THE ORIGIN OF EUROPEAN CULTURE. 33 



Indians, as in Tennessee, where they were too remote from mines of 

 native copper to make use of a ready substitute for stone. Our second 

 implement is an axe hammer, made of diorite. To shape, sharpen, 

 bore, and polish a piece of stone like this certainly required a long 

 apprenticeship in the art. 



Bronze culture, when it did at last appear in this remote part 

 of Europe, came upon the scene suddenly and in full maturity. 

 Whether this was as early as the eighth to the tenth century, as Mon- 

 telius avers, is dis- 

 puted by many. All 

 are nevertheless 

 agreed that evidence 

 is absolutely lacking 

 that the art was of 



indigenous origin. Bronze Bracelet; 650-500 b. c. (From Montelius, 1895 b.) 



From what part of 



the world this knowledge of bronze ultimately came we leave an 

 open question, as also whether it came with Phoenician traders or 

 direct from Greece, as Worsaae affirms. It was certainly intro- 

 duced into Sweden, making its way into ISTorway about the same 

 time directly from the peninsula of Jutland. Its first appearance 

 is in a highly evolved state. Such crude attempts at manufacture 

 as Chantre finds so long prevalent along the Rhone Yalley, for 

 example, are entirely absent. Both in form and ornamentation 

 the hand of the master is apparent. This bronze age, like that of 

 stone, lasted a very long time — far longer than anywhere else on the 

 continent. Central Europe passed through three stages of metallic 

 progress while Scandinavia was evolving two. Not until the second 

 or third century of our era — not until the time of the Romans, it 

 ^v<Duld appear — did iron begin to supplant bronze. History repeats 

 itself. The excessive duration of the bronze age, as in the case of 

 stone antecedently, led to the attainment of a remarkable skill. The 

 two accompanying cuts are typical of the best work of this time. In 

 the one case, merely superficial ornament, especially the skillful use 

 of the spiral; in the other, real beauty of form in the bracelet, are 

 clearly apparent. Possessed of such skill in the working of bronze, 

 it is small wonder that the need of a better metal was not felt. Only 

 when fashioned into weapons of war does iron reveal its supremacy 

 over bronze. This, of course, with the campaigns of historical times, 

 brings us to the end of our chronicle. 



The prehistoric experience of metal-working in Scandinavia is 

 typical of the other details of its cultural evolution. In its ear- 

 liest epoch no trace of domestic animals is present. It is rather 

 a remarkable fact that even the reindeer se^ms to have been 



TOL. LV. 3 



