4 FIRST DISCOVERY OF METAL. 



the most ancient writers ; and secondly, to the evidence of 

 the objects themselves. 



In fact, the weapons of bronze, and especially the swords 

 and celts, are, not only in form, but also in ornamentation 

 very similar all over Europe, and very different from those of 

 iron. And, though there are many cases, in which quan- 

 tities of arms have been found together, there is scarcely an 

 instance on record, in which any of these " finds " has com- 

 prised objects of the two classes. 



For instance, at Nidau in the Lake of Bienne, Col. Schwab 

 has obtained more than two thousand objects of metal from 

 the site of an ancient Lake- village ; these were almost all of 

 bronze, only three fragments of iron having been met with, 

 and even these being probably modern. On the contrary, at 

 Tiefenau, near Berne, where a large number of iron arms 

 were discovered, including no less than a hundred swords, 

 not a single weapon of bronze was found. 



It is probable that gold was the metal which first attracted 

 the attention of man ; it is found in many rivers, and by 

 its bright color would certainly attract even the rudest 

 savages, who are known to be very fond of personal deco- 

 ration. Silver does not appear to have been discovered 

 until long after gold, and was apparently preceded by both 

 copper and tin, as it is rarely, if ever,* found in tumuli of 

 the Bronze age ; but, however this may be, copper seems to 

 have been the metal which first became of real importance to 

 man : no doubt owing to the fact that its ores are abundant 

 in many countries, and can be smelted without difficulty; 

 and that, while iron is hardly ever found except in the form 

 of ore, copper often occurs in a native condition, and can 

 be beaten at once into shape. Thus, for instance, the North 

 American Indians obtained pure copper from the mines near 



* Horse ferales, p. 60. 



