Jacques Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes

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Jacques Boucher de Crevecoeur de Perthes

1788-1868

French archaeologist who determined that humans had existed millions of years ago, after finding flint axes and other tools in deposits with the bones of extinct animals. While his theory met with disbelief in his day, it advanced the idea of human antiquity, set the precedent for careful stratigraphic dating, and inspired the work of other notable scientists, including Charles Lyell.