Page:Palæolithic Man and Terramara Settlements in Europe.djvu/535

 LACUSTRINE PILE-STRUCTURE IN THE PO VALLEY 393 industrial remains of man, consisting of fragments of pottery, various implements of stone and flint, a bronze knife, and a Roman coin of the time of the Emperor Hadrian, were three curious-looking objects of wood shaped like a canoe in miniature. One of these machines, the best preserved though not the largest, was carefully described and figured (PI. LVI. (A) ). It was constructed out of a solid piece of oak measuring 28 inches in length, 6|- in breadth, and 2f in thickness. The opening in the centre was fitted with two valves (here figured as detached), and measured 6J by 3^ inches, this being the actual size of the aperture when the valves were in position and open. On the off-side of the drawing there is to be seen a deep groove in which the corresponding valve revolved on its outer edge ; also at each end of the aperture are transverse chamfers which supported the valves when closed and prevented them falling through. On the under-surface the sides of the central aperture are described as not being cut perpendicularly, but slanting outwards, thus widening its outer margin to 11 inches by 5½. In addition to the elongated hollows and transverse holes near both ends, four other small holes may be noticed, one opposite each of the valvular pivots, into which pins were inserted evidently for the purpose of preventing the displacement of the valves. Associated with this machine, as seen in the illustration, were several worked sticks, supposed to be the remains of some kind of mechanism for working the machine. The other two machines were, according to Dr Meschinelli, precisely similar, so that in all essential particulars these Fontega novel objects were identical with those described by me as so-called otter and beaver traps (Lake-dwellings of Europe, p. 179), speci- mens of which first attracted my attention as having been found in a pile-dwelling at Laibach.

In attempting to assign any utilitarian purpose to these novel objects from Fontega, Dr Meschinelli (who was then unaware of the existence of similar machines elsewhere) was apparently much puzzled, but at last suggested that they might have been models of prehistoric boats (B. 156 (b), 158 (a) ). Subsequently, on being informed of analogous discoveries in other parts of Europe, Dr Meschinelli published a second