Page:The Rise of the Swiss Republic (1892).djvu/22

14 moth, the woolly haired rhinoceros, two species of wild bull, the elk, the cave bear, and the hyzena, besides a number of animals still existing in Switzerland. These Troglodytes knew the use of fire, but not that of metals. As for their origin and subsequent fate, both are absolutely unknown; there is little doubt, however, that they belonged to the same race which has left similar traces over the whole of Western Europe.

After an interval of many centuries, during which the climate changed to something like its present condition, and the animals enumerated above, vanished or emigrated, the so-called Lake Dwellers made their appearance. Probably the transition from Cave Dwellers to Lake Dwellers came about through a complete change of race, for even the earliest lake dwellings bear evidence that their inhabitants were many degrees in advance of their predecessors in everything that constitutes civilization.

The discovery of these lake dwellings in Switzerland ranks amongst the most notable achievements of modern antiquarian science. From time to time during the first part of this century, and even earlier, ancient wooden stakes and stone implements of finished workmanship had been noticed along the shores of the lakes of Zürich and Constance. They were objects of wonder for awhile, but were soon forgotten. Finally during the severe winter of 1853–54 a peculiar circumstance forced the whole subject upon public attention. In that year the lakes and rivers of Switzerland were unusually low, and the receding waters left great stretches of bottom-land exposed to view. The inhabitants of Obermeilen, a village on the lake of Zürich, profiting by this rare opportunity, set to work reclaiming as much as possible of the uncovered ground for gardens and quays. In the course of their labors they came upon piles driven deep into the soil, and presenting every appearance of great age, while scattered about in the immediate vicinity lay stags’ horns and stone utensils. Fortunately the village school-master, Herr Aeppli was sufficiently impressed by these finds to notify the Antiquarian Association