v.] PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY. 167 



The Iron Age. 



The Iron Age is the period when this metal was first 

 used for weapons and cutting instruments. During this 

 epoch we emerge into the broad, but in many respects 

 delusive, glare of history. 



No one of course will deny that arms of iron were in 

 use by our ancestors at the time of the Eoman invasion. 



I have already attempted to show, from the frequent 

 occurrence of iron blades with bronze handles, and the 

 entire absence of the reverse, that iron must have 

 succeeded and replaced bronze. Other arguments 

 might be adduced ; but it will be sufficient to 

 state broadly that which I think no experienced 

 archaeologist will deny — r namely, that the objects which 

 accompany bronze weapons are much more archaic in 

 character than those which are found with weapons 

 of iron. 



That the bronze swords and daggers were not used 

 by the Eomans in Caesar's times, I have already at- 

 tempted to prove. That they were not used at that 

 period by the northern races is distinctly stated in 

 history. I will, however, endeavour also to make this 

 evident on purely archaeological grounds. We have 

 several important finds of this period, among which I 

 may specially call attention to the lake- village of La 

 Tene, in the Lake of Neufchatel. At this place no 

 flint implements (excepting flakes) have occurred. Only 

 fifteen objects of bronze have been found, and only one 

 of them was an axe. Moreover this was pierced for a 

 handle, and belonged therefore to a form rarely, if ever, 

 occurring in finds of the Bronze Age. On the other 



