LATTMOOR.--The discovery of lake-dwellings in North Germany dates back
to the summer of 1863, when Dr. Lisch, Curator of the Antiquarian
Museum at Schwerin, accompanied one Sergeant Büsch to inspect a peat
bog at a place called Gägelow, in the vicinity of Wismar, where the
latter reported that some stone implements had been found. Dr. Lisch
recognised in this place the site of a lake-dwelling and looked upon
the discovery as one of great importance. Soon afterwards Büsch, who
was a member of the Antiquarian Society of Schwerin, and took an
active part in collecting objects for the museum, ascertained that
similar remains were often met with in the peat bog known as the
Lattmoor, situated about a mile to the north of the town of Wismar.
On the 4th July, 1864, Büsch so greatly astonished the members of the
society with the number and variety of objects he placed before them
that Dr. Lisch again accompanied him to this new field of discovery,
and again came to the conclusion that it was the site of a true
Pfahlbau. Sergeant Büsch, to whom the credit of these discoveries
was undoubtedly due, became greatly elated over his successes, and
continued to supply Dr. Lisch with the most extraordinary objects from
this lake-dwelling, all of which were accepted without exciting the
slightest suspicion that any of them had been falsified. In 1865 Dr.
Lisch published an illustrated report of the Wismar lake-dwellings
(B. 100), and the subject attracted much attention in archæological
circles on account of their analogy to those in Switzerland. Shortly
after the appearance of Lisch's work Dr. Lindenschmit, of Mayence,
announced that certain objects included in a small collection which
Büsch had sent to him were falsifications, and especially pointed
out a bone comb and some other bone objects which undoubtedly came
under this category. The doubts thus cast on the relics from the
Wismar lake-dwelling became intensified when soon afterwards Büsch
got into trouble in regard to some money matters, which ended in his
being convicted and punished for forgery. Not only was there now
doubt cast upon the genuineness of the entire relics, so much prized
at the Schwerin Museum, but the very existence of the lake-dwelling
was called in question. After this untoward event Dr. Lisch became
more cautious and carefully inspected all the relics that had already
come to the museum, the result of which was that Büsch had not only
fabricated a considerable number, but also included real objects of
antiquity found elsewhere as coming from the lake-dwelling. All the
doubtful specimens were then carefully eliminated from the collection,
and further investigations were undertaken by competent and
trustworthy men, notably Messrs. Fromm and Mann of Wismar. The result
of this inquiry was such as to leave no doubt whatever as to the
genuineness of the Wismar lake-dwelling, as the same class of objects
continued to be found after the disappearance of the unfortunate
Büsch altogether from the scene. A couple of years later Dr. Lisch
published a second report of the Wismar Pfahlbauten (B. 142), in which
he notes those articles he considered to have been forgeries, chiefly
objects of bone and horn, in his previous report, and incorporates the
further discoveries. Since 1867 little peat-cutting has been carried
on in this part of the moor, and the antiquities have correspondingly
decreased. A final report of this lake-dwelling was, however, given
in 1873, by Dr. Lisch, which in every respect confirms its previous
character. (B. 242.) Professor Virchow, who also visited the locality
and, with his usual critical acumen, investigated the whole matter,
came to the conclusion that, notwithstanding Büsch's incomprehensible
mystifications, the lake-dwelling at Wismar was undoubtedly
trustworthy. (B. 165.)
I visited the Museum of Schwerin during the summer of 1888 for
the express purpose of seeing these remains, and after a careful
inspection of them I could not differ from the conclusions arrived at
by Lisch and Virchow. Moreover, I had the assurance of Miss Buchheim,
custodian of the antiquarian department, that there could be no doubt
at all that the entire collection from Wismar now in the museum was as
genuine as anything of the kind in Europe.
The lake-dwelling remains occupy a separate compartment in one of the
wall-cases. Among those from Wismar are 32 flint hatchets and chisels
more or less perfect (=Fig. 95=, No. 6), three perforated stone
axe-heads (Nos. 16 and 17), eight semilunar flint saws (Nos. 11 and
12), one or two arrow-points (No. 20), a flint dagger with handle (No.
10), some flint flakes and a number of polishers (No. 18). Of horn and
bone there are many worked portions, among which are three perforated
implements (No. 14), one perforated bead of amber, portions of piles
and worked wood, and a large heap of bones. But, of course, all the
objects have not come to this museum, as there are some described in
Dr. Lisch's reports which have evidently found a resting-place in
some other collections. Among the relics are not only large hollow
polishing-stones and round rubbers, but also fragments of true querns
or handmills, the presence of which appeared to have astonished Dr.
