A few specimens of pottery (Nos. 14 and 18) and an ornanamented horn (No. 20) complete the illustrations from this station.
Guévaux, etc.—The four stations on this part of the coast—viz. Guévaux, Mür, Motier, and Sugiez-Zollhaus—have furnished only a few traces of their existence, from which it would appear that they belonged to the pure Stone Age.
The group of well-preserved piles at the mouth of the Chandon was probably a Roman landing-stage, as Roman tiles have been found along with them.
At Nant were found two kettles, one of bronze and the other of copper with an iron ring, two daggers, some iron arrow-heads, and a piece of sculptured marble, evidently of a later period than the lake-dwellings.
Of the remaining eight or nine cairns whose tops were occasionally above water, none have yielded industrial relics, and there is consequently no evidence as to their age and use. They are too small to admit of even a single hut. (B. 462.)
The little lake of Inkwyl is surrounded by low pasture-land, and in the middle of it there is a small circular island thickly wooded, which in appearance suggests the idea of a Scottish Crannog. Professor von Morlot first, in 1854, drew attention to the probability of the island being artificially constructed, and a short notice to this effect, which appeared in 1857 (B. 19), induced Mr. Amiet, of Soleure, to make some excavations. In the following year (1858) these explorations were continued by Mr. Roth, the proprietor of the island. The result of their operations[18] showed that there was originally on the site of this island a pile-dwelling, which became subsequently a solid island, now rising about ten feet above the surface of the water. The island measured 90 feet by 80 feet, and in the interior of it, some 6 or 7 feet deep, there was a rough platform of logs supported on piles. The antiquities, collected immediately on and underneath the platform, consisted of stone axes of nephrite and serpentine, along with their staghorn haftings; corn-crushers; flint arrow-heads; bone implements; perforated tusks; fragments of pottery, both rough and fine; clay rings and weights; spindle-whorls; broken bones of various animals, such as stag, roe, marsh pig, wild boar, ox, beaver, and some birds. (B. 22.)
In the superficial layers were found a bronze spoon, fragments of Roman pottery and flanged roofing tiles, an iron lance-head, and a spur, apparently relics of the Middle Ages.
About half an hour's walk from Inkwyl there is a somewhat extensive valley, in which lies the small Burgäschisee, whose boggy margins were for some time surmised to contain the remains of lake-dwellings, as several objects of stone and a couple of bronze pins were found by peat-cutters. A few years ago the matter was put beyond doubt by investigations conducted under the superintendence of Dr. Uhlmann and Mr. Jenner. A series of pits were dug in the peat along the shore of the lake, and at a depth of 2 to 4½ feet they came upon very rotten piles, and a large assortment of the usual industrial remains of the lake-dwellers of the Stone Age. The relics and osseous remains were similar to those from Moosseedorfsee; and among the former were stone axes, flint saws, scrapers and daggers, arrow-points, of flint and of rock crystal, with traces of asphalt, and mealing-stones. Also fragments of various vessels, one with a handle; implements of bone and horn, as chisels, pointers, etc.; a rubbing instrument, made of the underjaw of a beaver; forked implements of ribs, etc.
Noteworthy is the fact that some stone relics show evidence of having been sawn. A short notice of these discoveries is inserted in the eighth report on the Pfahlbauten by Mr. Keiser, of Burgdorf. (B. 336.)
This settlement, known as Moosseedorf, was situated in the marsh of Münchenbuchsee, about seven miles from Bern. The small lake of this name is now nothing more than a moorland tarn, surrounded by meadow-land and peat bogs. It is of an oblong form, having its greatest axis (east to west) corresponding with that of the valley. During the winter of 1855-6, in consequence of a canal made for agricultural purposes, its usual level was lowered some eight feet, and thus a considerable portion of its peaty bed became exposed, and for the first time divulged the existence of two prehistoric pile dwellings, one at each end of the lake. The western, which was more satisfactorily investigated, owing to its site becoming dry land, proved to be a small parallelogram 70 by 55 feet. This area was occupied with piles of entire or split stems of oak and other woods, and leading from it and running to the shore, there was a kind of faggot roadway of branches. The relics were found among the piles and underneath a stratum of mud, containing the roots of reeds and water-plants. This relic-bed varied in thickness from 5 inches to 2 feet, and contained stones, gravel, bones, charcoal, etc., lying immediately over the shell-marl. The piles penetrated into this shell-marl, but no relics were found in it. During the succeeding ten years after its discovery, these settlements and their industrial remains were carefully examined by Messrs. Jahn, Morlot, and Dr. Uhlmann. (B. 19, 22, 34, 40, 126.)
