SOMNIFERUM,acorns,andanimmensenumberofnutsandapples。
Theacornsarethoseofthecommonoak,andtheircupsandouterrindhadbeenremoved,sothattheyhadevidentlybeenpreparedtoserveasfoodfor,man;theapplesweresmallandcoriaceous,resemblingthemoderncrab-apple;theIndianpoppycannothavegrownwithoutcultivation;butthiswasperhapsbutanexampleofthesamespeciesalreadyrecognizedintheLakedwellingsofSwitzerland。Itisdifficulttosaywhetheritwasusedforfoodorwhetheroilwasextractedfromit。
WehavealreadyspokenofthediscoveriesmadeinAustriaandHungary。CountWurmbrandhasdescribedthedifficultieswithwhichexplorershadtocontend。Thelakeshaveinmanycasesbecomeinaccessibleswamps,andinothers,thewatershavingbeenartificiallydimmedtoregulatetheiroverflow,thesitesofthepiledwellingsaresofarbelowthelevelofthelakesthatanyexcavationsareimpossible。Longandarduousresearcheshave,however,beenrewardedwithsomesuccess,andthenumerousobjectsrecoveredbearwitness,asinSwitzerland,tothegradualprogressmadebythesuccessivegenerationswhooccupiedthesepiledwellings。
Objectsdiscoveredinthepeat-bogsofLaybach。A。Earthenwarevase。B。Fragmentofornamentedpottery。C。Boneneedle。D。Earthenwareweightforfishing-net。E。Fragmentofjawbone。
AlakenearLaybachhadbeenconvertedindryingupintoanimmensepeat-bog,nearlythirty-eightmilesincircumference,boundedontherightandleftbyloftymountains。[123]WhenthisbogwasunderwaterithadbeenthesiteofseveralLakeStations。One,forinstance,hasbeenmadeoutoverthreehundredandtwentyyardsfromthebank。Thepiles,whichconsistedofthetrunksofoaks,beeches,andpoplars,varyingfromeighttoteninchesindiameter,wereplacedatregularintervals。Theobjectstakenfromthepeat-bogaresimplyinnumerableFig。50,andincludehundredsofneedlesofdifferentsizes,stilettos,dagger-blades,arrows,andhatchets,withstag-hornhandles。Coarseblackearthenwarevasesareequallynumerousandareofagreatvarietyofform,buttheirornamentation。isofthemostprimitivedescription,andwasdonesometimeswiththenailofthepotter,andsometimeswithapointedbone。LittleearthenwarefiguresFigs。51and52werealsofound,someofwhichweresentfromtheLaybachMuseumtotheFrenchExhibitionof1878。Oneofthemissaidtorepresentawoman,probablyanidol。ThisisoneofthefirstknownexamplesoftherepresentationofthehumanfigurefromaLakedwelling。AtNimlau,nearOlmutz,thedryinglipofalittle。lakebroughttolightaLakeStationsurroundedbythetrunksofoaktreesofalargesize。Theywerepiledup,oneabovetheother,andstronglyboundtogetherwithosiers。Thesetrunkswereevidentlyintendedtofortifythestation。
Smallterra-cottafigures,foundintheLaybachpiledwellings。
ThemodeofconstructionoftheLakeStationsofthemarshesofPomeraniaisverydifferentfromthatemployedinSwitzerlandorinAustria。Thefoundationsrestonhorizontalbeams,keptinplaceeitherbygreatblocksofrockorbypilesdriveninvertically。Inmanycasesnotcheshadevidentlybeenmade,thebettertoplacethecross-beams;
whilstinothersforkedbrancheshadbeenselected,sothatasecondbranchcouldbefittedintothefork。Primevalmansoonlearnttoappreciatethesolidityofsuchacombination。Dothesestations,however,reallydatefromprehistorictimes?Virchow,returningtohisfirstopinion,nowthinksthatthepiledwellingsofGermanybelongtothesameepochastheintrenchmentsknownasBURGWALLEN,whenmetalsandevenironwerealreadyingeneraluse。Theywereinhabiteduntilthethirteenthcentury,anditiseasytotraceinthem,asinthoseofSwitzerland,thesignsofthesuccessiveoccupations,thedwellingshavingevidentlybeenabandonedandrestoredlaterbyfreshcomers。
Smallterra-cottafigures,fromtheLaybachpiledwellings。
AtthemeetingoftheBritishAssociationatNewcastlein1863,LordLovainedescribedaLakeStationinthesouthofScotland,andSirJ。LubbockmentionsoneinthenorthofEngland。OthersareknownatHoldernessYorkshire,atThetford,onBartonMere,nearBurySt。Edmunds;butjudgingfromthedescriptionofthemtheyarenotofearlierdatethantheBronzeage。
