11Q Haakon Schetelig. [No. 8 



In a series of publications, Prof. dr. 0. Montelius has recently 

 pronounced his opinions about the chronology of the Iron-Age of 

 Scandinavia, 1 ) dividing it into eight periods — 



1. 



500—300 B. C. 



— First part of the Pre-Roman Period 



2. 



300 — 150 „ 



— Second „ — — 



3. 



150 B. C— J.Chr. 



— Late „ — 



4. 



J. Chr.— 200 A. D. 



— First part of the Roman Period. 



5. 



200—400 A. D. 



— Late „ — — 



6. 



400—600 „ 



— First part of the Migration Period. 



7. 



600—800 „ 



— Late ,, — — — 



8. 



800—1050 „ 



— Viking Period. 



Opinions differing in some points from this system have been 

 pronounced by the Danish archaeologists who have fixed the Iron- 

 Age periods in the following way — 



1. 4th cent. B. C— J. Chr. — Pre-Roman Period. 



2. J. Chr.— 300 A. D. — Roman Period. 



3. 300—500 A. U. — Migration Period. 



4. 500— 8th cent. A. D. - - Middle-Iron-Age. 



5. From the end of the 8th cent. - - Viking Period. 



It will be seen that the Danish archaeologists divide the Iron- 

 Age into fewer and consequently somewhat longer periods than 

 does Prof. Montelius, owing to their inelination to avoid the fixing 

 of absolute dates, which naturally often involve mistakes. But as 

 they too distinguish between the earlier and the later antiquities 

 within each period, it may be said that the different views about 

 the relative chronology of the Iron-Age of Scandinavia — no re- 

 spect being had to the absolute dates - - agree quite well with 

 each other. Thus it is allowed to regard the chronological order 

 of successive forms as fahiy established. For practical reasons I 

 prefer the system arranged by Prof. Montelius as it affords the 

 possibility of more precise references even without the indication 

 of absolute dates in centuries, and as I think the names which he 



x ) Bihang til Månadsblad 1893. — Svenska fornminnesfor. tidskr. IX 

 p. 155, X p. 55. 



e ) Dr. Sophus Muller: „Ordning af Danmarks Oldsager", and „Vor Old- 

 tid". — Carl Neergaard in Aarbøger f. Nord. Oldk. 1892, p. 209. — E. Vedel: 

 Etterskrift til Bornliolms Oldtidsminder og; Oldsaker. 



