16 OBJECTS BELONGING TO 



Col. Schwab's splendid collection from Nidau tells the same 

 tale. He has only 33 stone axes, and yet as many as 335 

 corn-crushers. The other articles of stone he has not appa- 

 rently collected. He has nearly 200 spindle-whorls, and many 

 earthenware rings, specimens of which have also been found 

 at Merges, but which, are entirely wanting at the Pont de 

 Thiele, at Wauwyl, at Moosseedorf, and at Wangen. 



It is, of course, possible that very different states of civi- 

 lization may co-exist in different parts of the same country ; 

 but in this case we must remember that the settlement at 

 Nidau is only about fifteen miles from Moosseedorf. Nor can 

 we suppose that the differences were merely a question of 

 wealth ; the bronze fish-hooks, axes, small rings, pins, etc., 

 which are found in such large numbers, show that bronze 

 was used not for the articles of luxury only, but also for the 

 ordinary implements of daily life. 



Nor is it only in the presence or absence of bronze that 

 the Pfahlbauten differ from one another; there are many 

 other indications of progress. We cannot expect to find 

 much evidence of this in the implements of bone or stone ; 

 but, as has already been mentioned, the better forms of stone 

 axe, and those which are perforated, are very rare, if not 

 altogether absent, in the Stone Age, none having been found 

 at the Pont de Thiele, at Moosseedorf, or at Wauwyl, and 

 only two at Wangen. 



Again, it is not only by the mere presence of bronze, but 

 by the beauty and variety of the articles made out of it, that 

 we are so much struck. In a collection of objects made at 

 any of the Stone Age settlements, no one can fail to remark 

 the uniformity which prevails. The wants of the artificers 

 seem to have been few and simple. In the Bronze Age all 

 this is altered. We find not only axes, arrows, and knives, 

 but, in addition, swords, lances, sickles, ear-rings, bracelets, 

 pins, rings, and a variety of other articles. On page 46 is a 