The relics, most of which are deposited in the Bern Museum, include a large assortment of industrial remains:—40 stone celts (four of which are of nephrite), a number of stones perforated, and one stone spindle-whorl; flint saws in handles; arrow-points of bone, flint (one with barbs), and rock crystal; harpoons; horn fastenings for celts, some with a bifurcated end; three horn cups, all with a round hole at the edge; needles, gouges, chisels, and pointers of bone; a comb made of yew, a fish-hook made of boar's tusk, a skate from the leg-bone of the horse, pieces of cloth and string, bits of wood perforated as for net-floats, rolls of birch-bark, etc.
Fragments of pottery had perforated knobs for suspension, and some of them indicated large vessels—about 16 or 17 inches in diameter. In 1868 Dr. Uhlmann found a fragment of pottery having a perforated knob, and alongside of it, evidently for ornamentation, there were triangular bits of birch-bark plastered over the surface with asphalt. (B. 336, p. 37.) (Fig. 184, No. 5.)
Two portions of stone sawn off show that the art of sawing this material was then known.
According to Dr. Uhlmann's analysis of its flora and fauna the following species were identified:—
Flora.—Barley, wheat (Trit. vulg. and compactum), pea, poppy, and flax (L. angust.); also the water-chestnut (Trapa natans).
Fauna.—Among domestic animals were the dog, sheep, and various kinds of ox. A few bones of the horse were also found among the osseous remains, but as it is not yet certain that the horse was domesticated in the Stone Age, these might belong to the wild species.
The remains of wild animals showed:—Bear, badger, polecat, marten, wild cat, otter, fox, hedgehog, beaver, hare, squirrel, fieldmouse, marsh pig, wild boar, elk, stag, roe, ox (Bos prim.), bison, several kinds of falcons, owl, wild pigeon, crow, partridge, heron, stork, sea-gull, wild duck, and teal; also those of the tortoise, frog, toad, perch, carp, pike, and salmon. (B. 284.)
In 1806 this lake was lowered to the extent of 6 or 8 feet, and on the shore thus exposed a number of piles became visible, among which it was reported that there were Celtic weapons, hair-pins, and other implements found. "Keltische Waffen, die in vii Bande des Geschichtsfreundes beschreiben sind, Nadeln und andere Gegenstände." (B. 15, p. 99.) But these notices and relics of a past civilisation attracted little attention at the time, and it was only in the light of Keller's discovery of lake-dwellings that the recollection of the find at Sempach was revived and properly interpreted. Colonel Schwab in his lacustrine peregrinations extended his researches also to Lake Sempach, and identified seven or eight stations along its shores, most of which were then on dry land. These settlements were situated near the following places:—Eich, Schenken, Inselchen, Mariazell, Margarethen, and Nottwyl: and in all of them some antiquities either of stone or bronze were collected. (B. 61.)
At the north end, near the site of the lake-dwelling at Mariazell, but about 20 feet from the water and a foot underground, there was a remarkable bronze hoard found. (B. 126.) At a short distance from this there was a human skull disinterred, and along with it a hair-pin and a bronze gouge; but whether or not these objects belonged to the lake-dwellers it is impossible to say. Most of the lake-dwelling remains from the Sempachersee are deposited in the Museum of Lucerne, among which I have noted the following:—One or two discoidal stones; a few clay cylinders with everted edges; whorls of various forms and sizes, some ornamented with lines and pitted impressions; pottery ornamented with lines and triangles, finger-marks, etc.; and four beautifully-worked stone axes (Fig. 15, Nos. 8, 9, and 10). The bronze find from Maria Zellermoos includes seven winged and two flat celts, a chisel, two knives, one dagger with six rivets, four sickles (one with back spur), and 13 flat bracelets. Some Roman keys, buckles, a few yellow beads of glass (one of amber), etc., are mixed with this find. Specimens of these bronze implements are given on Fig. 15, Nos. 1 to 7, and 11.
