Washington sentinel., 1899-04-01
Man and Metals,

When and where man first dis
covered the use Of metals is a vet
unsolved problem. Even during
the earlier Stone period. as long,
perhaps, as 1900 to 5000 years
before our era, metal was in use.
Cooper and gold were probably
the first metals utilized in Europe.
Some time alter this, bronze and
iron began almost simultaue usly
to be employed. The art OF work.
ing these metals may have been
brought from Asia into Europe.
The northern archHologis S are,
no doubt right in dividing the
metal time into a Bronze and Iron
Tor into an earlier bronze period
and later one, when the use Of
iron, too, was known). But bronze
and iron are found mixed together
IN Central and South Europe, in
most cases in such a manner as to
make It difficult to separate a pre-
historic Bronze from a prehistoric
Iron Period To the Metal Period.
understood in this way. belong the
later Lake dwellings of the Alpine
district, principally those Of West
ern Switzerland, the numerous
remains Of old dwelling places
lash fields, refuse heaps, the
"Terramare" from Terra mara,
earthly marlD in upper Italy, OF
places Of Offering, ,ot fortified places
Ground wall, Long wall, &c.) and
OF burial grounds. They are
widely spread over the whole of
Central and Northern Europe, and
must be ascribed to those people
Of Aryan race, (CeIts or Gauls,
Germans,an SlaVs) who inhabited
Central and Northern Europe
during the period which Immedi-
ately preceded the Roman invasion
and colonization in the time Of
Rome's imperial power. The
richest discoveries have )een made
in the burial places. Through the
whole Of Central Europe and as
far as Asia the most wi dely spread
lOrms OF tombs Of the Metal Age
are those Of the mound graves or
tumuli. Some are made
by simply throwing up the earth;
others are made entirely Of stones;
others, again, are enveloped or
rooted with stones. Bodies were
buried as often as they were
burned. When burned the ashes
were put into urns. The grave is
placed in the mound sometimes
over and sometimes under the sur
face OF the natural soil, and is often
surrounded by stones, which are
put together either in the shape OF
a stone cone or Of a low stone
chest. Very often the urn is only
covered with stone slab. Wooden
collins, too, made out Of hollow
trunks are TO be found. The tombs
are always enriChed BY the addition
oil numerous articles, consisting OF
the ornaments, weapons and tools
Of the dead, added to which are
clay utensils (urns, vessels, shells),
which, as remnants Of animals
bones prove, must in part have
held food. Some mounds contain
only one grave; others number as
many as ten to twenty in different
parts OF the mound. One Of the
best known grave fields Of this
kind is the old burial place on the
Salzburg, near Hallstadt in Upper
Austria, about which we NAV add
few words, on account oil its great |
importance in prehistoric times.
This grave-6eld lies about 400
feet above the level Of the Lake Of
Halistadt, and IS at present parti-
ally beech forests, partially mead.
ow-land. In the eighteenth cen
turY bronze objects have been
found here, but they did not attract
as they were believed to
be Of Roman origin. But in 1916.
during the construction OF a road, !
so great a number Of skeletons and |
bronze articles were brought 10 |
light, that in seventeen years o93
tombs were opened. and 6,o84
objects preserved. And even vet |
important finds are being made. .-
EUv EUpTL gsrI TFr Co.,