Lisch, as he considered the latter to be of much later date than any
of the other associated objects.
Of bronze only one socketed celt with side loop and portion of an arm
band are mentioned.
The pottery was of a peculiar character, much broken and difficult to
make out. One portion, which is here represented (No. 9), shows groups
of lines running up and down the bulge of the vessel. A few clay
spindle-whorls were also found.
[Illustration: =Fig. 95.=--WISMAR AND GÄGELOW (1 to 5, 7, 8, and 19).
All ⅓ real size.]
Among the osseous remains Professor Rütimeyer identified the following
animals:--ox (_Bos taurus and primigenius_), sheep, goat, pig (_Sus
scrofa ferus_ and _domesticus_), stag, roe, horse, dog, beaver, rat,
wild duck, seal, tortoise, and pike. A few human bones were also
collected.
The site of this lake-dwelling is in the low ground known as the
Lattmoor, a short distance to the north of the town of Wismar.
Judging from the nature of the locality and its surroundings, all
authorities are agreed that in prehistoric times it was the bed of
an irregularly shaped lake, but of no great depth. The piles were
found by the peat-cutters in a somewhat contracted portion some 260
yards to the south of the Muggenburg tile works. On excavating into
the accumulated deposits of this basin the following layers were
encountered:--(1) ordinary turf, about 5 feet; (2) a layer of alluvial
mould, about 1 foot thick; (3) black muddy stuff, containing the
remains of water plants for a depth of 10 feet. It was in the latter
that rotten piles were detected, which penetrated its whole depth to
the underlying glacial clay. These piles were about 10 feet long and
6 or 7 inches thick; and they were placed about 2 feet apart, with
their present tops at least 6 feet below the surface of the bog. From
the arrangement of the woodwork Dr. Lisch formed the opinion that the
huts erected over them were both round and square, and he thought he
recognised three of the former and two of the latter. The round huts
had a diameter of 14 to 18 feet, and were placed at intervals of 6
to 8 feet. Horizontal beams were found both on the supposed sites of
these huts and in the intervals. Leading from one of the huts to the
shore there was a line of seven or eight large granite stones.
GÄGELOW.--The site of the Gägelow lake-dwelling, the first discovered
in North Germany, is a small hollow near the seashore a few miles to
the west of Wismar. This hollow contained a rich deposit of mould,
which Herr Seidenschnur, the proprietor, was in the habit of utilising
as manure for his fields. It appears that as early as 1861 some horn
objects were found in the stuff taken out of this place, which, on
being presented to the Museum at Schwerin, then led Dr. Lisch to make
the suggestion of a lake-dwelling--a suggestion which was afterwards
confirmed by his visit to the place in May, 1863.
By the removal of the mould from year to year, this hollow had been
partially converted into its pristine aqueous condition, which,
however, could hardly be dignified by the name of a lake, being
nothing more than a pond, some 40 yards long by 30 broad. Here a
semicircular area containing oak piles was detected, which measured
about 22 feet in diameter. The piles were 7 to 10 feet long, and 7
to 8 inches thick, and interspersed among them were some horizontal
beams. Associated with this wooden structure were found various kinds
of antiquities--viz. four polished or chipped axes of flint (=Fig.
95=, Nos. 2 and 3), two perforated axe-hammer heads of diorite (No.
4), a portion of a third (No. 7), and some flint daggers (No. 1) and
flakes. A four-cornered mortar of grey basalt, 3½ inches high by
2½ broad (No. 8); the corners of this vessel are rounded, and its
surface neatly polished. A hand-millstone or quern, 1 foot in diameter
and 2½ inches thick, made of porous basalt: this quern had a hole
in the centre, with two swallow-tail notches on each side for fixing
the handle, and its under surface was worked into a series of narrow
grooves, precisely similar to those of Roman and post-Roman times.
There were also some spindle-whorls (No. 19), a portion of a clay
weight, and fragments of dishes of black and red pottery, some of
which had handles. The bones were all of the ordinary domestic animals.
_Marine Pile-dwellings._--The spirit of antiquarian research aroused
in the neighbourhood by these discoveries, led to the recognition of
the remains of marine pile-dwellings (Meerpfahlbauten) in the bay of
Wismar. Attention was first directed to this subject by Mr. Mann, who
pointed out that for several years past flint hatchets, daggers, and
knives, as well as various objects of horn and bone, and even bronze
implements, were frequently turned up by the dredging machines used
in the harbour. The matter, however, excited no interest among the
workmen, and thus many valuable objects were re-deposited in deep
water along with the dredged mud. It was reported that some bronze
objects had been sold to the smith, Vossech, and melted; while others
of stone and horn had been dispersed. It appears also that at a
particular place called the Baumhaus piles of oak had been observed.
In 1864 the workmen engaged at the dredging machines, having their
attention called to the matter, reported the existence of piles at
various places in the bay, one of which was between the shore and the
little island Wallfisch, and the other close to the island Poel. One
peculiar horn object which had been sent to the museum was supposed
to have been a _Taschenbügel_ or rim for a pouch. (B. 100, p. 101, and
vol. xxix. p. 132.)
BÜTZOW.--There was also, according to Dr. Lisch, a lake-dwelling
in a turf moor called the "Sühring," near the town of Bützow. Here
at a given place near the margin of the moor the peat-cutters were
occasionally finding antiquities associated with piles, which, on
being sent to the Schwerin Museum, led to the recognition of the true
character of the find. Over 60 objects were collected, among which
Dr. Lisch enumerates the following:--two round stone rubbers, three
semilunar flint saws, a flint celt, a perforated axe-head, a bronze
pin three and a half inches long, several objects of horn and bone, a
piece of reindeer horn, and shells of hazel-nuts. (B. 142.)
VIMFOU.--Dr. Weichmann-Kadow (B. 142) describes a lacustrine dwelling
found in a small lake at Vimfou, near Goldberg. The lake was drained
and converted into meadow land in 1865, and in its former bed three
localities containing piles had been observed, only one of which,
however, was subjected to any examination. This was near the middle of
the lake, and the piles, which appeared to have been the foundations
of a burnt-down hut, occupied a circular area about 12 feet in
diameter. Inside the piled area were bits of burnt wood, charcoal, and
some broken pottery and three whole vessels. Some of these vessels
were well made and had handles and a style of ornamentation which
corresponded with the early Iron Age. The only other remains were
a few grinding stones (_Quetschmühle_), some small round pebbles
supposed to have been used as draughtsmen, bits of bone, and the
shells of hazel-nuts.
(B) POMERANIA AND CENTRAL PRUSSIA.
RYCK.--Almost contemporary with Lisch's discoveries in the vicinity
of Wismar were those by Von Hagenow at the mouth of the river Wiek.
(B. 97.) Rumours of the discovery of various ancient objects of flint,
bronze, and iron, while the bed of the river was being deepened,
induced Mr. von Hagenow to investigate the matter. These reported
discoveries extended backwards for upwards of twenty years, embracing
the years 1839-47-59-62 and '64. It was only in the latter year that
it became surmised that the antiquities indicated a lake-dwelling.
There was no doubt of the existence of piles, which Von Hagenow
unhesitatingly concluded had been used for this purpose; but others
thought they were the remains of a bridge. Prof. Virchow, writing in
1869 (B. 165), after examining into all the circumstances, was unable
to form an opinion or to decide whether these remains pointed to a
bridge or to a lake-dwelling.
HEGAR LAKE.--This lake is situated in the district of Dramburg, near
Sabin, and in it were found many iron objects, upwards of 100 arrow
and lance-heads, spurs and horse-bits, associated with the remains of
a small wooden house. No objects characteristic of the Stone or Bronze
Ages were found, so that there can be no doubt that this station was
of a comparatively late age. (B. 119, 2nd ed., p. 629.)
WERBELINSEE.--According to Professor Virchow, this lake contains the
remains of a most interesting pile-dwelling. (B. 165.) The lake is
situated not far from Joachimsthal and Angermünde, and on its south
side, near the village of Altenhof, piles were detected which, by a
vague tradition, were supposed to mark the site of a bridge. Professor
Virchow, however, by placing long wooden poles in the water where the
submerged ancient piles were observed, demonstrated the existence of
a vast area which even the sceptical boatmen admitted could only have
been intended for the foundations of a village.
PERSANZIGERSEE.--This lake, according to Kasiski (B. 125 and 362), is
situated four and a half miles to the west of Neustettin, and formerly
covered about 186 acres; but in 1863 it was lowered some 10 feet by
the construction of a drainage canal, thereby reducing its area to
less than as many roods. At the north end of the lake, and 170 yards
from the shore, there appeared a small island, which was found to have
been surrounded by a remarkable structure of piles and cross-beams.
