The district around the Lake of Constance appears to have had
great attractions for the early lake-settlers. This predilection
was no doubt due to the exceptionably favourable conditions which
the lake afforded for the construction of their pile-villages,
viz. a gently-sloping lake-bottom, with a wide tract of grazing or
agricultural land beyond. In every sheltered bay around the Untersee,
Ueberlingersee, and lower parts of the Bodensee, traces of these
settlements have been found; but owing to the difficulties and expense
of investigation they have not yet yielded their due quota of relics.
WANGEN.--The first discovered was that at Wangen. It is recorded
that Mr. Caspar Löhle, after reading Kellers first report of the
Pfahlbauten, recollected having seen on the shore near his own house
similar antiquities to those figured from Ober-Meilen. He then
commenced, in the autumn of 1856, to collect them; and when the
water was low he made excavations, which by degrees rewarded him
with some remarkable remains of human industry. The station was in
a small bay to the east of the village, in front of a considerable
extent of flat land which intervened between it and the sunny slopes
beyond. This bay, owing to its sheltered position, was subject to an
unusual deposition of lake sediment, so that in the course of time the
_débris_ of the settlement became covered over with 3 or 4 feet of mud
and gravel. As this deposition went on, from year to year, the bed
of the lake became gradually raised, and the water was displaced, so
that at certain seasons, when the water in the lake was very low, the
relic-bed of the settlement could be investigated by digging on dry
land.
Mr. Löhle, in the course of his extensive excavations, ascertained
that the settlement extended in the form of a parallelogram some 700
paces in length and 120 in breadth. The piles were made of round or
split stems of various kinds of wood, as oak, beech, elm, birch,
ash, fir, elder, maple, and two species of willow. They were thickly
placed, sometimes three or four together, and Mr. Löhle calculates
that in the entire settlement 40,000 or 50,000 must have been
used. The relics collected were very numerous, but they are widely
dispersed. The best public collections that I have seen are in the
Museums at Zürich, Constance, and Sigmaringen. The following notes and
accompanying illustrations (=Fig. 27=) will give a fair idea of their
character.
_Stone._--Celts, hammer-stones, grain-rubbers, etc., were in hundreds,
and in all stages of manufacture, but the great majority were badly
made. Perforated tools were comparatively rare (Nos. 7, 8, 9, and
20). Flint saws hafted in wood (No. 15), and flint arrow-heads and
lance-heads, were in tolerable abundance (Nos. 1, 2, and 3). The celts
and chisels were made from the ordinary water-worn materials found
in the neighbourhood (Nos. 6 and 10), and only a few small specimens
were of nephrite and jadeite. Very few had horn fasteners, and the
prevalent method of using these implements was to insert the celt into
a cleft in a branch with a long handle and a crook at the other end.
Slabs for grinding and polishing these celts, as well as others with
marks of fire, and supposed to have been used as hearths, were also
frequently met with.
[Illustration: =Fig. 27.=--WANGEN. Nos. 5, and 17 to 19 = ¼, and the
rest = ½ real size.]
_Bone and Horn._--Pointers, daggers, awls, small chisels, and
arrow-points were found in large numbers. Some of the bone arrow-heads
had still the asphalt adhering to them by which they were fastened
to the stems. Also flax-hecklers (No. 4), and a variety of fish-hooks
(Nos. 11 and 16).
_Clay._--The fragments of pottery indicated dishes of a plain shape,
generally cylindrical, and rarely ornamented, but smeared over with a
black sooty substance (Nos. 17, 18, and 19). Spindle-whorls of burnt
clay (Nos. 12 and 13), and large clay balls, perforated, probably
loom-weights.
_Wood._--A plank of oak 7 or 8 feet long and 1½ foot wide is supposed
to have been a working bench. Another board, also of oak, was like a
round table, and measured 2½ feet in diameter and 2½ inches thick.
_Organic Remains._--The most remarkable feature, however, of the
settlement at Wangen was the quantity of charred corn dug up from
its _débris_. Mr. Löhle believes that altogether, and at various
times, he has collected as much as 100 bushels. Sometimes he found
the entire ears, at other times the grain only; but always in a
charred condition. The two-rowed barley and two kinds of wheat could
be readily identified. Cakes of bread showing roughly-crushed grain,
wild apples and pears--all, of course, in a charred condition,
otherwise they would not have been preserved from decomposition. In
some places there were large quantities of the husks of pine-cones,
apple-cores, beech and hazel-nuts, as well as the seeds of raspberries
and brambles. From the quantity of apple-cores found in one place it
has been suggested that the lake-dwellers made some kind of liquor
of fruits. Flax in all stages of manufacture, from the crude bundles
of stems with the seed-vessels still attached, to the yarn, and a
variety of beautifully-woven cloth. Quantities of moss, rushes, bark
of trees, straw, etc., were also collected. These antiquities were not
promiscuously all over the area of the settlement, but each group had
a well-defined area for itself, from which Mr. Löhle inferred that the
different trades were kept apart.
