370 



PAI.AFITTES, OR LACUSTRIAN CONSTRUCTIONS 



i'igur 



Figvue 33. 



Figure 32. 



pies, cherries, wild plums, anrl a quantity of hazel-nuts. At Anvernier these 

 vessels do not form part of the great heap, but are found at other points of the 

 station. We may also mention here, as proper to the age of bronze, the lacu*- 

 trian crescents of baked earth, which will claim our notice hereafter. 



UTENSILS OF METAL. 



The utensils of bronze are remarkable for their fine state of preservation In 

 all our palafittes. The hatchets are numerous, measuring from 12 to 20 centi- 

 metres, aud weighing from 300 to 750 grammes. Most frequently they are per- 

 fectly undamaged, without any trace of wear- ^.^t 

 ing, as if they had never been in use, though ■ ■ 

 marks of the hammering, by which the edge 

 was widened, are often visible. They are of 

 several types. Some have ears carved on 

 each side, in such a way as to present a 

 double socket intended to receive a forked 

 handle, which had probably an elbow. These 

 are the most frequent, and are often provided 

 with a small metallic loop, which served, doubt- 

 less, to suspend them to the girdle, (Fig. 34.) 

 Sometimes the two points of the upper ex- 

 tremity are bent round, so as to touch one 

 another, and to form a lunule, destined, doubt- 

 less, to receive a rivet which passed through 

 the handle ; this peculiarity is presented only 

 by hatchets of a large dimension,* (Fig. 35.) 

 A second type has only the rudiments of ears, 

 but the edge is considerably enlarged. These 

 are rather paring-knives, managed with the hand, like those 

 of our curriers, than hatchets ; perhaps they had not even a 

 handle. M. Morlot teiTus them knife-hatchets {couteaux haches;) 

 with ns they are quite rare, our lake, particularly, having as 

 yet furnished but few samples, one of which is here represented, 

 (Figs. 36 and 37.) M. Forel has collected many from the lake 

 of Geneva, at a particular station near Morges. Others, of a 

 somewhat different form, have been found in the fields and' 

 forests of our vicinage. The sample of figure 38 is borrowed 

 from the woik of ]\[. Troyon, and represents a specimen found 



* It is scarcely uecessary to remark that the ears as w(!ll as the points must have been 

 straight at issuing from the mould, and been bent afterwards. 



Figure 34. 



rure 35 