To the west of the little Lake of Wauwyl there is an extensive peaty plain, in which, upon the lowering of the lake for further utilisation of the peat, the remains of some curiously-constructed lake-dwellings were discovered. Wooden platforms were met with, resting, not on piles, but upon a series of successive beds of roughly-cut stems lying transversely to each other, the lowest of which reposed on the lake-bottom. Between these layers were branches and brushwood, mixed with clay, and the whole mass was pierced with vertical piles, the tops of which were at least a foot above the upper platform. These layers were as many as five, and the total thickness of the mass when exposed was about 3 feet, but there can be no doubt that, originally, it would have been greater, as there had been considerable condensation of the mass due to decay, especially of the interposing branches. The uprights were not observed to have been in any way connected with the platform, and the only peculiarity in the method of their arrangement was that they were more thickly placed at the corners, as if to keep the wooden mass in position. These artificial structures measured only 10 or 12 feet square, but they were very numerous, and so close that beams from one sometimes reached to the one next it. They were found in various parts of the moor, but in one place they were crowded into a rectangle measuring 90 feet by 50, which was surrounded by several rows of upright piles, as if for common protection. The upright piles were made of oak, alder, or fir, and they penetrated deeply into the shell marl—the stoutest being of oak, measuring 5 inches or more in diameter. It is noteworthy that the lowest horizontal woodwork lay on the shell marl, showing that these dwellings were constructed before the peat commenced to grow. The peat is now at least 6 feet thick., i.e. 3 feet of peat lying above the uppermost platforms.
No antiquarian remains were found underneath the wooden structures, but mostly in the intervals between them, where the objects lay almost directly over the shell marl. The settlement appears to have come to an end before the Bronze Age, as no metal object has been met with. A small glass bead is therefore of interest, as showing that the colonists must have had commercial relations with distant countries. Among the other antiquities are the following:—Stone celts (some of nephrite) hafted in staghorn fixings, and flint implements; chisels, pointers, flax-hecklers, etc., of bone; a lump of asphalt, harpoons of staghorn, knives made of yew, and various fragments of pottery with perforated knobs. In the Museum of Lucerne there are a few things, among which are one or two objects showing that the art of boring stone was known (Fig. 16, Nos. 1 and 2).
Fig. 16.—Lakes of Wauwyl (1 and 2), Zug (8), and Baldegg. No. 5 = 1⁄4, all the rest = 1⁄2 real size.
The site of the first discovered settlement in this lake lay a little to the north of the town of Zug. A section of some excavations made for building purposes about 50 feet from the lake showed first a bed of common mould 2½ feet thick, then a layer of sand and rolled stones 1½ foot thick, after which came the relic-bed—a blackish band of decayed organic matter, varying in thickness from 8 inches to 1 foot, and containing the tops of piles and various industrial remains. The heads of the piles were on a level, and in some places cross-beams were observed. The relics include some stone hatchets, one fragment being of nephrite; a few flint objects—lance and arrow-heads, and one knife. There were also portions of sawn stones, apparently for making implements. From a small collection of bones Professor Rütimeyer identified the horse, cow, dog, marsh pig, red deer, roe, and hare.[19]
The surface of the soil where these discoveries were made was about 15 feet above that of the water in the lake, which of course would leave the relic-bed still on dry land—a peculiarity which is accounted for by the reported deepening of the outlet in former times. This explanation is very probable, as the channel of the Lorze, which carries off the surplus waters of Lake Zug, in passing through the town of Cham, bears evidence of having been artificially deepened. The large amount of detritus conveyed annually into this end of the lake also satisfactorily accounts for the depth at which the relic-bed lies below the surface.
Farther round the head of the lake, at Koller, near Cham, another site was discovered, on which some excavations were made, which revealed a relic-bed 3 feet below the surface. The finds here were broken celts of serpentine, fragments of pottery indicating large vessels. The present level of the lake is 3 feet below this relic-bed.
A third station was at St. Andreas, the evidence of which was the finding of a great number of stone celts, flint knives and arrow-points, over a certain part of a cultivated field bordering on the lake. Peculiar among the finds here are some curious oval objects made of limestone, with a short neck perforated (Fig. 16, No. 8).
