10 THOKSBJERG. 



exactly correspond, there can be little doubt that they belong 

 to the same period. Now the previous collection included 

 nearly fifty Roman coins, ranging in date from A.D. 67 to 

 217, and we cannot therefore be far wrong in referring these 

 remains to the third century. 



A very similar discovery has been made at Thorsbjerg in 

 the same neighbourhood, but in this case, owing to some 

 chemical difference in the peat, the iron has been almost 

 entirely removed. It may naturally be asked why then this 

 should be quoted as an instance of the Iron age ? And the 

 answer seems quite satisfactory. All the swords, lance- 

 heads and axe-blades have disappeared, while the handles of 

 bronze or wood are perfectly preserved, and as the orna- 

 ments and other objects of bronze are well preserved, it is 

 evident that the swords, etc., were not of that metal ; and it 

 is therefore reasonable to conclude that they were of iron, 

 more especially as the whole character of the objects resem- 

 bles that of those found at Nydam, and the coins, which are 

 about as numerous as those from the latter place, range from 

 60 A.D. to 197 ; so that these two great " finds " may be re- 

 garded as almost contemporaneous. 



Not only are bronze weapons altogether absent from these 

 deposits, but their forms and the character of the ornamen- 

 tation are very different from those of the Bronze age; 

 resembling in some respects Roman arms, in others they 

 are quite peculiar, and evidently representative of northern 

 art. 



From these and similar discoveries, it appears evident 

 that the use of bronze weapons had been discontinued 

 in the North before, probably long before, the commence- 

 ment of our era. From the ease with which it could be 

 worked, this metal was still used for brooches and orna- 

 ments ; but in the manufacture of swords, lances, axes and 

 similar implements, it had been entirely superseded by iron. 



