EN
The latest spring-cover brooches, Almgren Eastern series, now commonly known as A II 41, have played an important role in studies of culture change and migrations at the close of Early and Late Roman Period in Volhynia, Lower Lusatia and areas on the middle Danube. Unfortunately in making these studies insufficient analysis was made of the typology of brooch forms in question. The author proposes to distinguish type A 41 into four variants. Three of these, defined as I, Y, X, group forms similar in outline to these letters. Brooches classified to the fourth variant have diverse outlines but were grouped together on grounds of similarity of size and their visibly separate distribution range. To preserve a uniform terminology this variant is also marked with a letter (Z). Variant A 41 X may be divided further into two sub-variants: A 41 X1 which includes specimens with a less expanded head and foot which resemble an attenuated X, and A 41 X2 – forms with a relatively wide bow top (ie head) and foot as compared to their very narrow middle section, which gives the bow an outline of a more squat letter X. Each of the described variants has a visibly distinct distribution range. Variant A 41 I brooches are recorded on the lower Odra, variant A 41 Y is characteristic for Przeworsk Culture areas, variant A 41 X while known from northern regions of east-central Europe also occur in Przeworsk Culture area. The same goes for sub-variant A 41 X1 brooches which cannot be treated as a territorially diagnostic forms, whereas sub-variant A 41 X2 brooches are typical for Wielbark Culture area. It appears from internal differences shown by type A II 41 brooches and from the fact that different variants may be seen to concentre in different culture areas that – at least during phase B2/C1 – larger socio-cultural groups had their stable rules regarding manufacture and use of specific types of brooches. It would also appear that tradition of craftsmanship were secondary to the function the brooches played in the system of visual communication.