Traces of three other stations—viz. at Derschbach, Zweieren, and Badeplatz—have been noted beyond Cham, but they have not been carefully investigated. Pottery ornamented with triangular lines and the "meander" pattern would seem to point to a later period. (B. 126, Pl. iii.)
A few of the objects collected on these stations are in a small museum in Zug; others are at Zürich; and in Bern there are 12 stone celts and one of copper, marked as coming from the station at Lorze.
In the year 1871 the proprietors of the land around this lake reduced its level by drainage some 2½ to 3 feet, in consequence of which indications of lake-dwellings became visible in the vicinity of the outlet. The piles were irregularly placed along the shore, and spread over a wide range. In one place the area attained a breadth of 400 or 500 feet, and again it contracted and the piles only appeared in groups. In making excavations, the tops of piles became more numerous, and at a depth of 7 feet, beds of charcoal, containing nutshells and bits of pottery, were encountered.
Professor Amrein, who conducted the investigations, could distinguish two kinds of piles, some older than others. Horizontal beams were seldom met with. There was no regular relic-bed, as worked implements were found at all depths, from 1 to 8 feet. Some beautiful specimens of bone pointers and serpentine chisels (Fig. 16, Nos. 4 and 5) were turned up from a depth of 8 to 10 feet. Beds of clay were occasionally met with, and the piles appeared to have been arranged so as to enclose square huts. In one of the trenches some stone celts were lying on a bed of clay at a depth of 6 or 7 feet. One of these was of a grass-green colour with a transparent edge, and so hard that it could scratch glass. In an adjacent digging, at a depth of 4 feet, a large flat stone, 2 by 1½ feet, was found resting on the tops of six or seven piles, which penetrated through the bed of clay to the shell marl. The space between these supporting piles was filled with clay, and around the stone itself there were scattered bits of charcoal, fragments of pottery, hazel-nuts, etc.
Professor Amrein concludes his report by stating his opinion that this settlement was at its commencement a palatitte, and that subsequently fascine structures were constructed over its ruins.
The relics collected are partly in the Archæological Museum and partly in a small curiosity booth in the Gletscher Garten at Lucerne. Among those in the museum are beautifully-formed daggers and chisels of bone and horn (No. 6); four large harpoons (No. 7) and a scoop of horn; two horn hammers (perforated), and three small cups of the same material (No. 12); horn handles, etc.; rubbers, polishers, and celts of stone in large numbers; two flat pebbles (perforated); and some fragments of stone hammer-axes, one showing an effort to re-bore it (No. 3); several bits of rock crystal and flints worked into saws, scrapers, and arrow-points; fragments of pottery with knobs, and others ornamented with groups of triangular lines, dots, etc., the forms of which are extremely elegant (Nos. 9, 10, 11).
Leaving the great Jura chain of lakes we come, after a short journey through an upland glacial valley, to the Rhone basin and the Lake of Geneva. On the supposition that this was the route followed by the lake-dwelling founders, the first and most natural position for a settlement would be the bay of Morges; and it is somewhat singular that in this very place one of the largest and most instructive settlements on this lake flourished for successive ages. Here, within a few hundred yards of each other, three sites have been discovered, whose respective remains mark the progressive stages of civilisation evinced in the Stone Age, the transition period, and the most flourishing period of the Bronze Age. It will be therefore of importance to examine carefully the facts disclosed by the repeated examination of these typical stations before referring to the others in this lake. Nor in selecting it am I deviating from the order of discovery, as it was the earliest known and first examined in this part of Switzerland, after Keller's observations and researches at Ober-Meilen had roused the curiosity of antiquaries in the matter.
The existence of piles in the bay of Morges was known to fishermen for a long time, but of course their significance was not understood. However, on the 22nd of May, 1854, Messrs. Morlot and Troyon examined the locality, and speedily demonstrated, by the finding of actual industrial remains, that this had been the site of a habitation lacustre. The part of the bay in which these piles were observed was about 500 feet from the shore, and in a depth of water which varied from 8 to 10 feet, even when the lake was at its lowest. Under these circumstances it will be readily seen that it was no easy matter to make investigations; but, notwithstanding the difficulties involved, there was no lack of energy among the local archæologists, who for many years systematically prosecuted the work of fishing up, by means of hand-dredgers, nippers, etc., the submerged remains of these lacustrine villages. Foremost among these explorers were the MM. Forel, of Morges, father and son, whose reports and rich collection of antiquities have chiefly supplied the facts now communicated.