Bones were not numerous, but among them the following animals are
represented:--Urus, aurochs, stag, roe, wild boar, wolf, fox, and dog.
In one part of the settlement Mr. Löhle observed some piles that
had become bent and twisted like the letter =S=, evidently from
superincumbent pressure; and in these places some additional piles had
been inserted by way of support.
No metal objects were found, nor any support-rings of clay, nor
discoidal stones. (B. 22, 34, 35, and 40.)
OBERSTAAD.--Starting from Wangen, we shall now make a circuit of the
Untersee, briefly noting its various stations as we move along. The
number now amounts to upwards of 20, and their respective positions
can be ascertained from the accompanying Sketch Map (page 129). Below
Wangen, the first we come to is in the bay between Oberstaad and
Kattenhorn. From its widely scattered remains this station appears to
have extended over a large area; but its piles are sparingly seen,
and its site has been little investigated. The relics found are a few
stone celts and pottery.
HOF BEI STEIN.--A little below the bridge which crosses the outlet
of the Rhine at Stein there is a shallow part of the river known as
"Auf dem Hof," which on rare occasions, when the water is low, becomes
exposed. This was the case on two occasions within the memory of
persons now living, viz. in 1858 and 1883. On the last of these dates
Mr. B. Schenk, naturalist, of Stein, discovered that it contained
the remains of a pile-dwelling buried in the mud. The piles in this
structure were strong and firmly fixed, and among them were some
transverse beams, and others slantingly placed, as if to protect
the structure against the stream. Notwithstanding the difficulty of
working here, Mr. Schenk collected a large number of the industrial
remains of its inhabitants, such as flint implements, about 150 stone
axes (three of which were of nephrite), and a perforated stone disc
like a large spindle-whorl, measuring 2¾ inches in diameter, and
1½ inches thick. Perforated stone axes were rare, but some of them
are of interest, especially a portion of one made of basalt. There
were also worked objects of horn and bone, remains of linen cloth,
thread, and a woven fabric made of bast. Noteworthy among bone objects
is the scapula of a deer perforated with a round hole, and having
its central ridge rubbed off, so as to make it into a polishing
implement. An urn-shaped vessel 12 inches high is preserved in the
Zürich Museum. A few metal objects are also recorded, viz. a small
copper celt 2¾ inches long, also a bronze ring and a bronze hatchet.
Bones representing the ox, pig, stag, roe, bear, and beaver. (B. 462;
_Antiqua_, 1883, p. 68.)
[Illustration: Plan of Lake Dwellings in BODENSEE]
DAS WEERD.--The existence of the remains of a lake-dwelling at the
east end of the Insel Weerd has been known for a long time. The site
is close to where a Roman bridge extended from Eschenz to Arach;
but the piles are somewhat scattered, and embrace both sides of the
river. In 1882 Mr. Schenk succeeded in finding its relic-bed, which he
describes as composed of two distinct layers--the upper one being of a
dark colour probably the result of the conflagration which destroyed
the settlement; and a lower of a yellowish colour, containing much
organic _débris_. About 4 cubic mètres of this _Kulturgeschicht_ was
examined, and among the relics collected were three human skulls,
one of which is perfect, but the others were in bits; a knife, a
hair-pin, and some rings of bronze; a copper celt (B. 420b, p. 174);
polished stone celts, one of which was made of jadeite. In addition to
these, there were various objects of Roman times collected on or in
the vicinity of this station, including a tile with an inscription,
a bronze statue, Roman coins, etc. In the Rosgarten Museum there is
a bronze sword, said to be from this station; also a quern stone 21
inches in diameter, with a central hole 3 inches in diameter. But it
is not probable that either of these objects really belonged to the
lake-dwellers. The bronze knife, three pins, and some perforated stone
implements (=Fig. 28=, Nos. 4 to 7, and 10), are also in this museum,
and labelled "Insel Weerd." The human skull has been reported on by
Professor Kollmann, who shows it to be dolichocephalic. (_Antiqua_,
1883, p. 69; and 1884, p. 174; _Das Ausland_, 1885, p. 219; B. 462.)
