About half-way between Desenzano sul Lago and the village of Lonato,
and a little to the south of the direct railway between Milan and
Venice, there is, in the midst of a series of morainic hillocks, a
small bowl-shaped hollow, scarcely 300 yards in diameter, which at one
time formed a stagnant lake called Polada. It appears that at some
former period, of which there is now no record, this pool had been
partially drained by means of a small tunnel which was pierced through
the morainic lip on its north side, and so carried off the water to a
lower valley. The result of this was to expose a considerable portion
of the lake-bottom, one part of which formed a tongue-like projection
or promontory attached to its eastern margin. This continued to be
the condition of Polada for many ages, and in course of time the
remaining portion of the lake became completely filled up with peat.
Some years ago the proprietors of this bog commenced to utilise its
contents as fuel, and, to facilitate this operation, the margin of the
crater-like cavity was pierced by a second tunnel at a lower level
than the former, so as to get rid of the water. It was then found that
the promontory of land, which since its original exposure had been
cultivated, had been only partially bared by the first drainage, as
on its inner side there was a thin covering of peat, which a little
farther on suddenly sank to a great depth. In the course of removing
this covering of peat from the tip of the promontory, and just on the
margin of the cultivated land, some rotten piles and other indications
of a prehistoric dwelling were discovered. Dr. Giovanni Rambotti,
President of the Liceo Ginnasio at Desenzano, recognised this to be
the remains of a lake-dwelling erected on piles, and so greatly did he
interest himself in the objects recovered and daily turning up that
he arranged with the workmen to preserve all the relics for him.
This discovery was made in 1872, and, as the operation of clearing
out the peat progressed during the following two or three years, the
settlement turned out to be very rich in industrial remains. Now that
the turf is entirely removed and all the relics kept together Dr.
Rambotti finds himself the possessor of one of the most valuable and
instructive collections of lake-dwelling remains in Italy.
From an inspection of the original outlet Dr. Rambotti calculates
that before the first tunnel was executed this tongue of land would
be covered by eight to ten feet of water, and he thinks that in
this depth of water the lake-dwellers must have erected their piles
and platform. That portion of the site might have been exposed and
destroyed when the first drainage was made, is probable; but at any
rate sufficient remained to be able to form some opinion as to its
size. When I visited the locality with Dr. Rambotti he gave me the
following dimensions, which he derived from a careful study of the
locality and disposition of the piles. Its form was that of an oblong
parallelogram, 65 yards long and about one-third of this distance
in breadth. Its longest diameter ran nearly east and west, and the
dwelling thus presented its short side to the nearest shore. Two rows
of piles, about two feet apart, stretched to the shore, a distance
of about 100 yards, and Dr. Rambotti justly concluded this to be the
remains of a gangway. A shallow canoe, 25 feet long and 30 inches
wide, having traces of fixtures for oars at three equidistant spots on
each side, was found near the site of the lake-dwelling. Portions of
a second canoe, apparently of smaller dimensions, were disinterred at
the land end of the gangway.
But the valuable feature of this lake-dwelling is the large and unique
assortment of industrial remains which it has furnished, all of which
are kept together at the private residence of Dr. Rambotti, where they
constitute a respectable museum.
_Pottery._--The larger vessels were made of coarse greyish clay, mixed
with rough sand or pebbles; but the smaller and more ornamental were
composed of a fine black homogeneous paste. Besides a large quantity
of fragments, there are in Rambotti's collection about 150 vessels,
more or less entire, showing a considerable variety of size and form,
according to the uses for which the vessels were intended. Some were
large wide-mouthed jars, with two, or sometimes four, handles. The
largest of this class measured 15 inches across the mouth and 9 inches
in depth. One flat dish was 12 inches in diameter and only 4 deep,
while another was flower-pot-shaped and measured 10 inches across at
the top, 5 ½ at the base, and 12 in depth. Another dish (=Fig. 68=,
No. 37) was perforated all over with small round holes, arranged in
upright and equidistant rows, of which there were in all thirty, each
row having eight holes. The measurements of this curious percolator
are 10½ inches across the mouth, 8 at the base, and 4½ in depth.
Some vessels, especially the larger vases, were ornamented with a line
of perforations or projecting knobs round the rim; others again had a
ridge marked here and there with a knob round its bulging part (=Fig.
67=, No. 6). Few were without handles. In one or two instances there
was a hollow protuberance, instead of a handle, sufficiently prominent
to be grasped, and the hollow part communicated with the interior
of the vessel. The handles were attached generally at the rim, but
often below it, and sometimes half-way down the side of the vessel.
