The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
Ornaments were not always of bronze. Necklaces were sometimes
made of amber, and gold beads were quite common. We give a cut of
both. They are from burial mounds of this age in England. We
remember the ornamentations on implements in the Paleolithic Age
was by engraving animal forms. In the Neolithic Age they seem to
have cared very little for ornamenting. During the Bronze Age the
ornamentation was of a simple but pleasing and uniform style. It
consisted of simple geometrical patterns, combination of circles,
dots, and straight lines. In this next figure we have given the
principal designs found in France.
Necklace and Beads.
In the arts of living an increase in culture is noticeable. We
have seen that in Neolithic times they were acquainted with the
use of the distaff. In the Bronze Age they manufactured woolen
cloth. We have but few specimens of this cloth, because it is
under only very exceptional circumstances that woolen fabrics can
be preserved for any great length of time. From examinations of
burial mounds of this period, it would appear that the better
class of people were clad in linen and woolen. Probably the use
of the skins of animals for dress purposes was mostly
discontinued during this age. Woolen cloaks of this period have
been found in Denmark, though probably dating from near the
close.
Ornamental Designs. Bronze Sickle.
In agriculture we detect only such advances as improved
implements would suggest. They used the sickle in gathering in
the harvest. We find no implements which we are sure were used
for agricultural purposes. Yet they must have had some means of
preparing the ground for the cereals. The day of wild animals was
gone. In the lake settlements of this age the domestic animals
outnumbered the wild species.16
During this age the horse was used for riding and driving, and
oxen were used for plowing.
The proof of this fact is certain sketches found in Denmark. But
the use of bronze in that country continued after iron had been
introduced in the south of Europe. Pottery was more carefully
made—though the wheel for turning it was not yet introduced. The
shapes were varied and elegant; sometimes, instead of having a
flat base, they came to a point below—in which case they had to
be placed in a support before they could stand upright. Nearly
all the pottery bears the ornamentation peculiar to the Bronze
Age—that is, straight lines, dots, etc.
Clay Vessel and Support. Bronze Weapons.
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