GENERAL VIEWS ON ARCHAEOLOGY. 329 



They are of the same kind as the Gallic barbarian coins, but they bear 

 the names of Helvetian chiefs, among whom is found that of Orgetorix, 

 so well known through Cresar's narrative. The inscriptions on these 

 coins, as well as certain rare lapidary inscriptions, are in Greek or 

 Etruscan characters. 1 It is known, moreover, that Caesar found the 

 Greek alphabet in use among the Helvetians. 



It is also but few years since the learned Danish archo3ologists, 

 Messrs. Herbst and Worsaae, arrived on their part, and independently, 

 at the recognition of this first age of iron in the North. 2 The corres- 

 pondence that exists between the antiquities of this epoch in Denmark 

 and in Switzerland is truly remarkable ; only they have not yet found 

 in the former any Greek medals. This is natural enough, for being 

 already tolerably scarce in Switzerland they would be still more so 

 further North, where they may nevertheless yet be found some day. 

 The only medals that have presented themselves hitherto in company 

 with objects of this epoch are some pieces of Koman money of the first 

 and second century of our era. As to the rest, we meet in the North 

 with the same iron sword, without guard or croisiire, the same iron 

 hatchet, shaped like the bronze hatchet, the same bridle bit, and even 

 the same coat-of-mail, as in Switzerland. 



A remarkable circumstance is, that the iron arms of this epoch show 

 in the North a forge workmanship of rare perfection, and which has 

 probably never since been surpassed. Thus we meet with swords of 

 beautifully damasked steel. 3 There are even some articles, such as 

 lance-heads, that are ornamented with cheveron tracings, sometimes 

 inlaid with silver, the whole in the style of the corresponding articles 

 of the age of bronze, which denotes clearly the coomieneenrent of the 

 age of iron. In Switzerland there is also superior workmanship, ob- 

 served in certain specimens of this epoch. Thus one of the fragments 

 of a coat-of-mail from the Tiefenau is formed of rings which are only 

 five millimetres (0.2 inch) diameter, and which are forged with the 

 greatest regularity, and the iron swords that M. Schwal found in Lake 

 Neufchatel with iron hatchets shaped like the bronze hatchets, have 

 iron scabbards admirably ornamented, in one case even with silver in- 

 laying. 4 In other respects we see the same kind of mountings and 

 scabbards as those of Tiefenau, where there has not, however, been 

 found the iron hatchet of the same form as the one of bronze. 



Lastly, there is found — from the south of Italy, all through Switzer- 

 land and Germany, as far as the North — certain bronze vases, orna- 

 mented with figures of animals, of superior execution, and more rarely 



1 Mommsen . Nordetrueskische Alphabete . Memoirs of the Society of Antiquaries of 

 Zurich', VII, 1853. 



2 Worsaue. Afbildninger fra det Kongelige Museum for Nordiske Oldsager ; Kjoeben- 

 havn, 1854. 



3 Communicated to the author by Mr. Strunte, one of the learned and amiable conservators 

 of the Museum of Antiquities at Copenhagen. 



Greek coins of Cyzicus, Egina, and Athens, many of which are of the most ancient stamp- 

 ing and found in the Grand Duchy of Posen in Prussia, strongly bear out what is advanced 

 concerning the ancient commercial relations of the North with the South and the East See 

 Levezow, Memoirs of the Academy of Berlin, 1833, p. 204. 



* Sec the second memoir of Mr. Keller, already quoted, on the lacustrine habitations. 

 Memoirs of the Society of Antiquaries of Zurich, vol. XII, sheet 3, plate III. 



