1906] 



The cruciform brooches of Norwav. 



143 



dimensions than the silver brooches already recorded ; moreover the 

 surface is badly corroded and consequently the ornaments are in 

 some degree eifaced. Its form seems to indicate a more advanced 

 development than the mentioned silver brooches but from such details 

 as the edg«s oi the head-plate I am inclined to attribute it to a 

 time not later than about tlie middle of the #tti cent. Tims tlus 

 crnciform brooch also most probably belong - s to a time within the 

 earlier half of the century. A date is thus given also for the other 

 West-Norwegian brooches which are just the fonns referred to 

 above, figs. 91 — 97. After all what I have said here, I think it 



Fig-. 175. 



Fig. 176. '/i- 



likely tha.t the development of these forms was finished before the 

 middle of the 6th cent. 



From about the same time as the brooches in relief before us 

 must be the small imitations of them, made of bronze and without 

 ornaments, but well preserving the form of their models. Though 

 we miss here ornaments which are the best help for making out 

 the date of the large brooches, we are not left without all indications 

 as to the age of the finds, as some details of the form, for instance 

 a series of small holes arranged along the edges of the head-plate, 

 distinctly point to the stage of development of the model brooch. 



