II. Chronology of the erueiform brooches. 
By a detailed description of the ditferent varieties of a type, 
such as is given respecting the erueiform brooches in the preceding 
part of this paper, it is possible to distinguish perfectly the different 
stages of a development and to attribute each of the specimens to 
their proper place in the series of successive forms. But it has 
often been stated by archaeological writers that prehistoric chronology 
is not to be simply derived from typological features as the de- 
velopment of forms has not always been parallel in the different 
countries and as, in some cases, successive stages of the develop- 
ment may have been nearly contemporary even in the same place. 
To fix the limits of the period comprised by the duration of å 
type such as the eruciform brooches it is therefore necessary to 
take into consideration å larger material than this type alone and 
especially to study the antiquities associated with it in the graves, 
and this is the more requisite when one is trying not only to fix 
the general age of the type but also to make out the approximate 
date of its different varieties. 
Most important help is here afforded by the chronological 
systems which are put together by the Danish and Swedish archaeo- 
logists, but as they do not in all points agree with each other, å 
closer comparison between them is necessary before treating our 
special questions. Though only a relatively short period of the 
Iron-Age is concerned in the question about our brooches I will here 
state the complete systems in order to give a better impression of 
the principal differences between them and also to point out in 
what degree it is necessary to consider the chronological questions 
regarding any of the periods in connexion with the preceding and 
following periods. 
