Further discoveries in Lake Zürich were not so speedily effected as
in some of the other Swiss lakes, and for a few years the interest
in this subject was transferred to more distant localities. In the
following year, 1855, Colonel Schwab visited Zürich and made further
researches at Männedorf and Ober-Meilen. From the latter he succeeded
in securing a considerable number of objects, especially stone
hatchets, some of which were made of nephrite, and a bronze celt of
the flat type (=Fig. 1=, No. 5).
In 1858, in the course of some dredging operations for the purpose
of deepening the mouth of the Limmat, fragments of pottery, bits of
piles, and some peculiar beams having one or two square-cut holes
(=Fig. 2=, Nos. 13 and 14) were dredged up. Dr. Keller recognised here
the site of a Pfahlbau which extended both under the little island
called Bauschanze and outwards towards the lake. (B. 22 and 336.)
Two other localities near the outlet known as the "Kleiner Hafner"
and "Grosser Hafner" were also proved to have been stations. The
former was opposite the north end of the Tonhalle, and about 150
yards distant from the original shore. It occupied a circular area of
about 1½ acre in extent and, when the water was low, its surface was
only some 3 feet submerged. The Grosser Hafner was farther off in the
lake, and its area was considerably larger than that of the Kleiner
Hafner. On a clear day in both these localities stones and the tops
of piles could be seen. Another locality known to Dr. Keller at this
early period was about two miles from Zürich, on the west shore of the
lake and just opposite the steamboat pier at Wollishofen. Here the
lake-bed consisted of a deposit of fine mud, and owing to the constant
commotion made by the steamers in passing to and fro the _débris_ of
the lake-dwelling had been greatly covered up. (B. 336.)
[Illustration: Plan of Lake-dwellings in ZURICHSEE, PFAFFIKERSEE,
GREIFENSEE & ZUGERSEE.]
As the Kleiner Hafner lay directly along the course followed by the
steamers, and greatly obstructed their passage, the authorities,
in 1867, resolved to have the obstruction removed altogether. For
this purpose a dredging machine was used, by means of which a
segment several feet thick was removed from its surface. During
this operation the same kind of perforated beams which had already
attracted attention at the Bauschanze were turned up among the stuff,
together with numerous objects of flint, stone, bone, etc., similar to
those at Ober-Meilen (=Fig. 2=, Nos. 9 to 17). In addition to these,
however, there were bronze axes of the winged type, some spoon-shaped
crucibles, large clay rings and fragments of pottery of an unusually
fine kind (=Fig. 2=, Nos. 1 to 8). But, what was considered still more
strange, there were among these relics some iron weapons and Roman
tiles.
Hitherto there was little or nothing done to the Grosser Hafner,
and the "Haumessergrund" at Wollishofen, and so the surmises of
Dr. Keller regarding them might have died with him, had it not
been for the extraordinary exertions of the people of Zürich to
have their beautiful environments made still more attractive by
art. These extensive alterations, begun some six years ago, and
scarcely yet completed, have so entirely changed the aspect of the
shore in the immediate neighbourhood of the outlet, that visitors
whose recollection of the town dates farther back than these
transformations, will hardly recognise the locality. A splendid
bridge now spans the opening of the Limmat, and on both sides of
it are elegant promenades, gardens, and ornamental quays, which
occupy what was formerly part of the lake. The filling up of such a
great area of lake-bottom involved the use of dredgers, which, with
revolving buckets, raised stuff from the most convenient shallows
along the shore, and having dropped it into boats, it was then
transported to its final destination. Among the localities selected
for these operations were the Grosser Hafner and the outskirts of
the Bauschanze. The rich loamy deposits of the Haumessergrund at
Wollishofen were also found suitable for mixing with the gravel and
for forming a good soil for the floral and horticultural gardens which
now form such a conspicuous ornament to the fashionable walks along
the northern shore of the lake.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--BAUSCHANZE (13, 14, and 21 to 23); KLEINER
HAFNER (1 to 12, and 15 to 17), and GROSSER HAFNER. All ⅓ real size
except 13 and 14.]
The Grosser Hafner[1] supplied a wonderful medley of antiquarian
objects, apparently of all ages--stone hatchets (one of which was
10 inches long), horn handles, bone implements, etc. Among bronze
objects were: hatchets of the winged type, chisels, sickles, knives
some ornamented with half-circles, points, and lines (=Fig. 2=, Nos.
30 and 35); pins with large heads, oval or round, and sometimes
perforated and variously ornamented (Nos. 24, 25, and 26); arm-rings,
both closed and open, and ornamented with engraved lines, dots, etc.
(Nos. 18 and 28); a few spirals (No. 34), small rings and pendants
(Nos. 19 and 27); two solid rings attached by a band (No. 29); a group
of four rings--one being larger, on which the other three were hung
(No. 20); a pin-like object, 15½ inches long, with a handle like
that of a sword (No. 32); lance-heads, some of which were ornamented;
a few small beads of amber. Among the fragments of pottery were two
vessels complete with round bases (No. 31), and part of a moon-shaped
crescent, rudely ornamented with depressions like finger-marks.
Here, again, as in the Kleiner Hafner, objects apparently of a later
date were found, among which were Roman tiles, pottery of the kind
known as _terra sigillata_, and an iron spear-head; also upwards of 16
coins of the time of Augustus, Tiberias and Vespasian.
On the other hand, at the Bauschanze, while objects of the stone age
were very numerous, there were scarcely any of bronze. Most of the
objects collected on this station were dispersed; but among the few
that have come to the knowledge of antiquaries are some remarkable
implements of horn, like picks, said to be field-hoes (Nos. 21
and 22). One of these is 14½ inches long, pointed at one end and
chisel-shaped at the other. Another (10½ inches long) is also pointed
at one end, but forked at the other. Both are perforated with an oval
hole for the insertion of a wooden handle.[2]
WOLLISHOFEN.--The greatest of all the finds in Lake Zürich was that
at Wollishofen. (B. 448, 449a, and 462.) Here, again, the dredging
machines brought up a large quantity of wood, among which were some
of those peculiar oak beams with square-cut holes, already noticed
(=Fig. 2=, Nos. 13 and 14). The wood was of various kinds, and so
abundant that the poorer people were in the habit of collecting it for
firewood. Although the antiquities of the stone age were numerous,
the great feature of this station is that it belonged to, or at
least existed during, the most flourishing period of the bronze age.
Notwithstanding pilfering, and the difficulty of detecting the smaller
objects, the collection, as now deposited in the Museum at Zürich,
must be considered one of the most important in the whole series of
lake-dwelling researches. Among the more remarkable objects were the
following:--
_Weapons._--Four bronze swords, one only of which is complete (=Fig.
3=, No. 1); its entire length is 28½ inches, including the handle,
which is also of bronze (barely 4 inches long), and to which the blade
is attached by two rivets; another (No. 2), which is defective both
in the blade and handle, is of a different type, especially in the
formation of the handle, which was intended to have bone or wooden
plates fastened with rivets to the remaining bronze portion; it is
ornamented with a combination of circles or semicircles, in incised
lines or dots. Three daggers, two of which have rivet-holes, and the
third has what appears to be the remains of a tang. Eleven arrow-heads
of bronze, and several of flint and bone. Of the former, two only have
sockets (Nos. 4 and 14), the others being imitations of the ordinary
flint forms (Nos. 3 and 5). Lance-heads were in much larger numbers
than either the swords or daggers; they are mostly socketed, with side
rivet-holes for fixing the handle; they vary in length from 3½ to 8
inches, and are sometimes ornamented, as shown in No. 7, and only two
had tangs. Portions of wood are supposed to be fragments of bows.
_Industrial Implements and Ornaments._--The stone hatchets are
exceedingly well-made, and appear to have been partly sawn from
water-worn boulders of serpentine and hornstone. None were of
_nephrite_ or _jadeite_; a few of horn have been noted (=Fig. 185=,
No. 15). The bronze hatchets (=Fig. 4=, Nos. 16, 20, and 25) were
numerous, the greatest number having four wings and sometimes a loop
at the side; the direction of the cutting edge is generally at right
angles to that of the wings, but in a few instances parallel to it (as
in No. 16); at the top of the hatchet there is a hole or small recess.
Of the flat kind there were a few, one of which is here figured (No.
