Vol. XXIV. No. 4.] 
POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 
51 
[Orijfinul in Popular Science Xeiag.] 
THE PROTO-HELVETES, OR LAKE- 
DWELLERS OF SWITZERLAND. 
BV ADA M. TROTTER. 
PART III. 
THE HELVETES ON THE TENE.* — THE AGE OE IRON. 
The numerous .Tnd important discoveries of arch- 
icolosjists during the last thirty years have thrown a 
new liglit on the times preceding the Roman inva- 
sion in Gaul and Helvetia. The first researches 
were made on the Tielman, near Berne, in an isle 
formed by the Aar, in 1S49-50. A hundred swords, 
debris of chariots and wheels, Gaulois and Roman 
^K money, with numerous other objects like those later 
W found on the Tene, rewarded these investigations. 
B Archaeologists pursuing researches in Alesia (Alise 
B Sainte-Reine), where Gaul and Roman met for the 
B last time 50 B. C, brought to light arms which had 
been buried for nineteen centuries, furnishing 
precious specimens for study. 
After the discoveries of M. Fred Keller, at 
Meilen, Prof. Desor and Col. Schwab began to 
seek for antiquities in the lakes of Western Switz- 
' erland. At the extremity of Lake Neuchatel. near 
the spot where the new canal of the Thielle is 
by Port to Bruff, below Nidau, even to Zurich and 
along the Linmat. 
The researches organized by MM. Schwab and 
Desor were carried on at the spot Avhere the water 
was only from 60 to So centimetres in depth, and 
where the gravel-bed was not so deep as elsewhere. 
Here they found an ancient habitation — a station 
almost full of objects in iron, unique then, which 
made a great .sensation in the archaeological circle, 
and bore afar amongst savants the distinguishing 
title of Tene, (from tennis), shallow water. Still, 
the depth of the water and the layers of mud and 
gravel on either side, limited the researches to the 
one accessible spot; and, after a time, this field was 
left by the workers, apparently exhausted. When, 
however, the correction of the waters of the Jura, 
with the construction of the canals communicating 
with the rivers, lowered the level of the lakes, 
laying bare the archaeological treasures of the 
Broie and Thielle, the portion which had already 
yielded such rich rewards on the Tene was left dry, 
and here Pref. v'ouga began his new investigations. 
These works on the Tene have furnished the most 
numerous and best preserved objects of the Iron 
Age ; hence archiEologists have termed this period 
when the use of iron was general, the "Epoch of 
^'^S-7' (i) Atropa Belladonna. (2) Selaginella Helvetica. (Kerner.) (See page 50.) 
opened, rises the establishment of Prefergier. All 
.the space hence to the bridge of the Thielle, and 
below as far as Lake Bienne, is a rich architological 
bed, enclosing stations of the three ages — Stone, 
Bronze, and Iron. Opposite Prefergier a species of 
dyke was found, formed of gravel, driven there by 
the west wind at an epoch when the waters were, no 
doubt, at a lower level. This spot still bears the 
■ name of Heidenweg — road of the Pagans. Behind 
this dyke, and sheltered by it, extended a vast, 
shallow l)asin, which later became a marsh, and 
which made connection with the three lakes — Neu- 
chatel, Bienne, and Morat. It was here on an 
island formed by the Thielle and the Tene, that the 
Helvetes who imderstood the employment of iron 
planted their piles. They extended their dwellings 
the length of the Thielle. 
It is on the banks of water-courses, particularly 
where there have been bridges, that the vestiges ef 
the people of the Iron Age are found in the best 
state of preservation. This is proved along the 
border of the Broye, between Lakes Morat and 
Neuchatel ; in the Tene, where the stations ex- 
tended along the ancient Thielle to the bridge; also 
*Le3 Helvetes a la Tene, by Prof. Vouga. 
the Tene." It is supposed to be more recent than 
that of Hallstadt, where iron existed at the same 
time with bronze. These recent discoveries on the 
Tene confirm the assertions to be found in the 
writings ef ancient authors, Latin and Greek, as to 
the manners, utensils, and arms of the Gaulois 
tribe. "The Helvetes," they tell us, " made part of 
the large Celtic, or Gaulois race, extending from 
the Carpathian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean." 
