408 PALAFITTES, OR LACUSTEIAN CONSTEUCTIONS 



It is as tlie last echo of an order of things which had no longer any reason for 

 existing. We cannot agree with M. Troyon that this was a refuge of the popu- 

 lations of the age of bronze. The objects there accumulated bear in too high a 

 degree the Grallic or Helvetic stamp. "We should be rather disposed to recog- 

 nize here a bazaar or an arsenal erected by the Helvetians after their return into 

 the country, in consequence of the defeat of Bibracte. (See Keller, 6th Report, 

 page 6.) They may have chosen this lonely corner, in the midst of marshes, 

 making use of or restoring the ancient piles, there to continue the ancient usages. 

 This establishment may have acquired much development* and have become 

 sufficiently important to attract the Romans, who would introduce some of their 

 own pursuits, especially the manufacture of bricks and tiles. 



RECAPITULATION. 



After having endeavored to determine the population of the palafittes of the 

 iron age of our lakes, by referring it to the great Gallic stock, of which the Hel- 

 vetians were but a branch, we are naturally led to inquire also the origin of the 

 tribes who constructed the much more numerous palafittes of the two preceding 

 ages. Who were they 1 Whence came they, and what connexion exists be- 

 tween them and the people of the age of iron ? Here, however, positive data 

 almost entirely fail us. The field of conjecture is unlimited, and those whom it 

 interests may allow themselves free career. Habituated to other methods, we 

 shall not essay to foUov*' our fellow-laborers into this domain, which has but too 

 many attractions for some archaeologists. We could, indeed, give our readers 

 a semblance of satisfaction through favor of certain names, by designating, for 

 example, the populations of the age of bronze under the name of Celts,t and 

 those of the age of stone under that of Iberians ; but this would be without profit 

 for science, leaving out of view the risk we should run of propagating uncertain, 

 and, perhaps, eiToneous ideas. 



Tlte following is all that we are authorized to conclude from the actual state 

 of our knowledge: 1st, that the inhabitants of our palafittes of bronze were 

 probably of a different race from that of the age of iron, and smaller ; 2d, that 

 they had commercial relations with maritime races, who conveyed to them at 

 least a part of the elements of brouze, (the tin,) as well as amber and trinkets 

 of glass ; 3d, that the navigators in this traffic were seemingly neither Phenicians 

 nor Etruscans, for we may presume that these would not have failed to impart 

 also the ai-ms and utensils of iron with which they were familiar, and which, when 

 fallen to the bottom of the lake with other objects of the epoch, would have 

 there been undoubtedly preserved, like those of the palafittes of the Tene. 



The uncertainty is necessarily still greater in regard to the populations of 

 the age of stone, who lived more or less isolated on the borders of our lakes, and 

 whose commerce with the foreigner is at least very problematical, although they 

 were already husbandmen and rearers of cattle. Having no theory to propose 

 as to -their origin, we confine ourselves to regarding them, for the moment, as 

 the first inhabitants of our soil, reser\ang to ourselves a recurrence to this ques- 

 tion, if there should ever be discovered in Switzerland ti-acea of man cotempo- 

 rary with the reindeer and the mammoth. 



Guided by the instinct common to all men, the inhabitants of our teneviei^es 

 would fabricate utensils and arms with the only instruments within reach — silex 

 and bone. In the course of time they would learn to cultivate the ground, to, 

 rear cattle, and still later, through their communications with Italy, would be, 

 initiated in the art of manufacturing bronze. In this manner the knowledge of^ 



* We shall shortly publish a memoir on the topography of the station of the Teue. 

 t The reader will remark that we have caiefully avoided this name in the course of the 

 present work. 



