------------------------------------------+----------+--------------
| Grésine. | All Stations.
------------------------------------------+----------+--------------
Founders' {Moulds | 22 | 49
Materials {Ingots and Castings | 46 | 171
{Hammers | 5 | 7
{Hatchets | 19 | 38
{Chisels | 2 | 4
{Gouges | 1 | 1
{Sickles | 7 | 23
{Knives | 35 | 126
Utensils {Paring Knives (Tranchets) | 4 | 13
and {Razors | 18 | 32
Instruments {Stamp | -- | 1
{Borers, etc. | 32 | 164
{Saws | 1 | 2
{File | -- | 1
{Rivets and Nails | 115 | 248
{Needles | 46 | 190
{Fish-hooks | 38 | 144
{Pincers | 5 | 7
| |
{Swords | 2 | 3
{Daggers | 9 | 12
Arms {Lances | 5 | 16
{Arrow-heads | 23 | 49
{Shields | 1 | 2
| |
{Hair-pins | 163 | 798
{Fibulæ | 2 | 2
{Bracelets | 82 | 252
{Torques | 1 | 2
{Finger-rings | 32 | 121
Objects {Earrings | 4 | 22
of {Girdles | 1 | 1
Ornament {Buckles, Rings, etc. | 140 | 598
{Pendants | 7 | 16
{Clasps | 7 | 50
{Buttons | 35 | 63
{Brackets, etc. | 43 | 185
{Beads | 115 | 488
{Tubes and Spirals | 8 | 73
| |
Diverse Objects | 34 | 108
+----------+--------------
Total | 1,110 | 4,002
------------------------------------------+----------+--------------
GENERAL REMARKS ON THE PALAFITTES OF LAKE BOURGET.--Count Costa de
Beauregard, in his excellent article on the "Habitations Lacustres
du Lac du Bourget" (B. 176), states that the stakes on which these
villages were reared were generally of oak, measuring from six to
eight inches in diameter, and that they were placed at a distance of
100 to 200 yards from the shore, in a depth of 4 or 5 yards of water.
Their lower extremities almost always bore cutting marks, which could
only be made by metal tools. The great differences as regards their
state of preservation show that the settlements had been occupied
for a long time, necessitating the renewal of the piles at different
epochs.
The Count also believes that all the palafittes of Lake Bourget
were constructed during the Bronze Age, in regard to which he thus
writes:--"Malgré les quelques instruments de silex et les hachettes
de pierre rencontrés dans nos fouilles, il est peu probable, comme je
l'ai déjà dit, que ces bourgades aient été fondées à l'Epoque de la
Pierre. Tout nous porte à croire, au contraire, qu'elles florissaient
à l'Epoque du Bronze, période qui a dû être de fort longue durée
en Savoie, car il a fallu bien des siècles pour accumuler sur les
différents points que nous avons explorés une pareille quantité
d'objets et de débris de toute sorte." (_Ibid._, p. 23.)
RELICS.--_Weapons._--The swords recovered are few, and of one type
(=Fig. 20=, No. 16). That they are of home manufacture is more than
probable from the finding of portion of a mould of the same class of
weapon, now deposited in the Museum of Chambery. Only a few tips of
scabbards hitherto found (=Fig. 21=, No. 20). The daggers were both
tanged and riveted to their handles. Lance-heads (Nos. 1 to 4) are all
socketed, with only one or two exceptions (Nos. 5 and 12), which might
be daggers. They are generally unornamented. Arrow-points are formed
for the most part of triangular plates of bronze, with two or four
holes for fastening them to the stem; but other forms are met with
(=Fig. 21=, Nos. 13, 22 to 26, and 32).
[Illustration: =Fig. 20.=--LAKE BOURGET. All ⅓ real size.]
[Illustration: =Fig. 21.=--LAKE BOURGET. Nos. 34 to 37 = ¼, the rest
= ½ real size.]
_Implements._--Hatchets (=Fig. 20=, Nos. 9, 10, 11, and 17) are both
winged and socketed, and the latter have their sockets round, oval, or
rectangular. The chisels and gouges are all socketed (No. 19). Sickles
(Nos. 20 and 21) have nearly all a raised button for fixing the handle
(in which respect they differ from those of Switzerland), and may
be classified under a variety of groups dependent on the degree of
curvature and the disposition of their raised ribs. The knives are
socketed, tanged, and with a solid handle (Nos. 6, 7, 8, 13, and 14);
the former being most, and the latter less, frequent. Razors are of
two kinds, with or without a handle (Nos. 22 and 23). Needles have the
eye either at the end or middle. Awls and a variety of fish-hooks are
abundant; but spears or harpoons are very rare. Rivets, nails, and
bits of thin bronze plates, are in some places abundantly met with.
Examples of saws and files have been found, but in small numbers.
_Ornaments._--Pins with large round heads are very rare, as are also
those with wheel heads (the various forms are shown in =Fig. 21=, Nos.
10, 18, 19, 21, 30, and 31). Bracelets (Nos. 16, 17, and 29), which
are numerous, and mostly open, are either solid or hollow (one is of
tin); fibulæ and torques rare; finger-rings are of two kinds, plain
and spiral (No. 7); portions of girdles, buckles, pendants (No. 5),
buttons (No. 33), bronze beads, and small spirals, are abundant; a
clasp is like one from Mörigen (=Fig. 20=, No. 25). Tin appears in
ingots, in a bracelet, discs, and thin strips for ornamentation to
dishes; also gold in the form of a few portions of twisted wire or
leaf. Several bronze vessels. One charming little vase (=Fig. 21=,
No. 14) of cast bronze, figured by Count Costa de Beauregard, and now
in his possession, was found at Grésine along with a sword (=Fig.
20=, No. 16), a knife (No. 8), and about 250 nails supposed to have
been used in the manufacture of a shield. Nos. 1 and 2 of =Fig. 21=
represent two remarkable objects from Grésine, now exhibited in the
Museum at Aix-les-Bains. A similar object, but more worn and minus
some of its rings, is in the Museum at Chambery; and a fourth is
in the Museum Lacustre at the Port (=Fig. 195=, No. 4). Crescents,
spindle-whorls, fragments of cloth, bits of plaited rushes and
basket-work, glass in small coloured beads, and amber (=Fig. 21=, Nos.
27 and 28), also in small beads, are all fully represented.
The articles represented by Nos. 4, 6, and 12, may be the brass
ornaments on a set of harness; but as to the two curious vessels of
bronze (Nos. 8 and 11), I am unable to assign any use.
The pottery shows great skill in the ceramic art. It is of a
grey, black, or red colour (Nos. 34, 35, 36, and 37). Vessels
combining the three colours, in various geometrical forms, with
linear ornamentation, have been found among them, and others with
ornamentation reminding one of the impressions of fern-leaves
(_Polypodium vulgare_).
A few iron spear-heads (=Fig. 198=) and knives, as well as Roman tiles
and pottery, have also been collected from these palafittes.
The domestic and wild animals, so far as they have been identified,
are similar to those from the Swiss lake-dwellings.