When Troyon (1860) published his well-known book on the lake-dwellings (B. 31), considerable progress had been made in the exploration of the station, and from the richness of the finds it got the name of "La grande Cité de Morges;" but it had not yet been ascertained that there were three separate stations, much less that these stations represented different periods. According to Troyon, most of the piles were of oak, and some had planchettes to prevent them sinking too far in the mud. A portion of one of these supports measured 13½ inches long, 4 inches broad, and 1 inch thick; and contained two square-cut holes 1½ inch in diameter and 4 inches apart. The relics found up to this period were of much interest. Among them were bronze hatchets 4 to 7 inches long, mostly of the winged type, only one having a socket. Of 13 knives, nine had tangs and four had sockets. Two swords, one of which, with flat handle, was whole; two socketed lance-heads; several bracelets of different kinds; and a bronze mould for casting celts[20] (Fig. 17, No. 8). Pottery, clay rings for supports, discoidal stones with marginal grooves, spindle-whorls, a couple of canoes, etc. Subsequently the MM. Forel began to distinguish the respective stations, to which they gave the following names:—(1) "La grande Cité de Morges," (2) "La Station des Roseaux," and (3) "La Station de l'Église."
Fig. 17.—Morges, Thonon (1, 2, 9, 10, and 16 to 18), and St. Prex (12). Nos. 7 and 8 = 1⁄4, the rest = 1⁄2 real size.
(1) The Grand City was some 500 feet from the shore, and occupied an area 1,200 feet long by 100 to 150 feet broad. The stumps of its thickly-studded piles were visible in the water never less than 8 to 10 feet deep, and among them were detected some cross-beams, and a canoe, 2 feet wide, with its prow sticking out of the mud. A large and miscellaneous assortment of relics was also collected. Over 450 bronze objects, says Dr. Forel, writing in 1876 (B. 286), were found on this station, and they all belong to the purest type of what Desor calls "le bel Age du Bronze," including swords, knives, sickles, hair-pins, bracelets, etc. One remarkable observation then made was that among 60 bronze winged celts (Nos. 13 and 14) there was not one single specimen of the flat kind. In 1866 two large reniform rings, one ornamented (Fig. 17, No. 3) and the other plain, were added to the list of objects from Morges. Only one object of iron, viz. a poignard, analogous to one from Lake Bourget, was found. Among the osseous remains the stag, goat, sheep, horse, and pig, were identified.
The bronze objects from this station up to the present date are thus enumerated by Dr. Forel (B. 462, p. 55):—
Winged celts, 66; socketed celts, 6; chisels and gouges, 6; swords, 4; lance-heads, 19; knives, 61; sickles, 23; bracelets, 95; rings, 79; hair-pins, 256; divers, 23. In this total of 633 objects are included, probably under the head "épingles," five curious objects of bronze with handles similar to those from Wollishofen and Grosser Hafner at Zürich. (B. 280, p. 699.)
(2) About 450 yards from the northern extremity of the Grand City there was another settlement (Roseaux), of smaller dimensions, which has yielded objects essentially different from those of the former. Here, in marked contradistinction to the Grand City celts, there were 18, all of which were of the flat type (No. 15), and not one with wings or sockets. But, on the other hand, there were a few polished stone celts and flint objects, three small lances, and one hair-pin of bronze, and a few iron sickles of modern type. The pottery was also of a mixed character, showing fragments of dishes of a coarse and fine kind. The piles showed marks as if produced by metal tools.
(3) The third station (l'Église) lies between the shore and the Grand City, and is separated from the latter by a sterile band 220 yards wide. Here there is a decided steinberg, presenting the unusual feature of having 20 or 30 rectangular or oval spaces measuring 13 to 20 feet in diameter without any stones. The antiquities from this station were stone celts (of which 86 are recorded by Dr. Forel up to the present date), stone spindle-whorls, sharpening stones, and some fragments of coarse pottery; but no objects of metal of any kind.
