Per] 



163 /. Lubbock on the Ancient Lake Habitations of Switzerland. 



chronology, our antiquaries long referred all the most beautiful 

 and well made weapons to the Romans, just as all fossils were 

 attributed to the action of the deluge. Passing on, then, with a 

 graceful compliment to the two of our most eminent contempo- 

 raries, M. Morlot points out that as Lyell, the reformer of Zool- 

 ogy, by studying the changes now taking place on the earth's 

 surface, has explained the results which Geology brings before 

 us, and thus arguing from the known to the unknown, has used 

 the Present as a key to unlock the Past ; so M. Thomson, by col- 

 lecting the implements and recording the habits of the existing 

 savages, has thrown much light upon the manners and customs 

 of ancient times. Fully recognizing the imperfection of the rec- 

 ord in the one case as well as in the other, we must guard our- 

 selves against any hasty conclusions and generalizations but it 

 seems now to be w^ell established that a considerable eloiigation 

 of the received chronology is required in Archaeology as decid- 

 " ', though not of course to such an extent, as in Geology, 

 erhaps, also, we may regard it as, to say the least, highlj 

 probable, that in Northern Europe there have been three great 

 epochs in the history of man— primary, secondary, and tertiary 

 — the first of Stone,'the second of Bronze,* and the third of Iron. 

 This conclusion, which we owe in the first instance to the North- 

 ern and especially to the Danish Archaeologists, has been much 

 strengthened by the recent researches in the lakes of Switzerland. 



It is however probable, as was mentioned in our last number, 

 that the Stone period will require much sub-division. In a^- 

 classifications we are apt, at first, to take the apparent, for the 

 real dimensions of the more distant portions, and it is only as 

 we obtain a closer acquaintance with them, that we discover 

 their real proportions. Thus, it would appear, that the Stone 

 age must be divided into at least two periods ; that of the clrilt 

 on the one hand, and on the other hand, that to which tbe Dan- 

 ish Kjokkenmoddings and the Swiss Lake Habitations appear to 

 belong. 



These Lake-dwellings or " Pfahlbauten,"— a term whose near- 

 est English equivalent is "Pile-works"' — were made known to 

 us in the following manner. ^ , 



In consequence of the extraordinary dryness and coldness oi 

 the weather during the winter months of 1853 and 185^?^ 

 rivers of Switzerland did not receive their usual supplies, and trie 



