Peder Mortensen (7 May 1934 â 8 December 2022) was a Danish archaeologist specialized in the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods of southwest Asia.
Mortensen was born on 7 May 1934 in Jutland. He studied prehistoric archaeology at Aarhus University and graduated with an MA degree in 1960. He was a curator at the National Museum of Denmark from 1961âÂÂ1968, the director of the Moesgaard Museum from 1982âÂÂ1996, director for the Danish Institute in Damascus and cultural advisor to the Danish embassy in Damascus 1996âÂÂ2001, and then honorary professor in Middle Eastern studies at University of Copenhagen.
Mortensen was a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters and a member of the Academia Europea.
In 2004, he was honored by the festschrift From handaxe to Khan : essays presented to Peder Mortensen on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Mortensen's books include: