333 



LECTUEE XII. 



stone Period in the North. — Eefuse-heaps. — Peat-bogs. — Graves in Den- 

 mark and Mecklenburg. — Grotto of Chauvaux. — Pile-works on the Swiss 

 lakes and moors. — Civilisation of the Stone Period. — Agricultui-e of the 

 Pile -builders. — Skull of Meilen. — Pile-works in Italy. — Chronological 

 Calculations of Morlot, Gillieron, and Troyon. — Pious Fancies of the 

 latter. 



Gentlemen^ — In pursuing our investigations concerning the 

 relics of man, we first turn to tlie Nortli, whicli furnishes us with 

 most of the facts belonging to the pre-historic period of huma- 

 nity. It is but the traditions of a comparatively modern period 

 which direct us to the East^ and which induce us to search in 

 High Asia or India for the cradle^ not of humanity^ but of such 

 tribes, or rather languages of the tribes, which now inhabit 

 Europe. As regards the events of a period reaching further 

 back, we find no connection with Asia, but traces of an inter- 

 course between the north and north-west with central Europe 

 and Switzerland. The discovery of northern antiquities has 

 thrown much light on the earliest period of mankind accessible 

 to us, and has been the more productive, because the in- 

 vestigations of the facts have not been carried on exclusively 

 by antiquaries, but by naturalists also, who with singular in- 

 dustry and ingenuity knew how to avail themselves of appa- 

 rently insignificant facts, for the explanation of the most 

 difiicult problems. The name of Steenstrup, who was also 

 well versed in other branches of natural history, shines here in 

 full splendour. I shall give you the results obtained by him, 

 Forchhammer, and Worsaae, as contained in the condensed 

 and excellent account of Morlot, since the original is in Danish, 

 and it cannot be expected of us naturalists that we should be 

 acquainted with the languages of all minor nations. 



On several spots on the coast of northern Denmark, specially 