(4) A fourth station is named by Dr. Forel as lying opposite the ancient poudrière of Morges, and containing a small steinberg, on which six stone celts and a few other objects of the Stone Age have been found.
The search for lacustrine remains in other parts of the lake was so actively prosecuted that Troyon could enumerate no less than 26 stations discovered during the six years prior to 1860. (B. 31, p. 31.) Since then their number, as recently corrected by Dr. Forel (B. 462), has increased to 44, notwithstanding that eight localities (viz. Villeneuve, Creux de Plan, Lutry, Pully, St. Sulpice, Yvoire, Amphion, and Evian) where supposed lake-dwelling remains have been found are excluded as doubtful or not verified by subsequent investigations.
Though no such fortuitous circumstance as the "Correction des Eaux du Jura" has come to the assistance of the lacustreurs of Geneva, they have amassed a very considerable quantity of relics. Only at a few stations, as Thonon and the Port of Geneva, have they benefited from dredging operations carried out for public works. From the results obtained during these favourable conditions, it is quite clear that an enormous quantity of antiquities, especially of the Bronze Age, still lies buried in the waters of this lake.
We shall now make a tour of the lake, jotting the various characteristics of the lake-dwelling stations as we move along. (See accompanying Sketch Map.)
Above Morges are four stations, as follows:—
Station de Cully.—Some piles to the east of the town, but in water from 10 to 13 feet deep. Only a few isolated objects of stone and bronze have been recorded.
Station de la Pierre de Cour.—Near Lausanne, at a large erratic block known to bathers as Pierre de Cour, there are a few rows of piles in a depth of 13 feet, and at a distance of nearly 300 yards from the shore. A hair-pin and two small bits of bronze are the only relics recorded.
Station du Flon (Vidy).—A number of discoidal stones with marginal grooves, and some stone rubbers and polishers, are recorded from this station. (B. 22.)
Station de la Venoge.—To the east of the embouchure of the river, near St. Sulpice, and greatly covered by detritus.
Morges.—Four stations, already noticed.
Frai d'Aïgue.—In the gulf of Frai d'Aïgue, a little to the north of St. Prex, are three stations—viz. De Terreneuve, De Monnivert, and De Frai d'Aïgue—extending over a length of one kilomètre. They all belonged to the Stone Age, and represent probably parts of one and the same village. Mr. Colomb has collected more than 200 stone celts in various grades of manufacture in a space of 150 square mètres. From the same station there are in the Museum of Lausanne some 40 stone celts, a few flint flakes and knives, and a spindle-whorl.
St. Prex.—In the gulf to the south of St. Prex there is a station of the Bronze Age, the piles of which are to be seen in a depth of 10 or 11 feet of water. The station has yielded a considerable number of relics, some of which are deposited in the Lausanne Museum, viz. a flat bronze celt (Fig. 17. No. 12), clay support-ring, portions of clay crescents, seven stone celts, three or four fragments of pottery ornamented with curved lines and cable pattern (one fragment of black pottery is ornamented with tin strips), a bronze pin with spherical head, a large block for sharpening tools. The other bronzes known from the station are four knives, one bracelet, five rings, and 11 pins.
Rolle.—Situated opposite this town there appears to have been a lacustrine village of considerable size, which has yielded objects characteristic of both the Stone and Bronze Ages. Part of the area occupied with piles has been covered over by an artificial island, now bearing a monumental obélisque. Fragments of pottery of the same character as those from Morges, discoidal stones, hammer and sharpening stones, were among the relics.
Dr. Forel enumerates the bronze relics from this station as follows:—Two winged hatchets, one chisel, one lance, two knives, one sickle (now in the Lausanne Museum), one bracelet, 15 rings, and nine hair-pins. (B. 462.)
To the south of this is the Station de Beaulieu, of considerable extent, but poor in relics, only some 10 bronze objects having been found on it. (Ibid.)
Station du Châtaignier.—A small Stone Age station before the village of Dully. (Ibid.)
Station du Creux de la Dullive.—A great circular station of the Bronze Age, on which two winged celts, two bracelets, and a few rings and hair-pins have been collected. (Ibid.)