MAMMERN.--In the bay above Mammern, at a place called Neuenburgerhorn,
there is an extensive area containing very decayed piles. It was
investigated by Messikommer in 1861 on behalf of the Historical
Society of Thurgau. (B. 41.) The piles commenced about 160 feet from
the shore, and extended some 400 feet along, covering an area of
40,000 square feet. The antiquities were all found on the surface, and
consisted of hundreds of stone celts, flint implements, pottery, and
bones. No small bone tools, nor any trace of the lighter industrial
remains or food material, were met with, nor was there a relic-bed
underneath. Hence Messikommer concluded that the finer contents of
the relic-bed had been washed away by the current of water, which, it
seems, is pretty strong at this place. (B. 40, p. 26.)
FELDBACH and STECKBORN.--A station called "Pfahlbau Turgi," near
Feldbach, has been long known, and several prehistoric objects have
been found on it from time to time. The water being low in 1882, the
Historical Society of Thurgau undertook some systematic explorations.
From various indications it was inferred that this station was not
among those destroyed by fire. The antiquities collected belonged
to the pure Stone Age, among which are:--Stone celts, bone and horn
objects, specimens of barley and wheat, cloth made of bast, and
fragments of basket-work. From the observations of Mr. Schenk, it
would appear that this pile-dwelling had been protected from the waves
by a kind of wooden bulwark. (B. 383a.)
[Illustration: =Fig. 28.=--UNTERSEE (1, 4 to 7, 13, 16, 18, and 19),
MINDLISEE (2, 3, 11, 12, 14, and 15), and BUSSENSEE. Nos. 10 and 12 =
¼, and the rest = ½ real size.]
Near Steckborn there was another small station, known as "Der Pfahlbau
Schanz," on which some interesting objects--as dishes, harpoons,
etc.--were found. In 1885 it was again searched by Messikommer (B.
434b, p. 33), and among the objects then collected were stone celts
(=Fig. 28=, No. 13), harpoons of horn (No. 19), a flax-heckler, and
an implement called a whistle (No. 18) made of the short foot-bone
of a cow. According to Messikommer, this settlement had been twice
destroyed by fire and the usual carbonised materials--as cloth,
grain, charcoal, etc.--were abundantly found. (B. 462.)
BERLINGEN.--In the bay above this town are piles, but not readily
discernible, and stone celts have been found all along the shore.
ERMATINGEN.--This settlement occupied the bay below the village, and
its site is particularly rich in flint implements and the refuse of
their manufacture. Stone celts are also abundant, and among them
are a few of nephrite. Some fragments of pottery showing a net-like
ornamentation on their inside are noted from this locality. The
station appears to have been voluntarily abandoned, as there are no
carbonised materials among its _débris_. (B. 40 and 462.)
LANGENRAIN.--Below Gottlieben, at the north end of a small island
formed by a divergent branch of the Rhine, Dr. Nägeli, of Ermatingen,
discovered in 1882 the remains of a pile-dwelling of the Bronze Age.
Some of the piles were seen in the water projecting from the mud,
but they are mostly concealed by the deposits imported by a stream
(Wollmatinger-Bach) which here falls into the Rhine. They are partly
round and partly split stems, sharpened by metal tools, and occupy an
area about 100 yards in length and 15 in breadth. The relic-bed was
covered with a layer of mud from 1 to 2½ feet in thickness. Among the
objects recorded from this station are a winged celt, two lance-heads,
and two hair-pins of bronze, fragments of pottery (some of which are
ornamented with the meander pattern), and two bits of clay crescents.
Also various bones of animals and portions of a human skull, the
latter being found in the presence of Mr. Leiner at a depth of 2½
feet from the surface. (B. 462.)
OBERZELL.--The first station on the island of Reichenau, and only
lately discovered, lies to the north of Oberzell. (B. 462.)
HEGNE, ALLENSBACH, and MARKELFINGEN.--Of the settlements along this
part of the shore Mr. Dehoff has given a long account in Keller's
fifth report of the Pfahlbauten. (B. 61.) Since then a new station
has been discovered at Hegne, but otherwise no important discoveries
have been recorded from these stations. They all belong to the Stone
Age. At Markelfingen the piles were observed round a small steinberg
some 30 paces from the shore, which, when the water was low, became a
low island. No piles were seen on this island, but it yielded a large
number of coarsely-made stone celts. From this place I noticed in
the Museum at Friedrichshafen a beautiful polished chisel of stone in
a staghorn handle (=Fig. 28=, No. 1) and a metal (copper or bronze)
bracelet (No. 16).
