Gustav Oscar Augustin Montelius

Montelius, Gustav Oscar Augustin

 

Born Sept. 9, 1843, in Stockholm; died there Nov. 4, 1921. Swedish archaeologist.

Montelius devised a chronological classification of the Neolithic period, the Bronze Age, and the early Iron Age of Europe, based on a typological method he developed. This method, which helps establish the relative and absolute dating of archaeological remains, is still used. However, like some other evolutionist-archaeologists (for example, G. de Mortillet), Montelius held the mistaken belief that material culture and biological organisms develop according to the same laws.

WORKS

Die Chronologic der ältesten Bronzezeit in Nord-Deutschland und Skandinavien. Braunschweig, 1900.
Kulturgeschichte Schwedens. Leipzig, 1906.
Die vorklassische Chronologie Italiens, 2 vols. Stockholm, 1912.
Die älteren Kulturperioden im Orient und in Europa, 2 vols. Stockholm, 1903–23.