SUPPOSED TO BE RAISED BEACHES. 173 



the same conditions, and would not, therefore, be found 

 together alone in a natural deposit : and thirdly, that the 

 stratum contained scarcely any gravel, but consisted almost 

 entirely of shells. 



The discovery of rude flint implements, and of bones still 

 bearing the marks of knives, confirmed the supposition that 

 these beds were not natural formations, and it subsequently 

 became evident that they were, in fact, the sites of ancient 

 villages ; the primitive population having lived on the shore 

 and fed principally on shell-fish, but partly also on the pro- 

 ceeds of the chase. In many places hearths were discovered 

 consisting of flat stones, arranged in such a manner as to 

 form small platforms, and bearing all the marks of fire. The 

 shells and bones not available for food gradually accumulated 

 round the tents and huts, until they formed deposits generally 

 from three to five feet, but sometimes as much as ten feet in 

 thickness, and in some cases more than three hundred yards 

 in length, with a breadth of from one hundred to two 

 hundred feet. The name Rjokkenmodding, applied to these 

 mounds, is derived from Kjokken, "kitchen/' and modding, 

 (corresponding to our local word midding), "a refuse heap/' 

 and it was, of course, evident that a careful examination of 

 these accumulations would throw much light on the manners 

 and civilisation of the then population. 



Under these circumstances a committee was formed, con- 

 sisting of Professor Steenstrup, the celebrated author of the 

 treatise " On the Alternation of Generations/' Professor 

 Forchhammer, the father of Danish Geology, and Professor 

 Worsaae, the well-known archaeologist : a happy combina- 

 tion, promising the best results to biology, geology, and 

 archaeology. Much was naturally expected from the labours 

 of such a triumvirate, and the most sanguine hopes have been 

 fulfilled. Already more than fifty of the deposits have been 

 carefully examined, many thousand specimens have been col- 



