Oluf Rygh (5 September 1833 – 19 August 1899) was a notedNorwegianarchaeologist,philologist andhistorian. Oluf Rygh is recognized as one of the founders of professional archaeology in Norway. He led the 1867 excavation of theTune ship (Norwegian:Tuneskipet)[1]
Oluf Rygh was born inVerdal inNordre Trondheim county, Norway. His parents werePeder Strand Rygh (1800–1868) and Ingeborg Marie Bentsen (1809–1878). He was the older brother of bankerEvald Rygh (1842–1913) and member of ParliamentKarl Ditlev Rygh (1839–1915). Oluf Rygh attended theTrondhjem Cathedral School in 1850 and went to theUniversity of Christiania to study philology, where he graduated in 1856. In 1858, while a teacher at Nissens Skole in Christiania, he was a research fellow for history. Later he was a professor of classical philology, history and Scandinavian languages.[2]
Rygh was professor of history at theRoyal Frederick University (now University of Oslo) between 1866 and 1875. He was director ofOldsaksamlingen (which subsequently became theMuseum of Cultural History) from 1862 and professor of Nordic archaeology from 1875 – the first professor of archaeology at anyScandinavian university. He led excavation of theTune ship 1867. His work about Norwegian antiquitiesNorske Oldsaker (1885) is recognized for its detailed illustrations and even today is still a significant reference source.
From 1879 to 1899, he chaired theNorwegian Historical Association.[3]
Oluf Rygh is best known for creation of a registry of Norwegian farm namesNorske Gaardnavne which is a 19 volume set of books based on a manuscript prepared from 1897 to 1924. The book contains a standardized notation, information on pronunciation, historical forms and theetymology for recorded farm, estate and manor names inNorway, which became the standard for place names in Norway. It inspired similar research inSweden andDenmark. Rygh died in 1899 atUlefoss inHolla Municipality inTelemark county. At the time of his death, only three and one half volumes had been published.[4]
The streetOluf Ryghs gate atFagerborg has been named after him.[5]
His more significant publications include:[4]
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