Near Allensbach piles extended as a broad band for about 1,000 paces
parallel to the shore. In one place rows of piles took the direction
of the shore in such a manner as to suggest a bridge or stage
entrance. The piles were generally round stems, but some of the oak
ones were split, and measured in some instances 14 to 16 inches in
diameter. They projected only a few inches above the mud. In some
places horizontal beams of split oak were found lying buried in the
mud, but in deep water, and measuring 15 feet in length and 4 to 6
inches in diameter.
The antiquities collected were chiefly the heavier implements, as
stone celts, which varied very much both in size and form--being
from less than an inch to 21 inches in length. Only a few fragments
showed perforated axes. Corn-crushers were in great abundance, as well
as flint saws and other objects of this material. Another station
just opposite Allensbach has largely supplied collectors with stone
celts, and a considerable number of perforated hammer-axes. At Hegne
the stone celts show better workmanship, and among the relics are
some beautifully-made saws, daggers, and lance-heads of yellow and
dark flint. Two earthen vessels slightly bulging in the middle, and
having perforations for cords instead of handles, are noted by Dehoff
as containing a black sooty substance, and a third was filled with
hazel-nuts.
The remaining stations in the Untersee are at IZNANG, GUNDOLZEN, (B.
462, p. 12), HORNSTAAD, GAIENHOFEN, and HEMMENHOFEN, but they present
the same features as those already noticed of the Stone Age. (B. 22.)
CONSTANCE.--In the Bay of Constance there were several of these
lake-dwellings, the remains of which have only more recently come to
light. In Keller's eighth report of the Swiss lake-dwellings (B. 336),
Mr. Leiner, keeper of the Rosgarten Museum, gives a short account of
the antiquities found in the harbour (Rauenegg) when it was being
enlarged. Among several rows of ancient piles of oak and cross-beams
running in a southerly direction towards the Kreuzlingen shore there
were found buried in the mud, chiefly lying over the shell marl
(_überkalkter Conchylien_), fragments of ornamented pottery (=Fig.
29=, Nos. 4 to 10), loom-weights, spindle-whorls, portions of clay
plaster for huts, stone celts, and perforated axe-hammers, together
with a variety of flint implements (Nos. 11 and 12). Mr. Leiner
remarks that while the pottery found in many of the neighbouring
stations was rude and entirely hand-made, that from the Rauenegg
station would almost indicate a knowledge of the potter's wheel.
This pottery was burnt into a grey, black, or yellowish colour, and
belonged to the Bronze Age; in proof of which he instances among the
antiquities a few bronze objects (Nos. 1 to 3), a small bit of amber,
and some fragments of a fine green and blue glass. One of the bronze
objects (No. 1) is quite unique, but of its purpose nothing seems to
be known.
[Illustration: =Fig. 29=.--BAY OF CONSTANCE. Nos. 6 to 10 = ¼, and
the rest = ½ real size.]
In 1882 the site of a station was discovered just opposite the
public gardens, which goes under the name FRAUENPFAHL. Its area
was determined to be about 130 yards long and 100 yards wide. The
antiquities from it are hatchets of serpentine and chloromelanite,
fragments of vases, a large bead of blue glass, a bronze hatchet, and
a canoe.
During the same season (the water being then very low) another large
station was discovered, running along the north shore of the bay near
HINTERHAUSEN. It extended in length for about 400 yards, with an
average breadth of 50; and among its piles were found some hundreds of
stone hatchets, worked objects of bone and horn, pottery, and a large
assortment of the bones of various animals. (B. 381, 382, and 462.)
In passing to the _Ueberlingersee_ the first station we come to is
Staad, which lies immediately below Allmannsdorf; and a little farther
on there is another, opposite the village of EGG, both of which are
recent additions to the long list of lake-settlements known in this
branch of the Lake of Constance. Beyond the bridge which joins INSEL
MAINAU to the mainland lies the _débris_ of a very large settlement
which formed at least two villages. That next to LÜTZELSTETTEN is
characterised by its high-class pottery of the Stone Age. Along
the shore stone celts are met with all the way to the village of
DINGELSDORF, immediately opposite to which is a settlement of the
Stone Age.
The next station was near WALLHAUSEN, which, owing to the number of
flint implements collected on it, goes among collectors under the name
of "Flint Island." Among the celts found here are a few of nephrite
and one of polished flint. (B. 462, p. 4.) Large collections have
been made from this station, one of which, according to Mr. Böll, was
lately sold for £60. (B. 378.)
From Wallhausen northwards neither piles nor any industrial remains
are met with till we come to Bodmann. This is, no doubt, owing to the
abrupt nature of the coast which renders the lake-margin unsuitable
for such structures.
BODMANN.--At this town the hills again recede, and leave an open
valley stretching away westwards, through which the stream _Stockach_
flows and empties itself into the head of the lake. Here there were
two settlements which have yielded an enormous amount of industrial
remains. The most recent haul was in 1888, the largest portion of
which went to the Rosgarten Museum. When I last visited Constance
(August, 1888), the stuff was still at Mr. Leiner's private
residence, and it was perfectly appalling to see the number of boxes,
barrels, etc., in which the materials were stowed away. Besides the
Rosgarten Museum, there are good collections from these stations at
Friedrichshafen, the Steinhaus Museum at Ueberlingen, and at Bodmann
itself (formerly in the Schloss, but now at the private residence of
Mr. Ley).
The results of the earlier explorations have been described by MM. Ley
and Dehoff (B. 61 and 126), and some notes of the more recent finds
are given by Leiner and Böll. (B. 378, 381, and 382.)
The first station was close to the present landing-stage, and the
piles have been observed to hug the shore in a narrow band for several
hundred yards. In one spot measuring some 30 yards by 10, flint
implements and refuse, including all manner of chips, were found in
such astonishing quantity as to give rise to the opinion that it was
the site of a flint factory. Mr. Dehoff states that so numerous were
the flints here that, before the introduction of lucifer matches,
and as far as the memory of man goes back, it supplied the whole
neighbourhood with the flints required, and was actually worked as
a business for this purpose. Mr. Ley describes the relic-bed as
consisting of two strata, separated by a thin layer of mud, and
buried beneath a bed of gravel 1¼ to 2 feet thick. The lower stratum
was from half a foot to a foot thick, and lay immediately over the
original lake-sediment. In some parts this layer appeared to be
covered by a thin deposit of carbonised materials.
The second relic-bed was but half the thickness of the former, and,
according to Mr. Ley, it was only in it that perforated axe-heads were
found; and in its other remains, such as pottery, he sees evidence of
progress and improved handicraft.
Among the more noteworthy objects from Bodmann (=Fig. 30=) are
fish-spears of horn, with two and four prongs (Nos. 3 and 5);
fish-hooks and other implements of bone (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10,
14 and 19); a bow of yew wood; a celt and a sickle of flint; a vessel
containing no less than 600 perforated beads of Jura limestone;
goblet-like dishes of blackish earthenware with conical bases (No.
21); and curiously-ornamented vases (No. 20); a saw in its casing,
supposed to be made of reindeer horn (No. 17); clay spindle-whorls
(No. 18). Nos. 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, and 18, are from the recent find.
[Illustration: =Fig. 30.=--BODMANN. Nos. 20 and 21 = ¼, and the rest
= ½ real size.]
About 500 or 600 yards farther north, and close to the farthest off
point of the Ueberlingersee, Mr. Ley discovered the remains of a
second settlement, which he thinks was constructed in the Bronze Age.
Not only were bronze and iron objects found on it, but the piles are
much less decayed than those of the previously described station;
moreover, there were marks on some he had drawn up from a depth of six
feet which could only have been produced by sharp cutting implements.
It goes under the name of SCHACHEN; but it is difficult to say from
which station the numerous objects exposed in the museums have come,
as they are indiscriminately marked "Bodmann." According to Mr. Ley,
this settlement was of large extent, but the greater part of it is
deeply buried in mud, and not easily explored. The bronze objects
described by Mr. Ley are three celts, two of the flat type (Nos. 12
and 13) and one winged (No. 11), and a pin. Those of iron are a knife,
two arrow-heads, and portion of a fish-hook. A fibula in Rosgarten
Museum marked "Bodmann" is of the Roman period (No. 9), but this is
not surprising, as there are many Roman remains in the neighbourhood.
Split beams of oak, and others with square mortised holes (like
those from Zürich, =Fig. 2=, Nos. 13 and 14) were fished up here,
thus bearing out Keller's idea that such beams were only used where
the mud is soft. Some elegant vases, one ornamented like those from
Schussenried (No. 20), and horn objects, are reported from it. (B.
462.) In the Museum at Ueberlingen there are a few bronze and iron
objects from Pfahlbau Bodmann, as a bracelet of bronze wire, pins,
needles, a ring, a lance-head, and two small figurines (=Fig. 195=,
Nos. 15 and 16).
LUDWIGSHAFEN.--Turning the head of the Ueberlingersee we come to the
village of Ludwigshafen, where recently piles have been detected in
two places, one of which has turned out to be exceedingly rich in
staghorn implements--so much so as to suggest the idea that it was a
special factory for this material. This station was about 30 yards
from the shore, and in the vicinity of its remains it was long known
that Roman tiles lay scattered about. These tiles are of two kinds,
hollow and flat, the latter measuring 12 by 7 inches.
SIPPLINGEN.--There are two stations at Sipplingen--one, at the east
end of the village, covering nearly 30 acres. The second is only
about 4 acres in extent, but it has not been carefully explored. Its
chief interest lies in the statement made by Mr. Böll that a large
quantity of wood was observed lying in the mud, and among the beams an
iron sword, believed to be of Roman origin, was found. Close to this
station was found the wreck of a badly-constructed boat, which had
no nails, but was kept together by copper wire. (B. 378, p. 97.) The
former station is the more interesting, as it has furnished objects
characteristic of the three Ages of Stone, Bronze, and Iron, as well
as of Roman, Allemanish, and Frankish times. According to Dr. Lachmann
(B. 126), the great majority of the relics belong to the Stone Age,
with very few of the Bronze Age. Among the objects of more recent
times were the following of iron:--A lance-point, three arrow-heads,
two sickles, a one-edged sword, and a Roman key. What is still more
puzzling is the finding of glass in considerable quantities here. It
is of two kinds, and one bit was ornamented with gold enamel. Among
the more recent finds are pottery representing large vessels, with
a rim and perforated knobs for suspension, and a large flint celt
weighing three pounds. (B. 378.)
Some goblets with conical bases, supposed to be crucibles, have been
found here, as well as at Bodmann (=Fig. 30=, No. 21), but they appear
to me to indicate the commencement of the Bronze Age when such forms
came into general use.
It may be further noted that among these relics are about 100 examples
of egg-shaped stones which were found in one place, a few hatchets and
chisels of nephrite, and a small copper celt encased, when found, in a
clay coating, probably the mould in which it was cast.
Another small station, the _débris_ of which is deeply buried, was
near St. Catherina, not far from Brünnensbach, which has also yielded
objects of more recent times. (B. 462.)
[Illustration: =Fig. 31.=--NUSSDORF, MAURACH, LÜTZELSTETTEN, ETC. No.
24 = ¼, 26 and 27 = ⅛, and the rest = ½ real size.]
NUSSDORF.--The settlement at Nussdorf covered about three acres in
the form of a parallelogram. The piles are mostly round, generally
about two feet apart, but sometimes in groups. This station was the
first discovered by Mr. Ullersberger, in 1862, and is important for
the number of antiquities it has yielded of the pure Stone Age. Dr.
Lachmann describes the early investigations and discoveries with great
minuteness. (B. 126.) Among the flint objects were about 100 specimens
of arrow-points and lance-heads (=Fig. 31=, Nos. 1 to 5), in all
gradations of sizes, and 80 saws, piercers, and knives. The saws were
in general 3½ inches in length and 2 wide, and eight still retain
their handles. Stone celts, chisels, and hammer-axes (No. 20) numbered
about 1,000, and of these about 50 celts were made of nephrite. Horn
fixings were used for some of the celts; but there were wooden handles
with a cleft, which showed that they were hafted in a variety of ways.
The perforated axes were comparatively rare, only about 50 being in
the collection. The perforations are both circular and oval.
Clay spindle-whorls (Nos. 14 and 15) and loom-weights were well
represented, but pottery was both scarce and of indifferent quality.
Of bone and horn there were several hundred objects, including chisels
(No. 8), awls, daggers (Nos. 11 to 13), various kinds of pins (No.
10), three combs (Nos. 6 and 7), 16 perforated hammers of staghorn
(No. 23), perforated teeth, a fish-hook of boar's tusk (No. 22), etc.
MAURACH.--About half-way between Nussdorf and Unter-Uhldingen lies
the site of the famous station at Maurach. It was discovered during
the winter of 1862-3, and was among those investigated by Mr.
