Peter Oluf Brøndsted (17 November 1780 – 26 June 1842), Danish
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
. He was a professor and rector at the University of Copenhagen. Brøndsted was the first Danish scholar who was involved in archeological work in Greece.
Biography
Brøndsted was born on 16 November 1780 at Fruering in
Jutland
Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...
to Lutheran minister Christian Brøndsted and Mette Augusta Pedersen. He attended Horsens Latin School whose principal Olaf Worm was an important influence on his interests. He began to study theology at the
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University.
...
but later turned to philology.
Career
After studying at the University of Copenhagen, he visited Paris in 1806 with philologist Georg Koës (1782–1811). After remaining there two years, they went together to
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. In 1810, they joined an expedition to
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
with archaeologists Otto Magnus von Stackelberg (1787-1837) and Carl Haller von Hallerstein (1774–1817), German painter Jakob Linckh (1787–1841) and the then Austrian consul in Greece, George Christian Gropius (1776–1850). Unexpectedly, the following year, Koës died on
Zante
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; ; ) or Zante (, , ; ; from the Venetian form, traditionally Latinized as Zacynthus) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, with an area of , and a coastline in ...
at the age of 29 of pneumonia. The group went its separate ways in order to carry out excavations at different places. While one group uncovered the Temple of
Zeus
Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus.
Zeus is the child ...
on
Aegina
Aegina (; ; ) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina (mythology), Aegina, the mother of the mythological hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king.
...
and the temple of
Apollo
Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
at
Bassae
Bassae (, – ''Bassai'', meaning "little vale in the rocks"Arcadia, Brøndsted and Linckh in the winter of 1811/12 led the excavations of the shrine of Apollo at Karthaia on
Kea
The kea ( ; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the Family (biology), family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green, with br ...
.
After three years of active researches in Greece, Brøndsted returned to Copenhagen in 1813, where he was appointed extraordinary professor of Greek and philology at University of Copenhagen. During these years, Brøndsted gathered and organized the notes and materials he had brought out of Greece. His lectures awakened great interest in many students.
As he began to arrange and prepare for publication the vast materials he had collected during his travels, he found that Copenhagen did not afford him the desired facilities. Following the death of his wife in 1818, he exchanged his professorship for the office of Danish ambassador in the Papal State and took up residence in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. In 1820 and 1821 he visited
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
and the
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: , ; Ancient Greek, Katharevousa: , ) are a archipelago, group of islands in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese ("Seven Islands"; , ''Heptanēsa'' or , ''Heptanē ...
to collect additional materials.
In 1826 he went to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, chiefly with a view to studying the
Elgin Marbles
The Elgin Marbles ( ) are a collection of Ancient Greek sculptures from the Parthenon and other structures from the Acropolis of Athens, removed from Ottoman Greece in the early 19th century and shipped to Britain by agents of Thomas Bruce, 7 ...
and other remains of antiquity in the
British Museum
The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
, and became acquainted with the principal archaeologists of England. From 1828 to 1832 he resided in Paris, to superintend the publication of his ''Travels'', and then returned to Copenhagen on being appointed director of the Royal Collection of Coins and Medals (''Den Kongelige Mønt- og Medaillesamling''). In 1842 he became rector of the University of Copenhagen but a fall from his horse caused his death in June.
Principal works
His principal work was the ''Travels and Archaeological Researches in Greece'' (in German and French, 1826–1830), of which only two volumes were published, dealing with the island of
Ceos
Kea (), also known as Tzia () and in antiquity Keos (, ), is a Greek island in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea. Kea is part of the Kea-Kythnos regional unit.
Geography
It is the island of the Cyclades complex that is closest to Att ...
Parthenon
The Parthenon (; ; ) is a former Ancient Greek temple, temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the Greek gods, goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of c ...
. His two principal publications in English are, ''A brief description of thirty-two painted Greek vases found near
Vulci
Vulci or Volci ( Etruscan: ''Velch'' or ''Velx'', depending on the romanization used) was a rich Etruscan city in what is now northern Lazio, central Italy.
As George Dennis wrote, "Vulci is a city whose very name... was scarcely remembered, ...
'', (London, 1832) and, ''The bronzes of Siris'', (London, 1836).''The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol III'', London, Charles Knight, 1847, p.847
Personal life
In 1813, he married Frederikke Koës, sister of Georg Koës, who died in 1818 after the birth of their third child.
Brøndsted was created a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1815 and a Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1840. He was awarded the Cross of Honour in 1826.
He died during 1842 and was buried in Assistens Cemetery. The street Brøndsteds Allé in
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the region of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of less tha ...
is named after him.
His son Georg Koës Brøndsted owned Gyldenholm Manor at
Slagelse
Slagelse () is a town on Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Denmark. The town is the seat of Slagelse Municipality, and is the biggest town of the municipality. It is located 15 km east of Korsør, 16 km north-east of Skælskør, 33 km south-east of Ka ...
. His daughter Frederikke Köes Brøndsted was married to Michael Treschow. His daughter Augusta Marie Frederikke Brøndsted was married to the politician
Carl Christian Hall
Carl Christian Hall (25 February 1812 – 14 August 1888) was a Danish statesman. Hall served as the Council President of Denmark (Prime Minister), first from 1857 to 1859 and again from 1860 to 1863.
Early life
Hall was the son of the highly ...
.
A selection of his letters, dating from 1801-33, has been published as ''Breve fra P.O. Brøndsted'' (''Memoirer og Breve'', Claussen and Rist, 1926).