Olov Janse
Encyclopedia
Professor Robert Ture Olov Janse (August 3, 1892, in Norrköping
, Sweden – March 1985, in Washington, D.C.
) was a Swedish archaeologist. He is notable for his excavation work at Đông Sơn between 1935–1939. Though he originally argued a viewpoint for the European origins of Bronze Age culture
in Vietnam, he reversed himself in support of Chinese origins after he started excavations at Đông Sơn. Janse is characterized as having introduced order into the research of the history of archaeology in Mainland Southeast Asia
.
. Nerman and his brothers, Birger
and Ejnar, became lifelong friends with Olov. Stated the archaeologist Birger Nerman, "I soon grew tired of sweets, but got a friend for life."
Janse received his early education was at De Geer school in Norrköping. He graduated from Uppsala University
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1916, a Master of Arts degree in 1920, and his doctorate in 1922 on the thesis Le travail de l'or en Suède à l'époque mérovingienne. Études précédées d'un mémoire sur les solidi romains & byzantins trouvés en Suède.
in Saint-Germain-en-Laye
, France. He held the position of Associate Professor of National and Prehistoric Archaeology at the École du Louvre
during the period of 1925 to1927, lectured as an Associate Professor from 1928 through 1936 at the École pratique des hautes études
at the Sorbonne
. He was appointed honorary professor at the University of Paris
in 1934. His work alternated between Paris and Stockholm at different institutions.
During the following years, Janse was Director of the Archaeological Expedition to Indochina, composed of a research team of archaeologists and ethnologists who made important excavations in French Indochina
. Janse used the practice of typology-based archaeology to his field of prehistoric research. He excavated the Đông Sơn site, and other sites in Viet Nam over the course of three periods from November 1934 through November 1938. He also excavated Han
and Tang Dynasty
Chinese monuments and tombs, in fact, finding both Dong Son culture
and Han-style brick tombs at the Đông Sơn archaeological site. During his third excavation, he also spent time at the Sa Huỳnh
sites in Quảng Ngãi Province
. While most of the ceramics that he unearthed during these excavations were deposited in various museums around the world, he gave some to King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
, perhaps as a gesture of patriotism.
During World War II, Janse went to the United States where he worked as an advisor to the U.S. intelligence agency, Office of Strategic Services
. Janse became a professor of East Asia
n Archaeology at Harvard University in 1940, a position he held through 1943. Thereafter he worked at UNESCO
, and then in Korea.
His was influenced by Oscar Montelius
, Johan Gunnar Andersson
, and Henri Hubert
.
in Washington, D.C. where he died in 1985 after complications from a traffic accident. He became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
in 1961.
in Paris, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, USA.
The Bortom Synranden is a biographical research project regarding the work of Jansen.
The Chinese ceramics that Janse collected in 1939 from the Malay Peninsula
are in the National Museum of Singapore
. Other collections of his cultural materials are housed at the Cernushi Museum, the Guimet Museum, the Louvre, the Museum of Art and History, and the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities.
Norrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
, Sweden – March 1985, in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) was a Swedish archaeologist. He is notable for his excavation work at Đông Sơn between 1935–1939. Though he originally argued a viewpoint for the European origins of Bronze Age culture
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
in Vietnam, he reversed himself in support of Chinese origins after he started excavations at Đông Sơn. Janse is characterized as having introduced order into the research of the history of archaeology in Mainland Southeast Asia
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
.
Early years
Janse was the son of candy factory owner Thure Johan Janse and Hilma Wilhelmina Svensson. His uncle, Otto Janse, who was an archaeologist who specialized in Swedish medieval history, was an inspiration to Olov in choosing his field of study, archaeology. Olov also received inspiration from Ture NermanTure Nerman
Ture Nerman was a Swedish socialist. As a journalist and author, he was a well-known political activist in his time. He also wrote poems and songs.Nerman was a vegetarian and a strict teetotaler...
. Nerman and his brothers, Birger
Birger Nerman
Birger Nerman was a Swedish archaeologist, professor, and author.-Background:Birger Nerman belonged to a bourgeois family Nerman from Vimmerby. He was the son of Janne Nerman , the bookseller in Norrköping, and his wife Anna Ida Nordberg...
and Ejnar, became lifelong friends with Olov. Stated the archaeologist Birger Nerman, "I soon grew tired of sweets, but got a friend for life."
Janse received his early education was at De Geer school in Norrköping. He graduated from Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1916, a Master of Arts degree in 1920, and his doctorate in 1922 on the thesis Le travail de l'or en Suède à l'époque mérovingienne. Études précédées d'un mémoire sur les solidi romains & byzantins trouvés en Suède.
