The father of stratigraphy is generally considered to be Nicolaus Steno, a Danish scientist and priest who lived in the 17th century.

He is credited with establishing the fundamental principles of stratigraphy, including:

* The Principle of Superposition: In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest rocks are at the bottom and the youngest rocks are at the top.

* The Principle of Original Horizontality: Sedimentary rocks are originally deposited in horizontal layers.

* The Principle of Lateral Continuity: Sedimentary layers extend laterally in all directions until they thin out or are interrupted by an obstacle.

These principles, known as Steno's Laws, are fundamental to the study of geology and are still used today to understand the history of the Earth.