328 GENERAL VIEWS ON ARCHEOLOGY. 



those of Switzerland. We see the same hatchets and hatchet-knives, 

 the same swords, the same bracelets, and with the same ornaments, 

 save some slight local variations such as one observes everywhere. We 

 recognize evidently a tolerably uniform civilization during this age 

 throughout central Europe ; and this is conceivable, inasmuch as a reg- 

 ular trade must necessarily have furnished Europe with tin, which is 

 found only in so few places, and which, with about ten times its weight . 

 of copper, constituted the ancient bronze, as we have stated in our 

 " Considerations Generates. " 



First Age of Iron. — The ante-Roman age of iron, that is, previous 

 to the introduction of civilization into the country; and which we, after 

 the antiquaries of the North, shall call the first age of iron; was recog- 

 nized in Switzerland only a few years ago. 1 



The most important discovery belonging to this epoch was made at 

 the Tiefenau, near Berne. 2 A wide excavation in what has evidently 

 been a battle field brought to light an abundance of objects of iron, 

 such as the iron work of chariots, including the tires of wheels; next, 

 various arms, among the rest nearly a hundred Gallic swords, long, 

 straight, double-edged, with a rounded extremity, and without guard 

 or croisiire; and again, fragments of iron coats-of-mail, bridle bits, 

 and harness gear, but no horseshoes, although there was no lack of 

 the bones of these animals. There were, besides, objects of bronze, 

 such as clasps for mantles or fibula?, articles of glass, pottery of a 

 rather coarse kind, but turned in the lathe, a little hand mill, and 

 finally about thirty coins, which gave a peculiar value to the whole of 

 the discovery. These coins are of bronze, cast, then stamped at Mar- 

 seilles, of the best time of Greek art, (a head of Apollo, left side, 

 crowned with laurel; on the reverse the superb tossing bull, under 

 which we read in full letters MA22AAIHTQN,) then silver coins, 

 stamped, gneco-massilian, (oboli,) stamped silver coins, Gallic bar- 

 barian, with Macedonian and Marseillese prototype, and lastly, cast 

 barbarian, pinch-beck coins, among which there are some that look as 

 if they might be Helvetian. The presence of these coins, combined 

 with the absence of all articles of Roman style, leaves no doubt as to 

 the ante-Roman age of the articles discovered. 3 



The Tfefenau is not the only spot that has furnished objects of this 

 epoch, which are far from being rare in Switzerland. Thus several 

 tumuli, belonging to it, having been carefull} 7 searched by Messrs. 

 Keller and Troyon, have revealed the custom of human sacrifices 

 among the ancient Helvetians, who participated, therefore, in the san- 

 guinary rites of the Gauls. 



It behooves us to remark here, that in addition to the foreign Mar- 

 seillese and Gallic coins, they find also indigenous pieces of this epocli. 



1 The supposition that the Kjoekkenmoadding are anterior to the lacustrine habitations of the 

 age of stone in Switzerland is also borne out by the presence in these latter of domestic ani- 

 mals, which are wanting in the Kjoekkcnmoedding. 



2 Collection of articles in the museum of Berne. 



3 See the excellent article from Mr. John, in the Memoirs of the Historical Society of the 

 Canton of Berne, II, 350, and in the Jahrbuch des Vcreines vonJllterthumsfreundenun Rheinland, 

 XXI, 135. 



