

LUBBOCK OX T1IK IC.Iuk'Ki:NMumn\i;S. 



f: willi the exception of stone cists placed togeiher, which, however, 



" arc easily to be distinguished from the stone chambers ; thej i 

 " sist, as a general rule, of mere earth, with limps of small si 

 " and always preseni themselves to the eye as mounds of earth, 

 " which, in a few rare mstances are surrounded tif a sinal] circle of 

 " stonefr, and contain relies of bodies which have been burned and 

 u placed in vessels of clay with objects of metal."* 



Jt would appear from the remains found near the lake habitations 

 of Switzerland, that, though, during the {Stone period, neither 

 goat, the sheep, nor the domestic ox can be proved to have existed in 

 Denmark, they were already present in Southern Europe, but, even 

 if the lake-habitations do not, as seems probable, belong to a | eriod 

 subsequent to that of the " Kjokkenmoddings," it is easy to 1> 

 that in many respects the inhabitants of these more genial countries 

 may have been more civilized than their Northern contemporaries. 



In addition, however, to the objects collected from the tumuli and 

 the peat bogs, and to those Which have been found from time to 

 time scattered at random in the soil, the Museum of Northern Anti- 

 quities contains an immense collection of specimens from some very 

 interesting shell deposits, which are known in Denmark under the 

 name of " Kjokkenmoddings," and which were long supposed to be 

 raised beaches, like those which are found at so many points along 

 our own shores. True raised beaches, however, necessarily contain a 

 variety of species ; the individuals are of all ages, and they are, of 

 course, mixed with a considerable quantity of sand and gravel. It 

 was observed, however, in the first instance, I believe by Professor 

 Steenstrup, that in these supposed raised beaches, the shells belonged 

 entirely to full grown, or nearly full grown, individuals: that they 

 consisted of four species which do not live together, nor require the 

 same conditions, and would not therefore be found together alone 

 in a natural deposit : and thirdly, that the stratum contains scarcely 

 any gravel, but consists almost entirely of shells. 



The discovery of rude flint implements, and of bones still bearing 

 the marks of knives, confirmed the supposition that these beds were 

 not natural formations, and it subsequently became evident that they 

 were, in fact, the sites of ancient villages, the primitive population 

 having lived on the shore and fed principally on shell-fish, but partly 

 also on the proceeds of the chase. The shells and bones not avail- 

 able for food gradually accumulated round the tents, until they 

 formed deposits generally, from 3 to 5" feet, but sometimes as much 

 as 10 feet in thickness, and in some cases more than 300 yards in 

 length, with a breadth of from 150 to 200 feet. The name Kjokkcn- 

 modding is derived from Kjokken, kitchen, and modding (corres- 

 ponding to our local word midding) a refuse heap, and it became, of 

 course, evident that a careful examination of these accumulations 

 would throw much light on the manners and civilization of the then 

 population. 



* Worsaae'a Primeval Antiquities, p. f J3. 



