318 Dr Prichard on tlie Relations of Ethnology 



taining the remains of ancient, and, perhaps, long extinct 

 races of men ; and it is a remarkable fact, that in this wintry 

 region where living nature seems to struggle against the ele- 

 ments for a precarious existence, even the arts of decoration 

 were studied in those times of yore, which witnessed the 

 erection of these tombs. Implements of silver, gold, and cop- 

 por, girdles of the precious metals, bracelets decked wdth 

 pearls, and fragments of porcelain, have surprised the travel- 

 lei's who have seen a few of these tumuli excavated. Whole 

 nations lie perhaps yet buried in these regions, and with them 

 may be found some relics that may hereafter throw light 

 upon their history. Similar tumuli spread over the north of 

 Europe, contain the remains either of the same people, or of 

 races more barbarous than the Asiatics. Hundreds of them 

 have been rifled by treasure -hunters, or by mere antiqua- 

 ries little more enlightened, who have sought to make collec- 

 tions of curiosities without any view to promote ethnology or 

 history. Of late years, Eschricht, Nilsson, and Retzius, have 

 attempted, in Denmark and Sweden, to identify in these re- 

 mains the relics of different races, supposed to have inhabited 

 the northern region of Europe in early times. Their example 

 has been followed by Dr Wilde in Ireland, and more recently 

 by MM. Eugene Robert, and Serres in France. It is too 

 early to collect general results from these researches. I shall 

 only observe, that, in the opinion of the learned Swedes who 

 have devoted themselves to the investigation, the sepulchral 

 remains of northern Europe belong to three different eras. 

 They display three different physical types, and three succes- 

 sive stages of advancement in art and civilization. The 

 oldest are the relics of a people with round heads, having the 

 transverse diameter of the cranium large in proportion to the 

 longitudinal. The implements and ornaments which are found 

 in the tombs of these people, indicate the greatest rudeness 

 of art. They consist of tools and the heads of lances and ar- 

 rows made of stone and bone, but nothing indicating a know- 

 ledge of the use of metals. Whether these oldest sepulchres 

 were the tombs of a Celtic race, is a question not yet decided. 

 It seems to be the opinion of Professor Retzius, and of Nils- 

 son, who has written a learned work on the Aborigines of 



