Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae | |
|---|---|
 Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae | |
| Born | 14 March 1821 Vejle, Denmark |
| Died | 15 August 1885 (aged 64) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Resting place | Cemetery of Holmen |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Archaeologist |
| Institutions | National Museum of Denmark |
Jens Jacob Asmussen Worsaae (14 March 1821 – 15 August 1885) was a Danish archaeologist, historian and politician, who was the second director of the National Museum of Denmark (1865–1874). He played a key role in the foundation of scientific archaeology. Worsaae was the first to excavate and use stratigraphy to prove C. J. Thomsen's sequence of the Three-age system: Stone, Bronze, Iron. He was also a pioneer in the development of paleobotany through his excavation work in the peat bogs of Jutland. Worsaae served as Kultus Minister of Denmark (the cultural and education minister) for Christen Andreas Fonnesbech from 1874 to 1875.