Ullersberger. It appears that in 1839 a dam or dyke was built here,
which covered a portion of the area occupied by the lake-settlement,
so that it could only be partially explored. The piles came close up
to the shore, but stretched out into the lake for about 1,000 feet,
covering some 8 acres. According to Dr. Lachmann, the antiquities,
about 600 of which were collected, were precisely similar to those
from Nussdorf. Stone axes were met with in all stages of manufacture,
but hardly any pottery. A flattened bead of amber and four copper
celts (=Fig. 31=, Nos. 16 to 19) are the only further noteworthy
objects included among those from the earlier investigations. (B. 126.)
It was not till 1880, when the dyke above referred to was being
repaired, that the special feature which now characterises this
settlement became known. Among the stone hatchets then found were
nearly 500 of nephrite, of which two-thirds were tolerably well made.
But more interesting is the fact that nephrite was found in the
crude state, in the form of unworked bits and chips, from the size
of a finger-nail up to 3 inches in length and 2 inches in breadth;
so that there can be no doubt that this material was worked on the
spot. These later finds have gone chiefly to the Rosgarten Museum.
Mr. Leiner, writing in 1882 (B. 381), states that from the various
stations on the Ueberlingersee he received 800 nephrite, 12 jadeite,
11 chloromelanite, and one saussurite, hatchets or chisels.
UNTER-UHLDINGEN.--Dr. Lachmann describes two settlements which have
left their remains near the village of Unter-Uhldingen, about 1,000
feet from the shore and nearly a mile apart, and each covering about
8 to 10 acres. On the other hand, Mr. Böll makes mention of only one
station, which he characterises as the largest in Lake Constance,
covering some 30 acres. Both stations contained several well-defined
steinbergs--three in one and four in the other--in which were
cross-beams binding the piles together, like the steinberg at Nidau.
The relics belong to all ages, and indicate a continued duration from
the Stone Age down to the Roman period, if not even for some centuries
later. The Stone Age relics are similar to those found on the other
stations in the Ueberlingersee. Dr. Lachmann describes among the flint
saws one 9½ inches long. The celts, chisels, and axes numbered about
300, and the spindle-whorls 40. Pottery was more abundantly met with
here, and better made, than in any of the other stations. About 130
fragments and whole dishes indicate a great variety of vessels--cups,
jars, vases, covers, etc. Some had handles, and others were ornamented
in a variety of ways (=Fig. 32=, No. 27); and, besides the Bronze Age
pottery, there were bits of red earthenware, the well-known Samian
ware (_terra sigillata_) of the Romans.
The special feature, however, of this station lies in the number of
bronze objects it has yielded. In the Ullersberger collection Dr.
Lachmann describes six lance-points (No. 17); 16 hatchets with wings
(Nos. 2 and 3), two with sockets (No. 1), and a few of the flat type
(Nos. 29 and 30); 25 knife-blades (Nos. 9 and 12); four armlets, two
ornamented (Nos. 21 and 22); some sickles (No. 23), fish-hooks (Nos.
18 and 19), rings, and more than 100 hair-pins (Nos. 4 to 8, 14, 24,
and 25). Also about 40 objects of iron, including a few lance (No. 26)
and arrow-heads, one axe, several knives, two pruning-hooks (No. 11),
some iron rings, a fibula (No. 15), portion of a two-edged sword, a
short sword with a wooden handle, an implement like a fork, a pair of
pincers, etc. Besides these, there is another collection of similar
implements of bronze and iron in the Museum of Friedrichshafen.
Among the iron objects here are two of the so-called pruning-knives
(Hippen), a hammer-axe, two harpoons, some arrow-heads and rings, a
fibula (La Tène type), six horseshoes, a dagger, and a girdle-hook.
Here, as well as at Sipplingen, a quantity of well-made glass was
found on the site of the settlement, consisting chiefly of the
bottoms of goblets of a greenish colour, which, according to Mr.
Hofrath Klemm, of Dresden, belonged to the sixth or seventh century
after Christ. Very few objects of bone and horn were found at
Unter-Uhldingen.
[Illustration: =Fig. 32.=--UNTER-UHLDINGEN. Nos. 20 and 26 = ¼, and
the rest = ½ real size.]
The collection of antiquities from the north shore of the
Ueberlingersee, including the settlements Nussdorf, Maurach,
Unter-Uhldingen, and Sipplingen, made by Mr. Ullersberger and
Dr. Lachmann, previous to 1865, was purchased by the Wurtemburg
Government, and is now in the Museum at Stuttgart. Since then a
considerable number of objects have been found, which are dispersed
among the local museums and private collections, as may be seen
from an inspection of the Museums at Constance, Ueberlingen,
Friedrichshafen, Bregenz, and Bodmann.