The largest handle I noticed measured 6 inches from its two points of
attachment. Some of the handles were surmounted by a button-shaped
prominence (No. 10); others terminated in a bifurcation like a couple
of horns, which strongly suggests a rudimentary form of the _ansa
lunata_, so characteristic of the terremare (Nos. 13 and 14). Of the
finer kind of pottery there are a great variety of dishes, which may
be classed as cups, bowls, plates, jugs, etc., some of which were
ornamented with simple designs made with dots and lines (Nos. 9, 10,
and 11). One handle had the form of a cross punctured on it, having
one arm prolonged into a long stem running downwards, just like a
modern Christian cross.
About 140 spindle-whorls of terra-cotta, some of which are variously
ornamented (=Fig. 68=, Nos. 28, 29, and 36). A considerable number of
perforated clay weights, of which five are flat, with the hole in the
centre (=Fig. 67=, Nos. 19 and 20). The most novel objects were a few
oblong cakes of terra-cotta ornamented with repeating lines of small
circular depressions (=Fig. 68=, Nos. 22 to 24).
[Illustration: =Fig. 67.=--POLADA. All ⅓ real size.]
_Stone Objects._-A large sandstone polisher, together with a number
of smaller ones. About 40 hammer-stones of quartz, serpentine, etc.,
some having finger-depressions. A few perforated stones, used as
sinkers or hammers. Six round stones about the size of an egg, found
in the canoe. Of polished celts there were only six of the usual type
(=Fig. 67=, Nos. 15 and 16). One of the most remarkable features
of the collection is the number of arrow-points, which exceed 300,
presenting in this respect a remarkable contrast to Lagozza. As will
be seen from the illustrations (=Fig. 68=, Nos. 1 to 19) these arrow
and lance-heads are varied in form and exceedingly well made. Eight
are of a rhomboidal shape, and a similar number have only one barb
(No. 7). Three rectangular plates of polished stone, perforated at the
corners, were probably used to protect the wrist of the archer (Nos.
34 and 35). Flint saws to the extent of nearly 100, of which a few are
unique. One has slanting teeth as shown in No. 20, which represents
both sides of the flint. A few were still in their handles when found.
One is very remarkable (=Fig. 67=, No. 12) as being formed of four
separate flints fixed in a wooden casing by means of a groove and
asphalt. This casing or handle has a grasping portion at each end--in
short, it is a double-handed saw. The illustration represents this
implement lying flat, and the horn-like ending projects upwards at an
angle of about 40°, so that when placed in working position with the
flints downwards, the horn-like projection would be directed to the
left. Hence Dr. Rambotti thought the lake-dwellers were left-handed
men. There were two other wooden casings, precisely similar, but minus
the flints.
_Horn und Bone._--About 40 daggers and pointers of bone, of which 12
are made from split leg-bones and beautifully polished like those from
Laibach and other places. A number of small pointed objects of bone,
chisels, pins, etc. (=Fig. 68=, Nos. 25 to 27). Seven perforated axe
hammer-heads of staghorn (=Fig. 67=, No. 17), also similar to those
from Laibach.
_Bronze._--A bronze dagger (No. 1) with a neatly-worked bone handle
terminating in a button-shaped capsule. The blade was attached to a
semilunar capsule of thin bronze by rivets. Portions of worked bone
similar to the handle of this weapon were supposed to belong to other
analogous weapons. Three flat celts of the terramara type (Nos. 2 and
3).
_Ornaments._--Eight bone rings, one of which is ornamented with
small circles (=Fig. 68=, No. 33). Three perforated buttons or
spindle-whorls of marble (No. 30). Several other forms of buttons in
stone or marble (Nos. 21 and 32). Several perforated teeth of dog,
wolf, bear (No. 31), and wild boar; also one perforated shell.
[Illustration: =Fig. 68.=--POLADA. Nos. 37 and 38 = ⅙ and all the
rest = ½ real size.]
_Wood._--Several articles of wood are preserved, as handles of
implements, a portion of an oar, fragments of the casings for flint
saws. A stool with six legs cut out of the solid. These are now mostly
shrivelled up and scarcely recognisable.
_Osseous Remains._--Upper part of a human skull. Also numerous bones
of the following animals:--the urus and some other breeds of cattle,
horse, sheep, goat, dog, cat (one skull), wild boar, pig, stag, and
roe.
Dr. Rambotti thinks that there was satisfactory evidence to conclude
that the settlement had been destroyed by fire.
No report of this remarkable lake-dwelling has yet been published
in Italy, but the principal objects were exhibited at a Congress of
Art and Archæology held at Brescia in the autumn of 1875. On this
occasion no less than fourteen pages of the published catalogue of the
exhibition are devoted to the enumeration of Dr. Rambotti's collection
from Polada.