It's impossible to point to a single person as the "inventor" of the geological time scale. It's more accurate to say it was developed over centuries by countless scientists and researchers.

Here's a breakdown of the contributions:

* Early Observations: Ancient Greeks like Herodotus and Strabo recognized fossils and realized they represented past lifeforms, laying the foundation for understanding Earth's history.

* 17th-18th Century: Naturalists like Nicolas Steno formulated principles of stratigraphy (layers of rock). This provided a framework for ordering geological events.

* 19th Century: William Smith created the first detailed geological map, using fossils to correlate rock layers. This laid the groundwork for understanding the relative ages of rocks.

* Late 19th-20th Century: Scientists like Charles Lyell, Adam Sedgwick, and Roderick Murchison developed and refined the concept of geological periods based on fossil evidence and rock formations. Radioactive dating techniques were introduced in the 20th century, providing more precise measurements of absolute ages.

The geological time scale continues to evolve today, with ongoing research refining our understanding of Earth's history. So, rather than attributing it to a single individual, we should recognize the contributions of many brilliant minds throughout history who built upon each other's work.