25). Two small ones are of copper (=Fig. 3=, No. 17). The knives are
mostly ornamented with running patterns or circles or semicircles in
dots or lines, and the blades are all more or less curved (=Fig. 4=,
Nos. 11 to 15); the handles were sometimes solid and of a piece with
the blade, but more frequently they were of horn or wood, and attached
by tangs or rivets. It is rather remarkable that amongst the large
number of knives collected at Wollishofen there is not one of the
socketed kind, which, as we shall afterwards see, are so frequently
met with in Lake Bourget and some stations in western Switzerland.
Some sickles of the usual type, fish-hooks, and a few of the socketed
razor knives. Of bronze hammers there are six, all of which are
socketed and either round or rectangular in shape (=Fig. 4=, Nos. 8
and 18). The round one, No. 8, is ornamented with a series of circular
grooves, and has a socket 1¾ inches deep; it weighs 490 grs.
[Illustration: Fig. 3.--WOLLISHOFEN. All ½ real size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 4.--WOLLISHOFEN. All ⅓ real size.]
There is a considerable number of chisels and gouges (=Fig. 4=, Nos.
1 to 7), small tubes, broad-headed nails and studs. One bronze punch
is bifurcated (_Antiqua_, 1886, Pl. v. Fig. 8). An elegant vase of
solid bronze (=Fig. 3=, No. 22), and fragments of large situlæ, made
of thin bronze plates riveted (=Fig. 4=, Nos. 17 and 22). One of the
most remarkable objects is that represented on =Fig. 4=, No. 21, which
is supposed to be an anvil. Several long pins with sword-like handles,
similar to one found on the Grosser Hafner (=Fig. 4=, Nos. 9 and 10).
Bronze hair-pins were so numerous that they are to be counted by
hundreds in the Museum (=Fig. 3=, Nos. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19 and 23 to
26). One bronze comb and one bronze fibula (=Fig. 3=, Nos. 16 and 20).
Bracelets are well represented, both closed and open; they are either
flat or in solid mass (=Fig. 3=, No. 13), and generally ornamented;
one (No. 15), open at the ends, is made of two stout wires, one of
which is spirally grooved, and the other plain; these wires are united
at the ends by a tin pin, which passes through a loop formed by the
recoil of the ends of the wires. A large hollow ring (three inches
internal, and rather more than four inches external diameter) is
highly ornamented. (See =Fig. 188=, No. 2.) Finger-rings (=Fig. 3=,
No. 28), pendants (Nos. 29, 30, and 31), buttons (No. 21), studs (No.
27), a so-called _portemonnaie_, for ring money (No. 33), portions of
girdles (=Fig. 4=, No. 19). There are also one ringlet of gold and
three beads, one of amber and two of glass. Amongst the nondescript
objects are several small wheels--three of pottery (=Fig. 5=, No. 6),
five of bronze (=Fig. 3=, Nos. 12 and 18), and two of tin (No. 32)--a
leaden weight, which has a high loop of bronze (=Fig. 4=, No. 23). An
object of the same kind (No. 24), with two loops, was found at Onnens.
Besides the two copper celts (=Fig. 3=, No. 17) there were two small
copper awls and several bits of this metal.
[Illustration: Fig. 5.--WOLLISHOFEN. All ⅓ real size.]
_Pottery._--The pottery at Wollishofen shows vessels made of two kinds
of paste, one fine, and the other coarse containing a mixture of rough
sand. The vessels varied much in size, the smallest being only about
one inch in diameter, and the larger ones, judging from the curve of
the fragments, ranged from sixteen to twenty-seven inches in diameter.
They had no glaze, nor can it be said that the wheel was used in
their manufacture, although some are very symmetrically shaped. No
quartz or sand was mixed with the fine paste, of which the more
ornamental vessels were made (=Fig. 5= Nos. 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, and
12). Some had a conical-shaped base, and could only be made to sit in
soft material, such as sand, or by means of a ring, like those figured
from the Kleiner and Grosser Hafner. One small vessel was trilocular,
having its three chambers or bowls attached to one common base. Some
very flat vessels were found, which are supposed to have been lids
(=Fig. 5=, No. 7). Spindle whorls of burnt clay variously ornamented
(=Fig. 5=, Nos. 13 to 20), and some other objects like modern thread
pirns (Nos. 5 and 10) are in abundance. Portions of six crescents are
all differently ornamented. Some now in the Museum have been restored,
so as to show their original form and ornamentation, and it is from
one of these that the illustration here given was taken (=Fig. 5=,
No. 8). Some dishes took the forms of animals, as in No. 4, and were
probably used as lamps.
