THE VALLEY OF THE THIELE. 319 



instead of one hundred and fifty, for the period since the 

 embankment, and taking the Roman period as representing 

 an antiquity of from sixteen to eighteen centuries, he obtains 

 for the age of Bronze an antiquity of from 2,900 years to 

 4,200 years, for that of the Stone period from 4,700 to 7,000 

 years, and for the whole cone an age of from 7,400 to 11,000 

 years. M. Morlot thinks that we should be most nearly 

 correct in deducting two hundred years only for the action of 

 the dykes, and in attributing to the Roman layer an anti- 

 quity of sixteen centuries, that is to say, in referring it to 

 the middle of the third century. This would give an antiquity 

 of 3,800 years for the Bronze age, and 6,400 years for that of 

 Stone ; but, on the whole, he is inclined to suppose for the 

 former an antiquity of from 3,000 to 4,000 years, and for the 

 latter of from 5,000 to 7,000 years. 



Not less ingenious is the attempt which has been made by 

 M. Gillieron,* Professor at the College of Neuveville, to obtain 

 a date for the Lake-habitation at the Pont de Thiele. This 

 stream connects the Lakes of Neufchatel and Bienne. During 

 the first part of its course, the valley is narrow, and the 

 bridge, close to which the Lake- dwelling has been discovered, 

 is situated at the narrowest spot. A little further down the 

 valley suddenly expands, and from this point remains of the 

 same width until it joins the Lake of Bienne. It is evident 

 that the valley, as far as the bridge over the Thiele, was once 

 occupied by the lake, which has gradually been silted up by 

 the action of forces still in operation, and, if we could ascer- 

 tain how long it would have taken to effect this change, we 

 should then know approximately the date of the remains 

 found at the Pont de Thiele, which are evidently those of 

 a Lake- dwelling. The Abbey of St. Jean, which stands in 

 this valley, about 375 metres from the present shore of the 

 lake, was founded, according to ancient documents, between 



* Notice sur les Habitations Lacustres du Pont de Thiele. Porrentruy, 1862. 