Career
Between 1920–1930, he worked as an Assistant Curator at the National Archaeological MuseumNational Archaeological Museum (France)
The Musée d'Archéologie nationale is a major French archeology museum, covering pre-historic times to the Merovingian period. It was named Musée des Antiquités nationales until 2005. It is located in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the département of Yvelines,...
in Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
, France. He held the position of Associate Professor of National and Prehistoric Archaeology at the École du Louvre
École du Louvre
The École du Louvre is an institution of higher education and French Grande École located in the Aile de Flore of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France, and is dedicated to the study of archaeology, art history, anthropology and epigraphy....
during the period of 1925 to1927, lectured as an Associate Professor from 1928 through 1936 at the École pratique des hautes études
École pratique des hautes études
The École pratique des hautes études is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions....
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
. He was appointed honorary professor at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 1934. His work alternated between Paris and Stockholm at different institutions.
During the following years, Janse was Director of the Archaeological Expedition to Indochina, composed of a research team of archaeologists and ethnologists who made important excavations in French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
. Janse used the practice of typology-based archaeology to his field of prehistoric research. He excavated the Đông Sơn site, and other sites in Viet Nam over the course of three periods from November 1934 through November 1938. He also excavated Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
Chinese monuments and tombs, in fact, finding both Dong Son culture
Dong Son culture
The Đông Sơn culture was a prehistoric Bronze Age age in Vietnam centered at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam. At this time the first Vietnamese kingdoms of Văn Lang and Âu Lạc appeared...
and Han-style brick tombs at the Đông Sơn archaeological site. During his third excavation, he also spent time at the Sa Huỳnh
Sa Huynh culture
The Sa Huỳnh culture was a culture in central and southern Vietnam that flourished between 1000 BC and 200 AD. Archaeological sites from the culture have been discovered from the Mekong Delta to just south of the Tonkin region. The Sa Huynh people were most likely the predecessors of the Cham...
sites in Quảng Ngãi Province
Quang Ngai Province
Quảng Ngãi is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam, on the coast of South China Sea. It is located 883 km south of Hanoi and 838 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.-History:...
. While most of the ceramics that he unearthed during these excavations were deposited in various museums around the world, he gave some to King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
, perhaps as a gesture of patriotism.
During World War II, Janse went to the United States where he worked as an advisor to the U.S. intelligence agency, Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
. Janse became a professor of East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n Archaeology at Harvard University in 1940, a position he held through 1943. Thereafter he worked at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, and then in Korea.
His was influenced by Oscar Montelius
Oscar Montelius
Oscar Montelius was a Swedish archaeologist who refined the concept of seriation, a relative chronological dating method...
, Johan Gunnar Andersson
Johan Gunnar Andersson
Johan Gunnar Andersson , Swedish archaeologist, paleontologist and geologist, closely associated with the beginnings of Chinese archaeology in the 1920s...
, and Henri Hubert
Henri Hubert
Henri Hubert was an archaeologist and sociologist of comparative religion who is best known for his work on the Celts and his collaboration with Marcel Mauss and other members of the Annee Sociologique....
.
Personal life
Janse was married to Renee Sokolsky (b. circa 1903, Russia; died 2000). She accompanied him on his scientific trips. In 1940, Janse and his wife settled in the United States, and in 1948 he became a U.S. citizen. At retirement, they lived in an upscale retirement home at 4000 Massachusetts AvenueMassachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it....
in Washington, D.C. where he died in 1985 after complications from a traffic accident. He became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities also called simply the Royal Academy of Letters, abbreviated KVHAA is the Swedish royal academy for the Humanities.Its many publications include the archaeological and art historical journal Fornvännen, published since 1906.The Academy...
in 1961.
Legacy
In 2002, the antiquities donated by his widow, Renee Janse, became the Olov and Renee Jansen Memorial Fund. The Jansen East Asian collections held today include the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, the Musée CernuschiMusée Cernuschi
The Musée Cernuschi is an Asian art museum located at 7 avenue Vélasquez, near Parc Monceau, in Paris, France, specialising in China, Japan and Korea. Its collection in Asian art is second only to the Musée Guimet in Paris....
in Paris, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, USA.
The Bortom Synranden is a biographical research project regarding the work of Jansen.
The Chinese ceramics that Janse collected in 1939 from the Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
are in the National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution...
. Other collections of his cultural materials are housed at the Cernushi Museum, the Guimet Museum, the Louvre, the Museum of Art and History, and the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities.
External links
- Obituary - by anthropologist Wilhelm SolheimWilhelm SolheimWilhelm G. Solheim II is an American anthropologist recognized as most senior practitioner of archaeology in Southeast Asia, and as a pioneer in the study of Philippine and Southeast Asian prehistoric archaeology...
, University of Hawaii at ManoaUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaThe University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...