Leaving the northern branch of the Lake of Constance, and still
following the coast, we come, a little beyond Meersburg, to a couple
of stations, Haltnau and Hagnau, both of which subsisted during the
early Bronze Age. From HALTNAU a considerable number of mixed relics,
including a bronze spear-head and hatchet, two large vases, beautiful
stone chisels and perforated axes, implements of nephrite, etc. (B.
378.) In the Rosgarten Museum there are a few things of bronze, as a
knife, a small chisel or awl, like =Fig. 32=, No. 13, a flat hatchet
(=Fig. 33=, No. 3), and a pendant (No. 13). Of late years HAGNAU has
yielded a large number of bronze objects, including knives (No. 9),
sickles, spirals, bracelets (No. 6), flat hatchets (Nos. 1, 2, and 4),
two with wings, also pendants, lance-heads, portion of sword-blade,
and about 200 hair-pins (Nos. 7, 8, and 10). (B. 381 and 462.) The
few illustrations of these objects here given are from the Museums of
Constance and Friedrichshafen. The stations at IMMENSTAAD, FISCHBACH,
and MANZELL are rich in good specimens of jade. From Manzell comes one
of the finest chloromelanite hatchets found in this neighbourhood,
and also a small one of jadeite, both of which are in the Museum at
Friedrichshafen.
Near Lindau, between the Villa Amsee and Aeschbach, there appears
to have been a settlement, from which a few relics have gone to the
Museums at Munich and Bregenz. (B. 462.)
The stations along the southern shore of the Bodensee have not as
yet been so productive in industrial remains as those of the more
sheltered Untersee and Ueberlingersee, but nevertheless there is
sufficient evidence to show that they existed along the coast, as will
be seen from the following list of their sites, which are successively
met with between Rorschach and the town of Constance, viz. ARBON,
ROMANSHORN, KESSWIL, MOOSBURG, and ROTHFARB near Güttingen, ALTNAU,
LANDSCHLACHT, MÜNSTERLINGEN, BOTTIGHOFEN, and KREUZLINGEN. With the
exception of the station at Arbon, the remains of these settlements
consist of more or fewer piles, and a sprinkling of stone and flint
implements. The shore from Kreuzlingen to Constance was found in 1882
to be continuously studded with piles, and among them a large number
of relics was picked up, including several implements of nephrite and
jadeite, an amber bead, and a large flint hatchet. (B. 462.) The two
fragments of stone axes, Nos. 14 and 15, illustrated on =Fig. 29=, are
from this part of the lake.
[Illustration: =Fig. 33.=--HALTNAU (3, 5, and 13), AND HAGNAU. No. 14
= ¼, the rest = ½ real size.]
BLEICHE-ARBON.--In 1885 Messikommer relates that during the very low
state of the lake in 1882 he was requested to visit Arbon, and make
an inquiry regarding the discovery of some prehistoric implements
along the shore, which were supposed to indicate the existence of
a lake-dwelling in the neighbourhood. In the places referred to he
found some flint saws and other implements, but, notwithstanding his
well-known experience in lake-dwelling research, he failed to find
piles; and the only result of his visit was the discovery of the
ruins of a Roman watch-tower near the mouth of the harbour.
On the 19th of September, 1885, Messikommer again received a message
from the authorities of Arbon to repair to their town, as this time
there could be no doubt that the remains of a true Pfahlbau had been
found. The site of this new discovery was not the seashore, but
the flat land stretching between Arbon and Steinach. Here, in the
course of excavations for a water supply to the town, the workmen
came upon piles with cross-timbers, among which were interspersed
various relics of human industry. The place where these discoveries
were made was about a kilomètre from Arbon, and close by the road
to St. Gallen. On a section being exposed, the following layers
were observed:--First half a foot of soil, then a foot of loam, and
under this a stratified deposit of sand and gravel, about 3 feet in
thickness, containing fresh-water shells. The relic-bed was from 1
foot to 1½ foot thick, and in it were found stone hatchets; fragments
of sawn stones, apparently the refuse of manufactured implements;
corn-crushers; four perforated horn hammers, "_Feldhacken_;" several
bone objects--needles, chisels, awls, daggers; a knife-like implement
made of a wild boar's tusk, and another made of yew-wood; an oar;
fragments of ornamented pottery, etc. Also there were barley, numerous
seeds and fruits, shells of hazel-nuts, the skull of a dog, and a
quantity of osseous remains, representing the urus, bison, stag, cow,
pig, bear, etc. (B. 431, 434c, and 462.)