The mountain Democrat., 1863-02-28

| larger cttIeS OF OWttzefl1n0s ana ma@Y
learned individuals, offer to the inspection
of the curious archaeological muse: ms
comprising thousands Of ancient Felies.--
From the aquatic village Of Concise alone,
which is situated in the Lake Of Neucha.
tel, about twenty-five thousand objects
have been obtained.
The principal reason which determined
the ancient tribes of Helvetia to erect
their constructions on the shadows of
lakes, undoubtedly was the requirements
Of defence against wild beasts, and in
tunes of war. Perhaps also they were
attracted by the, facilities of fishing, and
by the natural charm Df beauty in sheets
of water, which, at all the epoChs Of his
tory, and in all parts of the world, have
determined many tribes of men to build
their habitations, whether of boughs or Of
reeds, above the surface Of the waves.
1t is easy to rebuild, in thought, by
help Of the numerous relics found at the
bottom Of the lakes, the Lacustrian cot
tages Of ancient Helvetia. A glance of
the eye through the transparent water
enables us to perceive piles in parallel
rows, or planted, it may be, without Or
der. The charred beams which are seen
between posts recall the platform once
solidly constructed at height Of some
feet above the waters The interlaced
boughS, the fragments Of clay hardened
I by tire. evidently belonged to circular
walls. and the comic roofs are represented
by some layers or beds of reeds, straw and
bark. The stones of the fireplace haze
fallen Just below the place which they
formerly occupied. The vessels Of clay,
the heaps of leaves and moss which served
as beds for repose, the arms, the trophies
Of the chase, the large stag.horns and
skulls of wild bulls, which adorned the
walls, ali these different objects mingled
together in the mud, are nothing else but
the ancieEt furniture of the habitat;ons-
BY the side Of the piles we can still dis.
tinguish remains of the followed trunks
Of trees. which served for canoes; and q
range Of posts indicates the pristine exis-
tence Of bridge which led from the
threshold Of the Lacustrian dwelling to
the neighboring shore. Nor only are we
enabled to determine, from the number of
piles, what were the dimensions of the
largest aquatic cities, composed generally
Of two or three hundred cabins; we can
even measure, in some cases, the diameter
of the huts constructed so many ages ago.
The concave side of the fragments of the
\ coat Of clay which lined them on the in
side is rounded into the arc of circle. -
BY calculating the radius Of this arc we
find that the size of { habitations varied
from ten to sixteen or seventeen feet
Athwart an interval of thirty or forty
centuries, we can conceive how pictur-
esque an effect must have been produced
BY this agglomeration of small huts close.
" compacted together in the midst Of the
waters. The shore was uninhahited q
few domestic animals alone fed in the
grassy clearings; great trees spread their
masses of verdure over all the slopes a
deep silence brooded in the forest. Upon
the waters, on the contrary, oil was move.
ment and clamor the smoke curled above
the roofs; the populace hustled upon the
platforms; the canoes passed and repassed
from one group of dwellings to another,
and from the village to the shore; in the
distance hoated the boats which served
for fishing or for war. The water seemed
then the real domain ofman.
1t is in German Switzerland chiefly that
the traces Of settlements belonging to the
age of Stone" have been recognized
Western Switzerland likewise possessed
important LacuStrian cities-among 9TH
crS that of Concise, near the the southern
extremity of Lake Neuchatel; bnt the
Lakes Of Zurich and Of Constance appear
to have been the most active centerS OF
population. 1t was ~there that the pile
work Of Obermeilen was erected, the dis.
covery of which was the starting point of
all that has since been effected. Thanks
to the relies obtained at that point, and on
the shores of the Lakes Of Constance, Of
Pfeffikon, of Sempach, of Wanwyl, of
MooSedorf, we can at this day sketch in
broad lines the manner of life of the La
austrian populations, and give some gen.
cral but certain indications with regard to
their history.
One of the most surprising considera-
tions suggested by the Lacustrian remains
is the vast amount Of labor accomplished
by men who had at their disposal no other
implements than flint.stones and the
brands of their fres For telling and
trimming the trees, for pointing and hew.
ing the logs for their dwellings and their
canocs-for the pursuits OF war, agricul.
ture, the fishery, and the chase--they had
no other instruments but those Of stone
and of bronze Some villages, of which
we still see the remains, were reared on
more than 40, 900 piles 1t was the work,
no doubt, of seve al successive genera.
tions; but for each Of these, an incessant
labor is none the less implied.
The hatchet, most frequently hewn from
block Of Serpcntine, was their principal
implement. 1t is found by hundreds on
the sites Of the ancient villages. Other
arms, Of less Importance, were arrows ol
flint or of bone rough stones, or pebbles
: with sharp corners, used for prOjectileS
, found lying hcaped together in the mud
at the side of the piles; and incendiary
f balls and bullets formed Of charcoal knead
, ed with clay. These were generally
t pierced with n hole, that they might be
the better thrown were ignited, and ther
tossed on the roofs of the hostile huts. -
1t was thus that the Neryii fred tht
camp of Caesar.
Among the instruments of labor manu-
factured by the Lacustrian people, may
be cited the blades Of silex, edged or tooth
, cd, which served as knives and saws, ham
| .mers. anvils, avis of lone or of deer!
f horn, pairing knives. and needles, which
we're destined, no doubt, for cutting oil
sewing leather or skins. The fragments
of pottery which occur are formed of 1
coarse clay, the paste of which is usually
f inte mingled with small grains Of quartz
! Mats of hemp and Of fax, and even rea
cloth, have been discovered, As well 4!
small baskets, in all respects like those o
ancient Egyptian tombs.