bibliography 15f. and *JA 288, 2000, 239-253; Fr. Olivier-Utard, D.O.L.F. 248f.
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