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
The Mindlisee is near Möggingen, and its Pfahlbau is more difficult
of investigation, owing to the bogginess of the peat. Some of the
antiquities from this locality, and now in the Museum at Constance,
consist of fragments of pottery, two ornamented pins and a dagger of
copper (Nos. 2, 3 and 11), some bronze objects (Nos. 14 and 15), and
a curiously shaped stone, like a hatchet and handle in one piece (No.
12). (B. 381 and 462.)
FEDERSEE.
The settlement in the Federsee was reported on by Oberförster
Frank, of Schussenried, in 1876, being the result of systematic
investigations conducted by him during the previous year. (B. 285.) It
was situated in the south-east corner of an extensive tract of peat
which now largely occupies the ancient basin of the Federsee, at a
place about three miles distant from the present small lake, and 380
yards from its ancient or glacial margin. Immediately over the glacial
_débris_ in which this basin is formed there lies a layer of whitish
clay, "Weissergrund," about 15 inches thick, and then follows peat for
a thickness of 10 or 12 feet. The lake-dwelling remains are met with
at a depth of 6½ feet, but it is impossible to form a correct idea
of the extent of the entire settlement, as it is only a portion that
has been exposed. At this depth in the peat wooden platforms are met
with, formed of layers of round or split timbers lying transversely
one above the other, and forming a kind of fascine structure. Between
the wooden layers there is always placed a bed of clay, the number of
which varies from three to eight, so that there is no uniformity in
the thickness represented by these structures.
Inserted through these solid masses of clay and wood, at intervals
of about 2¼ feet, were upright beams, only some of which reached
the Weissergrund. These piles were slender, only about 4 inches in
diameter, and showed no evidence of having either mortises or tenons
by which they could be joined with the horizontal beams.
Relics were found not only on the surface of these fascine structures,
but also in the clay between the successive layers or platforms, and
even underneath the lowest, down as far as the Weissergrund, but
never actually in the latter. Between the lowest layers of woodwork
and the Weissergrund there is sometimes a space of 4 or 5 feet in
which horns, broken bones, and other relics are found; but it is
"above and between the horizontal layers of timbers, and chiefly in
the immediate neighbourhood of the upright piles, that implements of
all kinds are met with--of flint, stone, horn, bone, teeth, and wood;
also earthenware vessels and spoons quite perfect."
In June, 1879, Mr. Frank was fortunate in finding the actual
foundation of a hut, showing the flooring and portions of the side
walls, the dimensions and other particulars of which I will afterwards
discuss.[26]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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