592 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
Also the charcoal remaining from the fires that had been lit can 
tell about the vegetation of the place. Out of 487 pieces of charcoal, 
321 were alder, 65 hazel, 49 oak, 37 willow, 10 elm, and 5 linden (figs. 
3-6). It is obvious that most of the wood was gathered on the spot or 
in the immediate vicinity, where alder seems to have been the most 
common tree. Less interest was taken in willow, and the bits that were 
found of hazel, oak, lime, and elm probably are rubbish from timber 
which had been taken to the place from the solid land at least 3 to 
4 km. away. 
THE VEGETATION OF THE REGION 
Seeds and fruits do not fall far from the mother plant, while 
pollen grains are spread over a large area (fig.7). The pollen analyses 
thus give a picture of the vegetation of the whole surrounding area. 
The forest dominates, and among the trees it is the oak and its asso- 
ciates—elm, linden, and ash—that prevail. Also the hazel was repre- 
sented, and here and there grew the dark-green yew tree which was 
suitable for the production of bows. Other trees, like the yew, were 
more rare: Crabapple, buckthorn, alder buckthorn, and shrubs such as 
spindle-tree and guelder-rose. The ivy was creeping up the trunks, 
and also the mistletoe was growing with its sticky berries which were 
suitable for bird lime. Apparently the forest was untouched. Man 
had not begun to influence nature—at least not to any appreciable ex- 
tent. The country was covered with primeval forest, and rivers and 
lakes were highways and stopping places for the traffic of that time. 
But, as we shall see later, certain traces reveal that man had slowly 
begun his attack on the immense primeval forest. 
THE FAUNA OF THE REGION 
Although the prevailing primeval forest was not very hospitable 
toward the animals, the bones found do show that it was worth while 
being a hunter. Red deer and roe found their way to the water for 
drinking, and the wild boars rummaged the earth in their search for 
roots. On quiet evenings it would have been possible to hear the small 
hedgehogs potter about in the withered leaves hunting worms and 
insects. The beaver built dams and gnawed the fresh bark, the otter 
went hunting for fishes, and there is no doubt that the muskrat was 
living in the shores of the floating island and was a welcome game 
for the boys on the place. 
A large number of birds lived at the lake. Swans, mallards, pin- 
tails, and shovelers had their nests in the swamps, and in the twilight 
the teal passed over the peat islet with whirring wings. In the lake 
there was good fishing for perch, pike, and trench. 
IN WHAT PART OF THE YEAR WAS THE PEAT ISLAND INHABITED? 
It is somewhat remarkable that these people settled down upon a 
floating island in a big lake. It might appear reasonable that they 