Among other objects may be mentioned some bits of red stone, supposed
to have been used as paint; foundry materials, as moulds and bronze
dross; portion of a dug-out canoe; various bits of sawn and cut horn;
etc.
_Human Remains._--The only portion of a human skeleton was a skull,
which, according to Dr. Kollmann, is of the mesocephalic type. (B.
420, p. 90.)
_Organic Remains._--Wheat, millet, hazel-nuts, and crab-apples, were
identified.
MÄNNEDORF.--I have already incidentally referred to the discovery
of the site of a lake-dwelling at Männedorf before 1854, when such
antiquities were not understood (page 4). In 1866, however, a portion
of lake-bottom close to where these early discoveries were made,
measuring about eighty feet by thirty, was deepened to facilitate the
passage of steamers, when further evidence as to the nature of this
settlement was disclosed. The piles were so closely set that there
was hardly the breadth of a pile between them. The objects collected
were very similar to those already described from Ober-Meilen, among
which was a spoon-like crucible like those from Robenhausen. (B. 126,
p. 263.) The discovery of a second station near the mouth of the
Surenbach, between Männedorf and Uetikon, was noticed by Dr. Keller in
his second report. (B. 22, p. 121.)
UETIKON.--Remains of another station are to be found close by the
landing stage at Uetikon, from which on several occasions antiquities
of the Stone Age were picked up. More decided indications of the
character of this settlement were, however, revealed in 1886, in
consequence of some dredging operations that were carried on. On this
occasion were found not only piles, bones of various animals, as
stag, ox, and pig, fragments of pottery, stone hatchets, and flint
implements--the usual relics of the Stone Age--but also a few bronze
rings and hair-pins. (B. 462, p. 17.)
In the Zürich Museum may be seen a considerable number of the relics
from this station, among which are twenty-three stone celts (one
being still in its horn fastening), five flint saws or scrapers, four
pointers of horn, and a semi-globular spindle-whorl.
ERLENBACH.--Near Erlenbach were two settlements, one at Winkel, a few
minutes' walk above the village; and the other at Wyden, about an
equal distance below it. In 1886 the usual indications of the Pfahlbau
settlements, such as piles and various industrial relics, were found
in the course of some dredging operations, but the objects were mostly
dispersed. (B. 462, and 420a, p. 73.)
LETTEN.--In 1877, while digging a canal in connection with the
Zürich waterworks, some remarkable antiquities of bronze and iron
were dug up, which Dr. Keller describes in the eighth report of the
lake-dwellings. They were found in a portion of the cutting extending
some eight hundred yards in length at a place called Letten, on the
right bank of the Limmat, nearly opposite to where the Zihl joins it.
The objects lay in a fine mud deposited by the river, and underneath
a bed of gravel of the same origin. Dr. Keller came to the conclusion
that the "Lettenfunde" belonged to a settlement analogous to, and
probably contemporary with, the later Pfahlbauten, with the relics
from which they in many respects agree. A careful inspection of the
Letten relics--which include two swords, one or two spear-heads, a
variety of winged celts, a couple of sickles with raised buttons,
knives, a great number of hair-pins of diversified forms, an involved
ring-ornament, etc., all of bronze--shows that they are of a more
recent period than the lake-dwellings. Among the bronze celts are
forms (as for example that in =Fig. 3=, No. 35) which have never been
found in the true relic bed of a lake-dwelling; and besides there are
other objects, such as a fibula, and a piece of iron partly fashioned,
probably intended for a sword, which are characteristic of the La Tène
period. (See =Fig. 87=, No. 6.) While deepening the bed of the Limmat
similar objects, as well as those of preceding and succeeding ages
(Roman), have been frequently found. The Letten objects correspond
more with the pre-Roman antiquities found in the Nidau-Büren Canal
and in some of the later tumuli, and may therefore be said to link
together the products of two very different civilisations, viz. the
bronze age of the lake-dwellings, and the subsequent iron age, so
characteristic in La Tène.
For the relative positions of these stations see Sketch Map, page 9.