The Lake-Dwellings of Europe: Being the Rhind Lectures in Archæology for 1888Munro, Robert
History
The Lake-Dwellings of Europe: Being the Rhind Lectures in Archæology for 1888
Munro, Robert
Lake-dwellers and lake-dwellings -- Bibliography; Lake-dwellers and lake-dwellings -- Europe
Mr. Le Mire has published an illustrated report of his investigations
(B. 219), from which these notes are taken, but the accompanying
illustrations (=Fig. 23=) are from a selection of objects exhibited
in the anthropological section of the Paris International Exposition
of 1889. In this collection I note that there are a few relics, such
as the two bronze objects, to which Mr. Le Mire does not refer in his
report; probably these may have been found since its publication.
Among the relics staghorn implements take a prominent place. Handles
and fixers for stone weapons amounted to 49, and the two here
illustrated (of five exhibited in Paris) still retain their celts
(Nos. 6 and 8). There are several perforated horn hammers, one of
which (No. 7) retained portion of its wooden handle when found;
another is a foot long, and the perforation is nearer the burr of
the horn which forms the hammer-end. A tyne 11 inches long forms the
handle to a small stone chisel. Another object (No. 5) is a _unicum_
of its kind. It is a chisel of horn formed from the tyne, with the
body of the horn forming a neatly-polished handle.
The polished daggers or pointers are also finely made, and almost
remind one of those at Laibach. Twenty-six were exhibited in Paris,
three of which are here represented, including the largest and
smallest (Nos. 9, 13, and 14).
About a dozen triangular or leaf-shaped arrow-points, and one or two
spear-heads of flint. Of the latter, one (No. 2) is remarkable for its
size and elegant workmanship.
Wooden dishes formed out of the solid, all having a round base, were
collected to the number of 15, and some large globular pieces of wood
were supposed to be the primary stage of their manufacture. One dish
figured by Le Mire is here reproduced, and shows a neat handle (No.
15). There were also wooden mallets perforated for a handle. Three
bits of a bow, one showing the tip with a notch for the string. An
axle-tree for a waggon Le Mire considers interesting, as showing a
knowledge and use of traction by wheels.
Besides a few stone celts and chisels, most of which were still in
their horn handles, there were a few flint knives (No. 1), three
sharpening stones, two curious and novel objects of polished stone,
one of which is illustrated (No. 10).
The pottery includes 140 fragments of dishes, showing various forms of
handles and linear ornamentation.
Of bronze there are just two objects, a small awl or chisel and a
much-worn dagger (Nos. 11 and 12).
Animal bones collected to the amount of 150 kilogrammes were not
reported on by a skilled person; but, according to Le Mire, they
belonged chiefly to the ox, stag, boar and pig; among them was a fine
specimen of a bear's skull. Among other organic remains were a few
grains of wheat and acorns.
MARSH DWELLING IN THE TOWN OF BORDEAUX.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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