168 J. Lubbock on the Ancient Lake Habitations of Switzerland^ 



The platform itself consisted of five layers of trees, curiously 

 and carefully fastened together by clay and interlaced branches 

 of trees, but like the perpendicular piles they were examined in 

 vain for any traces of notches, mortises, holes, ligatures, bolts, 

 or any contrivance, by which the upright piles and the platforms 

 could have been fastened together. 



Not only were the debris of their repast, and other rubbist 

 thrown into the water, but more or less valuable weapons and 

 instruments must have been sometimes lost in this manner, es-^ 

 pecially £ 



lation. .J ^. „„^ .^^ ^.^^^^..j .^ . , 



, . all probability, engulphed at the destruction 

 of the Pfahlbauten, some of which were perhaps burnt and re- 

 built more than once. 



The number of stone implements which have been already 

 "^ " I Lake Constance, many 



been discovered, and a 

 great number also at Moosseedorf, Wauwyl and Robenhausen, 

 in none of which places has a single piece of metal been as yet 

 met with, a fact which, taken in connection with the great num- 

 ber of bronze implements which have been collected from other 

 Pileworks, clearly indicates that the settlements above mentioned 

 belonged to the age of Stone. Not only, however, is metal ab- 

 sent, and not only, as we have already seen, does the Fauna in- 

 dicate a greater antiquity, but the stone weapons themselves are 

 less varied and less skillfully made. Most of them are made from 

 rocks which occur in Switzerland, though it is probable that the 

 flint was brought from France. The absence of any great blocks 

 of this valuable material in Switzerland accounts for our not 

 finding any of the large, flat axes which are so characteristic ot 

 northern Europe, and especially of Denmark. At Wangen, the 

 stone implements resemble those of Moosseedorf, and are pn°' 

 cipally formed of indigenous rocks, which to judge from the 

 fragments scattered about, were evidently worked up at these 

 two places. One or two bits, however, consisted of Oriental 

 nephrite, whicli is green, transparent, and of remarkable hard- 

 ness, and if these really belonged to the Stone age, the fact is 

 very remarkable, as this substance, according to Swiss mineral- 

 ogists, does not naturally occur in Switzerland, and must have 

 been brought from Egypt or Asia. On this point, however, it 

 would be desirable to "have more information; since, if we .^^^ 

 to suppose that any such extended commerce existed, it is diin- 

 cult to understand why bronze and iron were not also introduced. 

 Weapons of nephrite have also been found at one or two other 

 places, belonging to the Bronze age, and where therefore its 

 presence is less inexplicable. The stone impliments found m 

 the settlements belonging to this earliest period consists of ham- 



