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 last four are generally known as the Stations of Geneva, so that
the lower extremity of the lake must have been actually studded with
settlements. At the foot of the largest of the two well-known and
superstitiously-revered boulders called Pierres à Niton were found,
about the middle of last century, a knife (=Fig. 18=, No. 5) and a
celt of bronze of the flat type, which are still preserved in the
Museum of the town. Near this was the Bronze Age station called by
Dr. Forel "Cité de Genève," but sometimes described as the Station
des Eaux-Vives. It would appear that there are two stations described
under the latter name--one of the Stone Age, about 100 yards nearer
the shore; and the other of the Bronze Age ("Cité de Genève").
The Cité de Genève is now the richest bronze station hitherto
investigated in the Lake of Geneva. It occupied a horseshoe-shaped
area, filling the entire space presently forming the port, and even
sent a prolongation down to Rousseau's island. Dr. Forel estimates
the number of bronze objects collected here at 1,500, being rather
more than the total number from all the other stations in the Lake of
Geneva.
At its northern extremity, next the Station des Eaux-Vives, Dr. Gosse
came upon what must have been the site of a foundry. Here, in a
confined space not exceeding 100 square yards, he fished up no less
than 50 stone moulds, crucibles, ingots of bronze and tin, scoriæ, and
other materials of the founder's art. (B. 462.)
Most of the objects of general interest from this station have been
deposited in the Archæological Museum. Dr. Forel classifies those
of bronze as follows:--25 winged hatchets, 19 socketed hatchets,
four flat hatchets, seven chisels and gouges, four swords, seven
lance-heads, 72 knives, 22 sickles, 75 bracelets, 230 rings, 1,000
hair-pins, and 60 diverse objects. In looking over this collection I
made the following notes:--The socketed celts have the loop generally
at right angles to the cutting edge. The knives are both socketed and
tanged. Bracelets show a great variety of forms, but the solid ones
predominate. Sickles have more frequently a raised button. The ceramic
art shows the usual Bronze Age decoration of triangles, and the paste
is of two qualities. Clay ring-supports, spindle-whorls, discoidal
stones, etc., are very abundant. Among the odds and ends are to be
noted pins with large perforated heads, fish-hooks, buttons, a large
plaque with repoussé work of slightly-raised bosses, a rude image like
a stag of bronze, a variety of pendants, small tin wheel-like objects
in concentric circles, etc. A few of these objects are represented on
=Fig. 18=, all of which, except Nos. 9, 10, 12, and 13, are from this
station and deposited in the Museum at Geneva.
STATION DE LA BELOTTE.--A large station, rich in Stone Age relics. A
couple of bracelets and a few rings and hair-pins of bronze, in all 21
objects, are among the treasures from this settlement, which comprise
no less than 1,400 stone celts.
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