Otherstationsaremoreancient。AfewyearsagoanumberofpileswerefoundalittleaboveKew,beneathalayerofalluvium,andembeddedinthegravelwhichformedtheancientbedoftheThames。Allaroundthesepileswerescatteredthebonesofanimals,ofwhichthoseoftheBOSLONGIFRONSwerethemostremarkable。Thelongboneshadbeensplittogetoutthemarrow,anevidentproofoftheintelligentactionofman。InLondontwosimilarexampleswerefoundonthesiteofthepresentMansionHouse,andbeneaththeancientwallsofthecity。Theyaresupposedtodatefromtimesearlier,notonlythanthecuttingoutofthepresentcourseoftheThames,butbeforethatinvasionoftheseawhichprecededtheformationoftheThamesvalley,nowthehomeofmorethanfourmillionmenandwomen。
TheLakeStationsofFrancearelessimportantthanthoseoftheneighboringcountries。ItissupposedthatVatan,alittletownofBerry,wasbuiltonthesiteofaLakecity。Itissituatedinthemidstofadried-upmarsh,andatdifferentpointspileshavebeenremovedwhichweredrivendeepintothemud。WealsohearofpiledwellingsintheJuraMountains,inthePyreneanvalleysofHaute-Garonne,Ariege,andAude,aswellasinthoseoftheEasternPyrenees。InthedepartmentofLandes,whichononesidejoinstheplateauofLannemezan,andontheothertheloftyplainsofBearn,aremanymarshydepressions,wherehavebeenfoundnumbersofpiles,withcharredwoodandfragmentsofpottery。
DiscoveriesnolesscurioushavebeenmadeintheBourgetLake,butthedwellingsrisingfromitssurfacedatefromacomparativelyrecentepoch。Thenumerousfragmentsofpotteryfoundprovethatterra-cottawarehadattainedtoabeautyofformandcolorunknowntoprimitivetimes。IndeedsomeofthevasesactuallybearthenameoftheRomanpotterwhomadethem。WemustalsoassigntoanepochlaterthantheStoneagethebuildings,remainsofwhichhavebeetfoundinthepeat-bogsofSaint-DosnearSaliesBasses-Pyrenees。Atadepthofaboutthirty-twoincheshasbeenfoundaregularfloorformedoftrunksoftreesrestingonpilesandboundtogetherinaprimitivefashionwiththefilamentsofroots。Thesepilesbearanumberofdeepclean-cutnotches,suchascouldonlyhavebeenmadewithanironimplement。inotherpartsofFrancethereareLakeStations,whichwereoccupieduntilthetimeoftheCarlovingians。TothistimebelongthepiledwellingsofLakePaladruIsere,whichwereabandoned,sofaraswecantell,bytheirownerswhentheywereswampedbytherisingofthewater。
WhentheLakeStationsofEuropewereinhabited,thecharacteristicanimalsoftheQuaternaryepoch,suchastheelephant,therhinoceros,thelion,andthehippopotamushaddisappearedfromthatcontinent,andtheirplacewastakenbytheearliestdomesticanimals。TheLakefaunaofSwitzerlandincludesaboutseventyspecies,thirtymammalstwenty-sixbirds,tenkindsoffish,andfourreptiles。[124]
Themammalswerethestag,thedog,thepig,thegoat,thesheep,andtwokindsofoxen。Theseanimalswerealreadydomesticated,therecanbeabsolutelynodoubtonthispoint,forinmanyPFAHLBAUTENtheirverydunghasbeenfound,aconclusiveproofthattheylivedsidebysidewithman。
Theremainsofthestagandoftheoxaremorenumerousthanthoseofanyotheranimal,anditiseasytoseethateveryclaytheimportanceofapastorallifebecamemoreclearlyrecognized。InthemostancientLakeStations,thoseofMooseedorf,Wangen,andMeilen,forinstance,thestagpredominates;inthoseofthewesternlakes,whicharecomparativelymorerecent,relicsoftheoxaremorenumerous。IntheLakevillageofNidau,whichdatesfromtheBronzeage,agreatlyincreasednumberofbonesofdomesticanimalshavebeenfound,whilstthoseofwildcreaturesbecomerarerandrarer。Theprogressofdomesticationisevident,anditisnolesscertainthatthelapseofcenturiesmusthavebeenrequiredfortheformationoftheherdswhichevidentlyexistedincertainlocalities。ItispossiblethattheseanimalsmayhavefirstenteredEuropeinthewakeofforeigninvaders,andbeforebeingreducedtoservitude,theymayhaveroamedaboutinawildstate,andevenhavebeencontemporarieswithspeciesnowextinct。Howeverthatmaybe,therecanbenodoubtononepoint,theycouldnotdomesticatethemselves;oneraceofcreaturesafteranothermusthavefallenunderthesubjectionofman,whograduallybecamethemasterofalltheanimalsthatarestillaboutus。