Nyon.—According to Dr. Forel (B. 286), there are two stations in the bay of Nyon—one at Promenthoux (Stone Age), to the right of the embouchure of the river; and the other (Bronze Age) to the north of the town of Nyon. Mr. A. Revilliod found on the latter station a remarkable object, consisting of 300 rings of bronze, from 7 to 8 inches in diameter, which became adherent to each other by a concretionary deposit from the lake. The total number of bronze relics from Nyon is 62, thus relegated:—Seven winged celts, one chisel, one lance-head, 10 knives, two sickles, 15 bracelets, 23 hair-pins, and three undefined objects.
We now enter the lower portion of the lake, where its breadth becomes suddenly contracted from 8 to 3 miles; and here it would appear that the lake-dwellers had thickly planted their peculiar villages on both sides of the lake. Along the shore, from Nyon downwards to where the Rhone makes its exit, and then up on the other side to the opposite point of Ivoire, Dr. Forel (B. 462) enumerates no less than 22 stations, in the following order:—
Station de Céligny.—Just before the landing-pier. Bronze Age.
Station de Coppet.—Discovered in 1874 by M. Magnin. Bronze Age.
Station de Mies.—Discovered in 1877, opposite the Château des Crenées. Bronze Age.
Station de Versoix.—A great station near the landing-pier. Bronze Age. Hatchets and knives of iron are said to have been found on this station.
Station de Bellevue.—Discovered in 1880, to the north of landing-pier. Bronze and Stone Ages.
Station des Pâquis.—Extends southwards from the jetty of the new port. Stone Age.
Station des Eaux-Vives.—Outside the port, along the suburb of this name. Stone Age.
Cité de Genève.—A vast station occupying the present port. Bronze Age.
Station de Plongeon.—At the northern end of the Station des Eaux-Vives, in a contracted spot, Dr. Gosse has found some 30 objects of iron, some of which resemble those of La Tène.
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.
Station de la Pointe de la Bise.—Immediately to the north of La Belotte there is another station, said to be one of the transition period, owing to its having supplied a couple of flat axes. The only other metal objects are a few rings and hair-pins.
Station de Bellerive.—A large station yielding objects both of the Stone and Bronze Ages.
Gabiule.—Before the steamboat landing-stage are two stations—one of the Stone Age; and another, in deeper water, of the Bronze Age.
Station d'Anière (Bassy).—A small Bronze Age station in deep water.
We next come to a group of four stations, all within a compass of two miles, which are sometimes confounded with one another, and described as "Les Stations de Tougues." One is near Hermance, and is known as the Station de la Vie à l'Ane or du Moulin; a second is vis-à-vis de la Fabrique Canton; a third is opposite the Château Beauregard; and a fourth, Creux de Tougues, lies before the village of Chens. These settlements were all parallel to the shore, and their remains are in deep water. Their relics are of a mixed character, and would indicate that, while founded in the Stone Age, they subsisted during that of Bronze.
Fig. 18.—Geneva and Tougues (9, 10, 12, and 13). Nos. 6, 12, and 13 = 1⁄4, the rest = 1⁄2 real size.
The station at Creux de Tougues is the most important of the group, and it has furnished a large number of antiquities. It is about 130 yards from the shore, in a depth of water varying from 5 to 10 feet. Ordinary stone celts, 27 of which have been collected (B. 462), were found on the part next the shore. The collection of bronze objects consists of:—Four winged celts (Fig. 18, No. 10), one flat celt, two socketed chisels, one sword, one lance-head, 21 knives, five sickles (No. 9), 14 bracelets, 120 rings, 170 hair-pins, and six diverse objects. Pottery from this station (Nos. 12 and 13) comes largely to the front, and in the Museum of Geneva there are fine specimens of plates, cups, vases, and other vessels of a fine black ware which, both in form and ornamentation, resemble those from the palafittes of Lake Bourget and others of the Bronze Age in Switzerland. Spindle-whorls, discoidal stones with a marginal groove, rubbing stones, etc., are also abundant. A peculiarly-shaped stone object known as "gorge de poulies" comes here to be noted. (B. 31, 281 and 462.)
