The bones which have been found in the lacustrine settlements of
Switzerland have enabled us to reconstruct with some degree of accuracy
the _fauna_ of this epoch, and to ascertain what species of animals were
then in subjugation to the yoke of man.
Professor Rütimeyer is of opinion that the whole of these bones may be
referred to about seventy species of animals--ten of which are fish,
three reptiles, twenty birds, and the rest mammiferous animals.
The remains most commonly met with are those of the stag and the ox, the
former wild, and the latter domestic. Next in order comes the pig,
remains of which are also very abundant; then follows the roe, the goat,
and the sheep, all of which are much less common. The remains of the fox
are met with almost as often as those of the latter species, and in
spite of the foetid smell of this animal it certainly was used for
food--a fact which is proved by its bones having been split open and
notched with knives. It is, however, very probable that this kind of
sustenance was turned to as a last resort only in cases when no other
more suitable food could be obtained.
The long bones which have been found in lakes, like those met with in
caves and kitchen-middens, have been split in order to extract the
marrow. Just as in the kitchen-middens, the softer parts are always
gnawed, which shows us that the dog had been there.
The repugnance which is felt by so many nations for the flesh of the
hare is a very curious fact, and shows us how difficult it is to root
out certain prejudices. This repugnance may be traced back as far as
pre-historic ages. Neither the diluvial beds, the caves, the
kitchen-middens, nor the lacustrine settlements have, in fact, furnished
us with any traces of the hare. Even in the present day, the Laplanders
and Greenlanders banish this animal from their alimental list.
Among the Hottentots the women eat it but not the men. The Jews, too,
look upon it as unclean, and many years have not elapsed since the
Bretons would hardly endure to hear it spoken of.
The antipathy which is thus shown by certain modern nations to the flesh
of the hare has, therefore, been handed down to them from the primitive
ages of mankind.
The researches of Prof. Rütimeyer have led to the conclusion that
there existed in Switzerland during the Stone Age six species of
domestic animals--the ox, the pig, the goat, the sheep, the dog, and the
horse, the latter being very rare. There were, also, three specimens of
the bovine race; the two wild species of the ox genus, namely, the urus
and the bison, both very anciently known, had been increased by a third,
the domestic ox.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account