Georges Contenau (April 9, 1877 – March 22, 1964) was a French archeologist, curator, orientalist and religious historian who was an expert in the field of culture and religion of the ancient civilizations of the Near and Middle East.

He was chief curator of Oriental antiquities - in French the Département des Antiquités orientales - at the Musée du Louvre from 1927 to 1946.

He wrote about the civilization of the Babylonians and Assyrians (1922), their daily life (1950), their Magic (1947) and divination (1940).

He issued a four-volume Handbook of Oriental Archaeology (1927–1947) and commenced the publication of the Encyclopédie d'archéologie orientale (1914–1957).

One of his students at the École du Louvre was Denise Cocquerillat[3] and his assistant was Marguerite Rutten.