Gabriel Gustafson
Gabriel Adolf Gustafson was a Swedish-Norwegian archaeologist. He was responsible for the excavation and conservation of the Oseberg Ship .Biography
Gabriel Gustafson was born in Visby, in Gotland County, Sweden. Gustafson studied at the Uppsala University earning a degree in Archaeology. He was a professor at Uppsala University. Gustafson was employed by the University of Bergen as a conservator from 1889 to 1900. In 1900, following the death of Oluf Rygh, he was appointed manager of the University Museum of National Antiquities at University of Kristiania, and professor of archaeology.
Gustafson is best known for his work, together with Haakon Shetelig, during 1904-05 on the Viking era Oseberg ship near Tønsberg in Norway. He was awarded with the appointment of Knight of 1 Class of the Order of St. Olav in 1911.
Although Gustafson is best known for his work on the Oseberg find, starting in 1893, he led the local branch of the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments. Gustafson and Hans Aall, a Norwegian politician, prepared a bill, supported by Jørgen Brunchorst, a naturalist, politician and Member of Parliament, that created the Norwegian Cultural Heritage Act. The law took effect in 1905. Today, this act is regarded as a supreme Norwegian law that takes precedence over other laws in cases of mutual conflict.
