I 19 



L.— Tin: ]C.ioKki:\uo!>i>iNi.s : kdknt Geologico - Abch < 

 qicxl Beseabc^es i-v i)i:.NM.vi;iv. Bv John Lubbock. 



r. u.s. ' ' 



1)i:nmai:iv occupiesa largerspace in the history, than in the map, of 

 Europe. Dhe nation is greater than the country,; and eyeD if with the 

 growth of physical pipwer in surrounding populations, she has lost 

 somewhat of her influence in political councils, still the Danes «>i" to- 

 day are no unworthy representatives of their ancestors, Many a la 

 nation might envy them the position they hold in .Science and in Art, 

 and few have contributed more to the progress of human knowledge. 

 Copenhagen, indeed, may well be proud botli of her Museums and of 

 her Professors: and without attempting to compare together things 

 which are essentially incomparable, we may, perhaps, especially 

 point to the celebrated Museum of Northern Antiquities, as b« 

 mosl characteristic and unique. 



For the formation of such a collection Denmark offers unrivalled 

 opportunities. The whole country appears to have been, at one time, 

 thickly studded with tumuli : where the land has not been brought 

 into cultivation, several of them are often in sight at once, and even 

 in the more fertile and thickly populated parts, the plough is often 

 diverted from its course by one of these ancient burial places. For- 

 tunately, the stones of which they are constructed are so large and 

 so hard, that their destruction and removal is a laborious and expen- 

 sive undertaking. As, however, land grows more valuable, or per- 

 haps when the stones themselves become available for building or 

 other purposes, no conservative tradition, or feeling of reverence for 

 the dead, protects them from desecration: and it is estimated that 

 not a week passes without witnessing the destruction of one or more 

 tumuli, and the loss of some, perhaps irrecoverable, link in the history 

 of Our race. 



Every barrow indeed, is in itself a small museum of Northern 

 Antiquities, and the whole country even may be considered as a 

 Museum on a great scale. The peat bogs, which occupy so large an 

 area, may almost be said to swarm with antiquities, and Professor 

 Steenstrup estimates that every column of three feet square contains 

 some specimen of ancient workmanship. All these advantages and 

 opportunities, however, might have been thrown aw ay, bu1 for the 

 genius and perseverance of Professor Thorn en, who may fairh be 

 said to have created the Museum over which he bo worthily presides. 



After careful study, the archaeologists of Northern Europe have 

 divided the history of their country into four great periods, and their 

 Collection into as many series. These four ages are known as the 

 Stone, the Bronze, the Iron, and the Christian periods. Of the last 

 I need here say nothing: nor docs the Iron age immediately concern 



though it may be well to observe that it certainly commenced 

 before the time of Christ and lasted until the introduction of Chris- 



