136 POTTERY. 



are rounded at the base, and without feet. In some of the 

 Bronze age villages, rings of pottery are found, which were 

 evidently intended to serve as supports for these earthenware 

 tumblers, but none of them have yet been met with in any of 

 the Stone age villages.. Possibly the earthenware during the 

 Stone age rested on the soft earth,, and tables were only 

 introduced in the Bronze age, when by means of metallic 

 implements it became so much easier to cut wood, and 

 particularly to make boards. Many of the vessels had 

 small projections, which were pierced in such a manner 

 that strings might be passed through them, and which 

 may, therefore, have served for suspension. Some of 

 the vessels, also, are pierced by small holes at different 

 levels ; it has been suggested that these may have been 

 used in the preparation of curds, the small holes being in- 

 tended to permit the escape of the milk. The ornaments 

 on the pottery belonging to this age are of a very rude and 

 simple character. Sometimes a row of knobs runs round the 

 vase, just below the lip ; this style of ornamentation is com- 

 mon on the pottery found by M. Gillieron at the Pont de 

 Thiele. Another curious character is the frequent presence 

 of a row of depressions which do not completely penetrate 

 the thickness of the vessel ; but the commonest decorations 

 are simple lines or furrows made sometimes by a sharp instru- 

 ment, sometimes by the finger-nail, and occasionally produced 

 by pressing a cord on the soft clay. No representation of 

 any animal or vegetable has yet been met with ; indeed, 

 curved lines can hardly be said to exist, being very rare, 

 and when present very irregular and childish. It is true 

 that Dr. Keller gives a figure (also copied by Troyon, I.e., 

 pi. vii. f. 35) of a vase found at Wangen (Stone age), on 

 which is a much more elaborate ornament, apparently in- 

 tended to represent leaves. This surprised me very much, but 

 having obtained, through the kindness of M. Morlot, a cast of 



