THE DAWN OF METALLURGY. 289 
been assigned to this people, who were the great masters of 
metallurgy during the height of their power. As to the first 
introduction of iron into HKurope, we are much in the dark. 
Before the coming of the Romans we know that it had taken 
the place of bronze for weapons in most countries ; and just 
as we found the Neolithic Stone age and the Bronze aye over- 
lapping each other, so do we find an overlapping of the Bronze 
and Iron ages, not only at Hallstadt, but in Switzerland, and 
in France and in other places a period of transition is clearly 
denoted by the character of the remains found. The lake 
cities of Switzerland appear to have been attacked, and 
destroyed in some instances, by strangers possessed of iron 
weapons. JBesides this a period of transition is denoted, 
both there and in other places, by the discovery of iron imple- 
ments, the design of which was copied from those of bronze, 
just as in the earlier period we found bronze copies of those of 
stone. Iron first appears in Hurope as a luxury, as a more 
precious metal than bronze; thus we find iron blades with 
bronze handles. 
Karly tradition tells of fires on Mount Ida, either the 
Phrygian or the Cretan Ida, which melted the iron ores, and 
so led to the discovery and use of this metal in Hurope ; but 
at a far earlier date iron was known in Asia. 
Three stages have been made out by M. Chantre, in the 
history of European metallurgy, which have been named the 
Cevennian, the Rhodanian, and the Mceringian. 
I. The Cevennian marks the transition from stone to bronze, 
bronze appearing mostly in the form of ornaments. 
II. The Rhodanian is that in which bronze was in common 
use, although stone was still employed for various purposes. 
III. The Mceringian is the transition period from bronze to 
iron. The cemetery of Hallstadt belongs to this age, as does 
also what is known as the treasure of Reallon, a find of all 
sorts of objects,—knives, sickles, bracelets, rings, &c.,—which 
appear to have been a merchant’s stock-in-trade, lost on the 
road from Etruria, the general type being, as that of Hallstadt, 
decidedly Htruscan. 
In conclusion, let us see whether it is possible to ascertain 
who were the real originators of metallurgy in Kurope. 
It is pretty generally allowed that, during the Neolithic 
age, the inhabitants of Europe, at any rate of its western 
portion, were of non-Aryan stock. An examination of their 
remains show that they were a small, long-headed race, who 
were in the habit of burying their dead in caves and cham- 
bered tombs. Great Britain and Ireland, France and Spain, 
