Analogy in Danish prehistoric studies

Ethnographic analogy has invariably been used in archaeology at a subconscious level for understanding artefacts. Alison Wylie's analysis, transferring the logical discussion of analogy from philosophy to archaeology, has, though not uncritically, been accepted by the present author as a method of assessing the strength of analogical reasoning. First, Wylie's analysis is presented and discussed. Secondly, her framework serves as a standard of reference for the Danish historical development of analogical reasoning over the past 170 years. Lastly, a contextual approach that does not entirely depart from Sophus Müller's terminology is suggested.