French Egyptologist; he was born at Lambersart, 20 January 1911, son of Georges V. and Aline Bertin; he studied history and geography at the Sorbonne and Egyptology at the École Pratique des hautes études; Diploma 1939; he was sent on a mission to Tunisia in 1937 where he studied Egyptian objects; he served in World War II, being taken prisoner and released in 1940; he was attached to the Louvre, 1942-5 and IFAO, 1945-50 where he took part in excavations at Karnak and Tod, 1947-9; he then joined CNRS and was director of excavations at Dara, 1950-1 for the University of Paris; Docteur ès lettres from the Sorbonne, 1953; Head of the French archaeological mission to the Sudan 1953-5, excavating at Kor, 1953 and Sai, 1954; director of the Sudan Archaeological Service, 1955-60; Professor at Lille and Director of the French mission in the Sudan, 1960-76 where he undertook work at Aksha, 1960-2, and Mirgissa, 1963-7 for the Nubian rescue campaign; Director of IFAO, 1977-81; he became a member of the Académie des Inscriptions 11 May 1984; President of the Société française d'égyptologie, 1982-97; Hon President of the Nubian Society 1982; member of the Institut d'Égypte 1976; he was awarded the légion d'honneur; a festschrift Mélanges offerts à Jean Vercoutter was compiled in his honour in 1985; he published Les objets égyptiens et égyptisants du mobilier fúneraire carthininois, 1945; L'Égypte ancienne, 1947, 14th ed. 1992; Essai sur les Relations entre Égyptiens et Préhellènes, 1954; L'Égypte et le monde égéen préhellénique, 1956; Textes biographiques du Sérapéum de Memphis, 1962; La Nubie soudanaise et la nouveau barrage d'Assouan, 1963; Aksha I, 1966; Catalogue des stèles du Sérapéum de Memphis I (with G. Posener and M. Malinine), 1968; Mirgissa I-III, 1970-6; Études sur l'Égypte et le Soudain anciens, 1973; À la recherche de l'Égypte oubliée, 1986; L'Égypte et la vallée du Nil, 1993; he died in Paris, 16 July 2000.