About four miles to the south of Vicenza, at the southernmost point
of an irregularly-shaped valley of rich meadow-land, lies the small
lake of Fimon. At the present time it is hardly a couple of miles in
circumference, but before the Debba Canal, which carries its surplus
water to the river Bacchiglione, was cut, it is known to have been
considerably larger, and in prehistoric times it is supposed to have
covered the larger part of the valley. In a meadow called Pascalone,
near its north end, and close to where the Debba Canal begins, Mr.
Lioy detected the tops of piles jutting out of the grass, which he
at once concluded to be the remains of a lake-dwelling--a supposition
which was completely verified by extensive excavations. The surface
of the meadow where these piles were visible was less than 2 feet
above the level of the lake, and on making excavations over a selected
portion the following facts were ascertained:--
_Piles._--The piles were from 8 to 12 inches in diameter, singly
and irregularly placed, but sometimes in groups; some were hard and
black (oak), and others soft, but they bore no traces of any cutting
implements. In some instances they were surrounded with heaps of
stones. They penetrated deeply, and one which was pulled up measured
18 feet in length. No traces of a gangway stretching to the shore
could be discovered.
_Relic-bed._--Below a thin covering of vegetable-mould there was
a peaty bed about 16 inches thick, and underneath this, lake-marl
containing various kinds of fresh-water shells to the extent of 3
feet 4 inches. To this succeeded the _strato archeologico_ with its
various contents--decomposed organic matter, broken bones, fragments
of pottery, flint implements and other worked stones, bits of straw,
reeds, charcoal, clay plaster, burnt faggots, etc. This bed was about
12 inches thick, and its matrix was of a yellowish-black colour,
which, when cut into, had a doughy consistency and emitted a strong
sulphurous smell.
_Relics._--The rough stone implements were made out of the limestone
of the neighbouring hills, very seldom of sandstone, but more
frequently of flint from the spurs of the Alps. These flints were in
considerable numbers in the form of chips, nuclei, and unfinished
implements, very few of which were well formed; a few rudely-formed
arrow-points, lance-heads, knives, and saws or scrapers; pebbles of
limestone, probably hammer-stones; stone discs, 2 to 4 inches in
diameter (only one was perforated); also numerous sling-stones made of
sandstone, basalt, and serpentine; one fragment of granite, flattened
and polished on all the four sides, but only one small polished stone
celt. Many of the bones were worked, and there were tynes of staghorn,
sharpened at the top and perforated at the base; also pointers,
spear-heads, spatulæ, and splinters of all kinds.
The fragments of pottery were so plentiful that a handful of mud could
not be taken up without finding some pieces in it. Amongst some
thousands of fragments about 50 vessels in a more or less perfect
condition were picked out. They are all of a dark colour, with handles
attached, generally below the rim, and flat bases. Some of them have
everted lips, and many are ornamented with knobs, depressions, or
raised ridges (circular, wavy, or confluent). Some of the handles
approach the form known as _anse lunate_, others terminate in a round
button (_ansa mono-appendiculata_). One small bowl had two handles.
The paste was of two qualities: one fine, and the other mixed with
coarse bits of gravel, quartz, and carbonate of lime.
Numerous specimens of spindle-whorls. They are flat circular cakes of
clay, like small wheels, perforated and unornamented.
_Organic Remains._--Fruit of the water-chestnut (_Trapa natans_),
kernels of cherries, hazel-nuts, acorns, bramble seeds, etc.
The bones of the stag and wild boar seem to predominate among those of
the sheep, ox, roe, badger, etc.; also a large quantity of the broken
carapaces of a small fresh-water turtle (_Emys lutaria_).
Some five or six years later (1871) Mr. Lioy made further excavations
near the same place, and came upon a relic-bed 8 inches in thickness
and only 16 inches below the surface, which he considered to be the
remains of a pile-dwelling of a later age. In this relic-bed he found
a bronze celt (=Fig. 66=, No. 1) and some flints of a grey-reddish
or yellowish colour (different from the blue variety in the earlier
dwelling), but no stone implements and no arrow-points. Pottery was
not abundant, but it was made of a finer quality and the ornamentation
shows a higher style of art. Mr. Lioy also observes that the bones of
the domestic animals, such as sheep and oxen, are now in excess of
those of wild animals.
As a final report of the _abitazioni lacustri_ of Lake Fimon (B.
295) Mr. Lioy has published a lengthy monograph with numerous plates
of illustrations. The work, however, deals more with extraneous and
general considerations than specific facts or details bearing on the
remains of the palafittes in this lake. I consider the station at
Polada, with its remarkable relics, far more typical of the Stone Age
lake-dwellings, and I have accordingly selected it as a standard for
such remains in the eastern valley of the Po. Moreover, Mr. Lee (B.
119, 2nd ed.) has already presented to English readers an abridgement
of Mr. Lioy's work, with no less than nine plates of illustrations;
whereas a report of the discoveries at Polada has not yet been
published at all. I have, therefore, restricted my illustrations from
Lake Fimon to the few objects on =Fig. 66=, which include a bronze
flat celt, a large clay ring, and a few specimens of pottery.