Messery.—Piles are here seen projecting above the mud 2 to 5 feet, in a depth of about 12 feet of water. One of the piles pulled up by Troyon showed markings of a metal tool. Numerous fragments of pottery characteristic of the Bronze Age have been found, but only two objects of this metal, viz. a winged celt and a sickle.
Nernier.—Two stations are described in the vicinity of the village of this name. One, near the shore, and partly covered up with gravel, belonged to the Stone Age. Here Troyon observed some large piles in a depth of 6 feet of water, and others he found on the shore buried in the gravel. Among the objects collected are flint flakes, spindle-whorls, hatchets of serpentine (a perforated one is in the Museum of Annecy), some worked bones, etc.
The Bronze Age station is 600 yards to the west of the village, and 150 from the shore. The relics consist of pottery, spindle-whorls, ring-supports, etc. Among the bronze objects are:—Eight winged celts, two chisels, one sword, two lance-heads, three knives, three sickles, five bracelets, three rings, and five hair-pins. Among the rings is included a pendeloque, in the form of a large hollow ring, attached to which is a small ring for suspension.
Stations d'Excenevrez et de Coudré.—In rounding the point of Ivoire we come to a sheltered bay, into which a couple of streams discharge their waters, carrying down a considerable amount of débris, so that the lake-dwelling remains are here deeply buried. Traces of two stations have, however, been observed, one, station De Moulin-Pâquis, near Excenevrex, and the other, De Coudré, opposite Château Bartholoni, not far from the village of Sciex. Both appear to belong to the Stone Age, and in the latter, in 1874, 12 stone hatchets were found.
Thonon.—There were two separate settlements at Thonon. One (Stone Age), about 20 yards from the shore, was discovered in 1862, when the new port was being formed. The objects there collected were piles, flint implements, stone hatchets, spindle-whorls, and some coarse pottery.
The Bronze Age station was considerably in advance of the former, and in a depth of 3 to 4 yards. The settlement was extensive, and ran parallel to the shore, and from its remains a large assortment of relics has been collected. Being among the earliest discovered in the Lake of Geneva, it has been industriously searched by a number of well-known archæologists, as Troyon, Forel, Revon, Monod, Revilliod, Carrard, etc., and consequently its treasures are widely distributed. The bronze objects, according to Dr. Forel (B. 462), amount to 48, viz. 11 winged celts, two lance-heads, six knives, two sickles, 14 bracelets, two rings, five hair-pins, and six diverse objects. One of the knives, which is finely ornamented and one foot in length, has the peculiarity that the handle contains less tin than the blade (Fig. 17, No. 16). Another knife was adapted for side-plates to be riveted on its handle (No. 11); while others were socketed and tanged (Nos. 17 and 18). Some of the hatchets have a side loop, and others are devoid of it. Among other things are a large ring, armilla sacra (Carrard), (No. 2); a pendant of three involved rings, together with various other pendants (No. 9). Among the pottery are fragments with perforated knobs, herring-bone pattern (No. 1), etc.; and some charming vases, clay ring-supports, etc.
There are thus, according to Dr. Forel, 11 stations of the Stone Age; three of the period of transition (i.e. with hatchets of bronze of the flat type), six with mixed objects, 19 of the Bronze Age, and one (Station de Plongeon) which furnished objects characteristic of the early Iron Age.
These notes have been collected from a fragmentary and widely-scattered literature, including the following original sources:—B. 22, 31, 34, 40, 121, 126, 138, 152, 280, 282, 286, 315, 377, and 462.
In a small valley among the heights above Bex, adjoining the Rhone valley, there were found, in 1791, while a canal was being dug for facilitating the cutting of peat, some industrial remains which point to the existence of a lake-dwelling of the Bronze Age. At the north of the basin, and at a depth of 6 feet, a quantity of bones (some human), grains of corn, bronze rings, the tip of a scabbard, and three remarkable swords (from 23 to 26 inches in length) were encountered (Fig. 19). The swords are still preserved, and indubitably belong to the most flourishing period of the Bronze Age. In the summer of 1859 Mr. Troyon made excavations in the turf of the former bed of this lake, but found only a portion of worked wood, which might have been used as a handle for a stone hatchet. According to an old tradition in the neighbourhood, a château once existed here which had been engulfed in the lake. (B. 31.)