Thomsen, Christian (Jürgensen) (1788–1865)

Danish archaeologist. He proposed 1816–19 the Three Age System of classification of prehistoric cultures on the basis of the materials used in making weapons and tools: Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. These three successive developmental stages became the framework for the chronology of European prehistory.

In 1816 Thomsen became the first curator of the National Museum of Denmark, and used the system as a means for classifying the collections. It was first decribed in print in his guide to the museum 1836 (translated into English as A Guide to Northern Antiquities 1848).

Within the Three Age System he defined an early Stone Age, a late Stone Age (with early metal use), a Bronze Age, and an earlier and later Iron Age. Rates of change of course differ from one area to another.