188 MODE OF LIFE INDICATED 



fore, wonder at the number of axes found in the valley of the 

 Somme, where so much larger a mass of material has been , 

 examined. 



None of the large polished axes have jet been found in, 

 the Kjokkenmoddings : but a fragment of one, which was- 

 discovered at Havelse, and which had been worked up into* a 

 scraper, shows that they were not altogether unknown. A 

 very few carefully- formed weapons have been found, but the 

 implements generally are very rude, .and of the same types 

 as those which have been already, described! as characteristic 

 of the " Coastfinds." Small pieces of very coarse pottery 

 have also been discovered, and many of the bones from the 

 Kjokkenmoddings bear evident marks of a sharp instrument; 

 several of the pieces found , by us were in this condition, and 

 had been fashioned into rude pins. 



The observations of Arctic travellers prove that even if 

 human bones had been, found" in the shell- mounds, this 

 would not of itself be any proof of cannibalism; but the 

 absence of such remains satisfactorily shows that the 

 primitive population of the North were free from this 

 practice. On the other hand, the tumuli have supplied 

 us with numerous skeletons which probably belong to 

 the Stone age. The skulls are very round, and in many 

 respects resemble those of the Lapps, but have a more 

 projecting ridge over the eye. One curious peculiarity is, 

 that their front teeth did not overlap as ours do, but met one 

 another, as do those of the Greenlanders at the present day. 

 This evidently indicates a peculiar manner of eating. 



Much as still remains to be made out respecting the men 

 of the Stone period, the facts already ascertained, like a few 

 strokes by a clever draughtsman, supply us with the elements 

 of an outline sketch. Carrying our imagination back into 

 the past, we see before us on the low shores of the Danish 

 Archipelago a race of small men, with heavy overhanging 



