ON THE PRIMITIVE INHABITANTS OF SCANDINAVIA. 31 
On the I*vi)nitiv6 Inhabitants of Scandinavia. By Professor Nilsson 
of Lund. Translated from the Swedish by Dr. Norton Sit aw. 
In speaking of the first or aboriginal iniiabUants of a country, the geological 
phffinomena estting at the same lime in tliat country should be taken into 
TOQstileration. The questiuu therefore, “whence the tiivi inhabitaDts of 
^weden came,” could scarcely be correctly answered without forming before¬ 
hand a clear conception of the condilion of tlic countrv at the time of its 
first being peopled. In a paper which a few days ago 1 had the honour of 
reading before the Geological Secrion “ on the Ube and Sinking of Sweden,’' 
I have endeavoured to explain that the southern part of the country has 
from a very remote period been undergoing a gradual depression of the 
suri’^e, while the northern has undergone a corresponding rise of the same; 
Md from zoological data 1 have sought to provo thnt the southern parts of 
.Sweden were formeriy connected with Denmark and Germany. The nortbom 
parts of the Strandinavian peninsula were, on the contrurv, at the same time 
m a great measure covered by the sea. Tiiis was probably the appearance 
of the country subsequent to the dHturbanccs of nature that scaiitred the 
diluvial strata over its surface. It may be readily perceived that at a time 
when southern Sweden or Scania was connected* w ith northern (icnnany, 
and the northern parts of the country were still under water, that the 
former, or Scania, must have received its first postdiluvian flora from tlie 
south, or from Germany. With (he gradual increase of tin* vegetable 
kingdom different graminivorous animals emigrated from the south. The 
north being under waiur, these could not have come from that quarter. In 
tbe great bogs of Scania are found the akcletona of several species of these 
an mals, which had wandereil from the Germanic continent, among whom 
are our species of the ox—just as niariv of the stag—some of the wild boar, 
worse, and others. Canuvorous auimuls in search of food ao<in followed in 
me footsteps of their grandiiivorous preilecciisors ; and last of all come man, 
»e fed by their flesh and clothed by their skins. Tbeso events aceiu to 
aye occurred at a time wiicn tlie Boa ju-imiycniM and Ursiu tpcltcvs existed 
in the country; and in proof thereof we possess in J.und a skeleton of the 
former pierced by an ancient arrow; and of the hitter a skeleton hnmd in a 
peat-hog m Scania, iioricr a gravel or stone: tieposit, with imjdumenu for the 
Chase used by the aboriginal inhabitants of the country. That the primitive 
iiihabitams of the country stood upon the same low state of civilization as 
denominated savages, may be concluiled from a comparison 
c 0 < iffcroiit implenients used by them. TJicy correspond in everv’ respect, 
eera intended priucipnlJy fur fishing and hunting, and were formeii of stone 
r oae.^ 1 nese primitive instruments arc foujid not only in our bog*, but 
« cwise 10 the ancient tumuli of the aboriginal inhabilaiilis of tJic north. 
ese tumuli are built of large, rough stones, and have always attached to 
th^ on the south or sea side, a narrow, long entrance. 
>Vc find also tlie skeletons of this primitive race in tbwK barrows, and 
rom the peculiar ahape of their crania, the race may be easily distinguished 
rwu the subsequent iubabitoids of Scandinavia. The skeletons of the dogs 
'lun by these beings to assist them in the chase, are likewise found. The 
8 uUs of the aboriginal inhabitants found in these ancient barroivs are short 
( rachy-cephalic of Retzius), with prominent parietal tubers, and broad 
and flattened occiput. It is worthy of remark, that the same form of cranium 
exists among several very ancient people, such as the Iberians or Rasques of 
»e ryrenees, the Lapfis and Samovedes, and the Pelasgi, traces of whom 
are sUU found in Greece. 
