370 • ARCHEOLOGY. 



formed of eoncentric circles. The use made of this last article it is 

 difficult to conjecture. 



D. Second Age of Iron — Helvetic- JRoman period. — ^^For a long time 

 Roman antiquities monopolized the general attention, and accordingly 

 the museum contains about two hundred and fifty articles of that 

 kind, not including a few fragments of but little value. Iron is em- 

 ployed for axes, arrow-heads, keys, horseshoes, sickles, nails, and 

 various other things; but it is remarkable how rare it is to find the 

 sword of the conquering people, Avhich is wanting in most collections 

 of Roman antiquities. 



The museum contains twenty-two statuettes in bronze, some of 

 which are specimens of admirable ancient art. Among them I may 

 mention a Gaulish Jupiter, a Mercury, and a small goat, found at 

 Ursins. As very precious objects, I would also cite the great lamp 

 in bronze, from Nyon; the taurohole, (sacrifice of the bull,) fromVidy; 

 a bronze medallion, and an Etruscan mirror, found in the ruins of 

 Aventicum. There are also several clasps or buckles, in bronze and 

 in silver gilt, which are not without interest; also a series of bracelets, 

 found at Biere, characterize Helvetian art under the dominion of 

 Rome. The red earthenware articles are but few, and but little're- 

 markable. With the exception of a few fragments, I need only men- 

 tion the vase found at Fraidaigues, the reliefs of which have a stag- 

 hunt for their subject. Some plain pottery articles are well preserved. 

 Three funeral urns, six large araphoree, a number of weights, tiles, 

 and pipes for the baths, complete our collection of Roman pottery. 

 As objects of domestic use, the museum contains some household 

 utensils in bronze, and a dozen of grinding stones for hand-mills. 



The Roman marbles have been somewhat more increased this 

 year, but even now they but very imperfectly represent the number 

 and the beauty of the decorations of the buildings of that period. As 

 objects of art I have little to cite beyond a small torso from Avenches, 

 a mutilated head of St. Saphorin, a few sculptured fragments of 

 elegant capitals, and a fragment of a sun-dial supported by an eagle 

 rising into flight, a cornice placed in the choir of the cathedral, and 

 a cylindrical vase from the neighborhood of Nyon. To the marbles 

 are attached the Roman inscription, which words are seven in num- 

 ber, and are completed by fac-similes disposed in tapestry. The 

 mosaics consist of a table and some slabs from a pavement at Orbe, 

 presented by M. de Bonstetten. The mosaic from Bangy can be re- 

 moved from the workshop of M. Doret when the marble room is ready, 

 and that will also be the time for taking up the pavement from Vul- 

 lierens, deposited in the academy, as well as the mosaic from Yvouand, 

 which I hope can soon be removed. 



E. Helvetic- Burgundian period, (from the 5thto the 9th j^eriod.) — Tl;e 

 objects of this new period, to the number of 140, come almost exclu- 

 sively from sepultures, and are connected with the industry which 

 characterizes the origin of modern civilization. The most remarkable 

 portion consists of fifteen damascened clasps, and nine clasps with 



