Name Georg Sarauw | Education Uppsala University | |
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Died February 17, 1928, Gothenburg, Sweden | ||
Georg Frederik Ludvig Sarauw (12 November 1862 – 17 February 1928) was a Danish-Swedish botanist and archaeologist. He discovered the Maglemosian culture and was among the first to study fossil pollen.
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Early life
He was born to a forest manager at Pedersværft on Zealand. He studied natural history at the University of Copenhagen under professor Japetus Steenstrup. He specialized in botany and forestry.
Maglemose
From 1894, he was associated with the department of prehistory at the National Museum of Denmark. He led the excavation of an epipaleolithic settlement in Maglemose (literally big bog) near Høng on Zealand, for which the Maglemosian culture was named. The thorough investigation moved the first prehistoric finds in Northern Europe 2,500 years back in time with respect to the Ertebølle culture, then thought to be the oldest stratum. The place was brought to the attention of the National Museum by the local teacher M. J. Mathiassen in Mullerup. Sarauw's excavations were followed up in 1915 when new finds were unearthed. This time, schoolmaster Mathiassen's son, Therkel Mathiassen, then a student of archaeology, and Lauge Koch, then student of geology and son of the parish vicar in nearby Ubberup, were appointed leaders.
Swedish career
Sarauw then studied archaeology at Uppsala University and soon became a proliferous researcher and writer. This apparently led to conflict with the director of the National Museum of Denmark, Sophus Müller. With help from the director of the Swedish National Heritage Board, Oscar Montelius, Sarauw was employed at the newly founded archaeological division at the Museum of Gothenburg, where he remained for the rest of his career.