Oscar Almgren (9 November 1869 – 13 May 1945) was a Swedish archaeologist specializing in

prehistoric archaeology Prehistoric archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, which deals specifically with artefacts, civilisations and other materials from societies that existed before any form of writing system or historical record. Often the field focuses on ages ...

. He published a dissertation on Nordic types of

brooch A brooch (, also ) is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments, often to fasten them together. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with enamel or with g ...

es in 1897. He was also the father of

Bertil Almgren Bertil Almgren (27 September 1918 – 4 March 2011) was a Swedish archaeologist and the son of Oscar Almgren, the country's first archaeology professor. Following Sune Lindqvist, he was a professor at Uppsala University from 1965 to 1984. Early ...

, who followed in his father's footsteps in also becoming a professor of Scandinavian and Comparative Archaeology at

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance during ...

Career

Oscar Almgren studied under the Swedish archaeologists

Hans Hildebrand Hans Olof Hildebrand Hildebrand (5 April 1842 – 2 February 1913) was a Swedish archeologist. He is internationally known as one of the pioneers of the archaeological technique of typology. Biography Born in Stockholm, he was the son of Bror E ...

and

Oscar Montelius Gustav Oscar August Montelius, known as Oscar Montelius (9September 18434November 1921) was a Swedish archaeologist who refined the concept of seriation, a relative chronological dating method. Biography Oscar Montelius refined the concept ...

. The latter was a leading archaeologist in Europe at the time, and also a childhood friend of Almgren's father. In 1908 Almgren became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, and in 1913 he became Sweden's first professor of Scandinavian and Comparative Archaeology, teaching at

. Increasing blindness eventually made the position untenable, and in 1925 Almgren had to leave his post; two years later Sune Lindqvist, a former student, took the professorship. Oscar Almgren's son,

, was born in 1918, when Oscar Almgren was in his 50s. With his son's help and a photographic memory, Oscar Almgren was able to continue his research; Bertil Almgren, as a child, would read academic texts out loud to his father, and starting from the age of eight would accompany him to the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, taking notes of lectures and discussions. The experiences were formative for Bertil Almgren, who in 1965 became, like his father, a professor of Scandinavian and Comparative Archaeology at Uppsala University.

Personal life

Almgren was born on 9 November 1869, and died on 13 May 1945, at the age of 75.

Publications

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References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Almgren, Oscar 1869 births 1945 deaths Writers from Stockholm Swedish archaeologists Writers on Germanic paganism Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities Academic staff of Uppsala University