370 ARCHEOLOGY. 



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

 difficult to conjecture. 



D. Second Age of Iron — Helvetic- Roman 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, which 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 amphora3, 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 verj^ 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 bej-ond 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 Avorkshop 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 5fhto the dth jxriod.J — Tlie 

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

 sively from sepolturef, 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 