Wedonotmeetinthepiledwellingswiththecommonmouse,therat,orthecat,andthehorseisveryrare。Itisthesamewiththekitchen-middingsandthecavesoccupiedinNeolithictimes。Thedisappearanceofthehorse,sonumerousinearlierepochs,isgeneral,andthiswouldbeinexplicableifhistorydidnotsolvethemystery。TheBible,whichgivesussuchcompletedetailsofthepastorallifeoftheHebrews,speaksforthefirsttimeofthehorseaftertheexodusfromEgyptofthechildrenofIsrael,andinEgyptitselfthehorseisnotrepresentedinanymonumentofearlierdatethantheSeventeenthDynasty。ItisthesameinAmerica,animalsoftheequinerace,thatweresonumerousinearlygeologicaltimes,hadlongsincedisappearedonthearrivaloftheSpaniards,andthehorsestheybroughtwiththeminspiredtheMexicansandPeruvianswithunutterableterror。
Domesticanimalsrequireregularfoodthroughthelongwintermonths;
sothattheirpresencealoneisenoughtoprovethattheirownersweretillersofthesoil。ThediscoveryinmanyoftheHelvetianLakeStationsofcalcinedcerealsconfirmsthishypothesis。Amongstthecerealsfound,cornisthemostabundant,andseveralbushelsofithavebeencollected。InthedepartmentoftheGironde,regularsilosorsubterraneanstoring-placesforgrainhavebeenfoundinwhichthecalcinedcornwasstowedaway。IntheLakeStationshavealsobeenfoundmillet,peas,poppy-heads,nuts,plums,raspberries,andevendriedapplesandpears,doubtlesssetasideasaprovisionforthewinter。FromthewateratCortaillod,havebeentaken,withafewearsofbarley,cherry-stones,acorns,andbeechnuts[125];
andatLaybach,somewater-chestnutsTRAPANATANSofakindthathaslongsincedisappearedfromCarniola。Sometimesthecerealswereroughlyroasted,crushed,andputawayinlargeearthenwarevessels;
butinsomeplaces,regularflatroundloavesofbreadhavebeenfoundaboutoneortwoinchesthick,whichwerebakedwithoutleaven。Wemaywellassertthatgreatchangesleadtakenplacesincethefirstarrivalofmanupontheearth。
Theso-calledTERREMARESofItalydatefromthesameperiodastheDanishkitchen-middingsandtheSwisspiledwellings。TheyaremetwithchieflyinLombardyandintheancientduchiesofParmaandPiacenza,andconsistoflowmoundsrisingfromthirteentosixteenfeetabovethesurfaceofthesoil。InsomecasesanumberofTERREMARES,closetooneanother,formregularvillagescoveringanareaoffromfivetosixmilessquare。ExcavationsoftheTERREMAREhavebroughttolightrowsofpilesfromseventotenfeetlong,connectedbytransversebeams,formingaregularfloor,fromwhichrosebutsbuiltinasimilarwaytothoseoftheSwisspiledwellings,ofinterlacedbranchesorofclayandstraw,fornotracehasbeenmadeoutoftheuseofbricksorofstones。Therefuseofthekitchenandrubbishofallkindsrapidlyaccumulatedroundaboutthesebuts,andformedthefirstnucleusofthemound,whichsoongrewtoaconsiderableheightasoneoccupantofthehousesucceededanother。Whentherefusebecametoomuchofanuisance,theownerofthebutsetupfreshpilesatagreaterheightonthesamesite,laiddownanotherplatform,andbuiltanewbut。Insomeplacesthreesuchplatformshavebeenfoundoneaboveanother。
AsintheLakeStations,excavationsoftheTERREMAREShavebroughttolightnumerousbonesofdomesticanimals;butthoseofwildcreatures,suchasbears,stags,roedeer,andboars,areevenrarerthaninSwitzerland。Theinhabitantsevidentlyhadotherresourcesthanhuntingattheircommand,andthoughtheprocessestheyemployedwerebutelementary,theycultivatedcorn,beans,vines,andvariousfruits。Thoughironwasstillunknown,somebronzeobjectshavebeenfoundincertainTERREMARES,butthesewereonlyroughlymeltedpiecesofmetal,showingnotracesofhavingbeeneitherhammeredorsoldered。AmongstthepotteryfoundintheTERREMARES,wemustmentionanumberofsmallobjectsnotunlikeacornsinform,piercedlengthwise,anddecoratedwithincisedlines,somestraight,otherscurved。ItalianarchaeologistscallthemFUSAIOLES,andSwisssavants,whohavefoundagreatmanyinthelakesoftheirnativecountry,givethemthenameofPESONSDEFUSEAU。Boththesenamesconnectthemwiththeprocessofspinning;buttheirnumberrendersthishypothesisinadmissible,andwhenwegiveanaccountoftheexcavationscarriedonatHissarlik,underDr。Schliemann,weshallbeabletodeterminetheircharacterseeChapter。