Robert du Mesnil du Buisson

Count Robert du Mesnil du Buisson (9 April 1895, Champobert, Bourges – 8 April 1986, Caen) was a French historian, soldier, and archeologist. He was noted for his early use of geophysical survey for archaeology. He was son of Auguste, comte du Mesnil du Buisson and Berthe Roussel de Courcy, and married Jeanne Leclerc de Pulligny on 26 June 1923.

Mesnil du Buisson volunteered in 1914, before the call-up, and was lieutenant in the 6th Regiment of chasseurs à cheval. He was awarded chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur for bravery. He volunteered again in 1939, as commander of a squadron of the cavalerie de réserve, fighting in Belgium and France in 1940 then joining the resistance in Normandy. He was elevated to commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur and commandeur de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His other medals included the croix de guerre 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, croix du combattant volontaire, with medals of Verdun, of Syria and of the Resistance.

He was director of excavations at Qatna (el-Mishrifeh: 1924, 1927–29), Til-Barsip (Tell el-Ahmar: 1927, 1929–31), Hadatu (Arslan Tash, 1928), and was vice-director of excavations at Dura-Europos from 1932 to 1937 coordinated between Yale University led by Clark Hopkins and the French Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres. He discovered the Synagogue of Dura Europos and published on the synagogue's frescos in 1939. Among his other archeological finds were the Baalshamin and the Arslan Tash amulets.

From 1969 he became actively involved in work to preserve the Le manoir d'Argentelles at Villebadin. He died of injuries sustained in a car accident in 1986.

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