S2 OEIGINAL AETICLES. 



also, are less? decayed, and project above tlie mud farther than those of 

 the preceding epoch. M. Morlot considers that the horizontal plat- 

 form rested upon the top of these piles, at such a height as to allow for 

 all ordinary variations in the level of the water. M. Suter, however, 

 supposes that in some cases, at least, the platform was not attached 

 to the perpendicular piles, but rested upon the water, rising and 

 sinking with it. The structure of the Pileworks at TVauwyl, in 

 the Canton of Lucerne, certainly seems to lavour this view. It was 

 composed of four rectangular divisions, separated by narrow channels, 

 over which, no doubt, bridges were thrown, and through which canoes 

 might pass. The piles were less numerous than usual, and were 

 grouped principally round the outer edge of the platforms. In this 

 case they have been preserved by peat ; they are from three to four 

 and a half inches in diameter, all rounded, and not formed of split 

 timber. In order to ascertain their length, M. Suter dug up two 

 of them ; the longest penetrated four feet through the peat, and ten 

 feet six inches into the ancient bed of the lake ; the other, also 

 four feet through the peat, but only four feet six inches lower. M. 

 Suter examined the piles carefully, but fruitlessly, to ascertain any 

 manner in which the platform can have been attached to them. 



Tlie platform itself consisted of five layers of trees, curiously and 

 carefully fastened together by clay and interlaced branches of trees, but 

 like the perpendicular piles they were examined in vain for any traces 

 of notches, mortises, holes, ligatures, bolts, or any other contrivance, 

 by which the upright pUes and the platforms could have been fas- 

 tened together. 



Not only were the debris of their rej^asts, and other rubbish 

 thrown into the water, but more or less valuable weapons and instru- 

 ments must have been sometimes lost in this manner, especially as 

 children formed, of course, the usual proportion of the population. 

 Many of the articles presently to be mentioned, were however, 

 in all probability, engulphed at the destruction of the Pfahlbauten, 

 some of which were perhaps burnt and rebuilt more than once. 



The number of stone implements which have been abeady found 

 is quite astonishing ; at Wangen, in Lake Constance, many hiuidred 

 weapons of various sorts have been discovered, and a great number 

 also at Moosseedorf,'Wau^vyl and Eobenhausen,in none of which places 

 has a single piece of metal been as yet met Avith, a fact which, taken 

 in connexion with the great number of bronze implements which 

 have been collected from other Pileworks, clearly indicates that 

 the settlements above mentioned, belonged to the age of Stone. Not 

 only, hoY^'evcr, is metal absent, and not only, as we have already 

 seen, does the Fauna indicate a greater antiquity, but the stone 

 weapons themselvess are less varied and less skilfully made. Most of 

 them are made from rocks which occur in Switzerland, though it is pro- 

 bable that the flint was brought from Prance. The absence of any great 

 blocks of this valuable material in Switzerland accounts for our not 

 finding any of the large, flat axes which are so characteristic of 

 northern JEurope, and especially of Denmark. At Wangen, the 



