Page:The Rise of the Swiss Republic (1892).djvu/25

Rh eries which have been made, and the theories to which they have given rise.

Taking all the settlements together, they have demonstrated in a very striking manner the correctness of the classification of prehistoric remains into the great periods of stone, bronze and iron, which antiquarians had made before the discovery of lake dwellings. There are stations where only stone and bone implements have been found, and no vestige of metal appears; others in which copper and bronze utensils begin to show themselves in small quantities; others again where bronze predominates and faint traces of iron are to be seen, and finally there is one settlement at least, La Tène, in which iron reigns supreme. Some stations even passed through several successive stages, but in general those situated in the eastern part of Switzerland did not long survive the first appearance of metal, while those of the western part continued through the bronze and into the dawn of the iron ages.

Amongst the chief articles found in the deposits under the dwellings, the following will give an idea of the truly astonishing advance in civilization which this mysterious race had made.

There are hearth-stones, corn-crushers, spindle-whorls, sickles, scissors, needles, harpoons, fish-hooks, crucibles, axes of various descriptions, flint-saws, arrow-heads, lance-heads, clubs, daggers and swords; parts of a chariot, of horse-bits and bridles, a wooden yoke, a canoe, basket-work and a bow of yew-wood; for personal adornment there are bracelets, arm-bands, rings, hair-pins, beads of amber, glass and gold, combs of wood and bronze, and girdles; specimens of woven cloth, of fish-nets, mats, thread, ropes, even of embroideries and checked muslin. As for examples of pottery, they are of all kinds and of all degrees of fineness, but it is noteworthy that while the Troglodytes decorated their implements with images of real objects, as for instance of a reindeer, the Lake Dwellers drew only imaginary designs, such as geometrical patterns and arabesques. A few rude plastic images of animals have been discovered,