Proof of this assertion may be found in the tombs 
of Western and Central Europe, even to the Carpa- 
thian range and the Vistula, where objects are 
found similar to those of the Tene. A century 
B. C, however, the Gaulois, pressed by the Suedois 
(Germans), occupied only the country west of the 
Rhine. The time of their splendor was past, and 
they were weakened by intestine warfare. The 
advance of the Romans to the south of their terri- 
tory, and the frequent incursions of the Germans to 
the east, rendered them at length desperate, and 
they decided to emigrate en masse, to pass the Jura 
and establish themselves in Gaul. "Before their 
departure," says Ciesar, "they had burned their 
twelve towns and four hundred villages." So far 
the ancient writers carry us. Now let us return to 
the revelations of the Tene. 
Prof. Vouga began his researches near a bridge, 
or long passage on piles, and, in addition to several 
Gaulois habitations, found traces of a Roman sta- 
tion. Among the houses was one which had a 
second floor still in place. This floor was formed of 
two beams, 15 metres in length, — one of oak, the 
other of pine, — 20 centimetres thick, square and 
well jointed. The walls 'had fallen one upon 
another in the lake, but it was found that each was 
formed of. three beams of pine wood. The cross- 
beams were there also, and some trellis-work, 
whose interstices were filled with large pebbles. 
The waters having retired here, gave opportunity 
for further research, but it was impossible to pene- 
trate the gravel-bed to the bottom of the river. 
Vestiges of five habitations wore discovered within 
an area of iSo metres, while from the neighbor- 
hood, from a bed of mud three metres thick, 
quantities of objects in iron were drawn, — swords, 
lances, hatchets, razors, chisels, an entire wheel, 
chariots, and a debris of broken wheels and harness. 
Then below other layers of mud, sand, and gravel, 
the searchers came upon a melee of bones of men, 
horses, oxen, and other animals, with utensils of 
wood, and fragments of large vases, unhappily 
destroyed. Near this spot, throe complete skeletons 
were discovered, one of which had a cord tied 
around the neck. By the first habitation, the bank 
of the Thielle is covered with gravel two or three 
metres deep. The Roman remains are found in the 
middle of this gravel-bed, in the ferm of tiles, frag- 
ments of pottery, nails, etc., about a metre above 
the objects belonging to the Helvetes. 
The Helvetes worked in iron and bronze with 
great skill. Their arms, swords with scabbards in 
iron and bronze, lances, arrow-heads, javelins, 
horse-bits, etc., show great perfection. The hand 
of the artist also is visible in the tools of this age, 
— the hatchets, hand-saws, chisels, gouges, files, 
scissors, scythes and sickles, knives and razors, 
their belts, rings, bronze ornaments, pins and 
needles, and needle-cases. An iron hook has been 
found, by which to suspend the kettle over the fire, 
precisely' such as is in use in country places to this 
day. The majority of the number of swords found 
on the Tene are still in their scabbards, and, when 
withdrawn, appear to be perfectly new. The scab- 
bard adapts itself exactly to the sword. It is formed 
of two blades of sheet-iron, or very thin bronze, of 
which one laps over the other, and is more or less 
ornamented. Most of the swords are rounded, but 
a few have been found pointed. They are pliant, 
but not always well tempered, as the Romans found 
to be the case, according to Palybius. The fact that 
so many of the swords and knives appear to be new, 
has given rise to the supposition that these habita- 
tions on the Tene were storehouses, or shops, 
always kept well supplied, so that the Helvetes 
could retire to their fastnesses on the pile dwellings 
when pursued by the enemy. 
Among other interesting objects, we find two 
hand-saws, such as are used by gardeners of the 
present age; also bronze cases containing iron 
needles, and several iron and bronze kettles, with 
circles and rings of iron. But none of these kettles 
were furnished with handles ; the latter came in 
with the Romans. There are but few remains of 
pottery to be found in this epoch of the Tene. The 
one whole vase is in the museum at Neuchatel. 
The fragments of broken ones are not well made, 
being rough inside, black, and polished on the 
exterior. A few objects in glass, beads (white and 
blue), part of a bracelet in blue glass, money, and 
ornaments in gold, are sometimes found. 
The stations on the Tene must have been very 
ancient, as there are no signs of coats of mail, 
casques, belts, or chains of bronze. The money 