Sixty yards to the north of this island there was a flat prominence,
called the "Werder," which was completely cut off from the mainland,
partly by bogs and partly by an arm of the lake 55 yards wide. (See
accompanying Sketch Map.)
Stretching between the island and the point of the Werder the stumps
of a double row of piles, doubtless the remains of a bridge, were
detected. A similar bridge also extended from the Werder to the shore;
and to the south of this were the remains of a third bridge, which
appears to have never been finished, as it stopped suddenly short
after reaching some 40 yards into the lake in the direction of the
island. Another row of piles, commencing at the outer end of the
bridge which connected the island with the Werder, extended circularly
for a considerable distance in the bed of the lake, as if intended to
protect the island.
[Illustration: A Persanzig See B Plan of Pfahlbauten in Persanzig See]
The chief point of interest, however, lay in the peculiar structures
which surrounded the island. These consisted of a series of
rectangles, some 60 in number, formed of horizontal beams 16 feet long
and 8 to 12 inches in diameter; they overlapped each other near their
extremities, leaving about 18 inches free, and each beam had deep cuts
by which it was kept in position, exactly similar to the plan used in
the construction of a log house. The rectangular spaces measured four
or five square yards, and had 30 or 40 piles placed on both sides of
the chamber-walls, apparently for the purpose of strengthening the
horizontal beams, as shown in the plan. These chambers appear to have
formed a complete girdle to the island, but they were partly destroyed
on the south side. The quantity of wood used was enormous, as the
piles alone numbered about 1800. On the north side the structures were
remarkably well preserved, being protected by a covering of slime and
rushes eight to twelve inches thick. At first Major Kasiski believed
that the rectangles were cottages, but subsequently, after comparison
with similar structures in other lakes in North Germany, he came to
the conclusion that they formed merely the submerged foundations over
which the cottages had been built.
The bridges from the Insel to the Werder, and from the Werder to the
shore, were built on two rows of piles, 8 feet apart, and the piles
in each row were about 7 feet apart. Major Kasiski inferred from the
remains of the unfinished bridge, which showed the use of tenons and
mortises, that it was of later date than the others.
Among the relics collected on the island or amidst its surrounding
structures are two halves of an upper quern, 14½ inches in diameter
and 5 inches thick. The under side is concave, and the centre hole,
which has a diameter of 1¼ inches, widens upwards like a funnel.
Querns have been found in several lake-dwellings in North Germany, as
Gägelow, Wismar, and Cottbus, in Neumark.[54] Other relics consist
of wooden clubs, two portions of leather, a skate made of the
leg-bone of a horse, staghorn hammers, five sharpening-stones, a few
spindle-whorls of stone and clay, a bit of coral, seven portions of
worked wood--a shovel, rudder, etc. Of metal there are a fragment of
bronze and an iron hatchet. The latter implement is small, measuring
only 3½ inches long, and 2½ inches wide at its cutting-edge, and has
a round hole for the handle.
The pottery, of which 45 fragments were collected, was made of fine
clay, by means of the potter's-wheel, and from the variety of its
ornamentation and characteristic wavy lines, there can be no doubt
that it belonged to the type of the Burgwälle--an inference which is
greatly strengthened by its resemblance to that found in the Wallberg
in the Raddatzsee, a noted Burgwall situated in the close vicinity.
Illustrations of a few specimens of this pottery are given on =Fig.
96=, Nos. 6 to 9.
From an examination of the bones collected the following animals were
identified, viz.:--horse, ox, goat, sheep, pig, dog, fox, deer, and
roe.
In the Virchowsee a little to the north of Persanzig there is a huge
Burgwall surrounded by water, in which the remains of piles have been
found. (B. 165.)
STREITZIGSEE.--On the lowering of this lake a very large assortment
of piles became exposed, but although several excavations were made,
both by Professor Virchow and others, no decided results were obtained
bearing on their character and scope. (B. 165.)
LÜBTOWSEE.--Another locality which has furnished remains of
pile-dwellings lies to the right of the Oder, in the vicinity of
Lübtow. (B. 165.) Here the river Plöne traverses a long lake, and
on its being lowered in 1859, an extensive area covered with piles
became visible towards its northern end. It is said that many relics
were found among these piles, some of which were collected by the
proprietor; but the idea of their belonging to lake-dwellings was
not mooted till several years afterwards. Professor Virchow visited
the locality in 1865, and again in 1869, and on the latter occasion
he made extensive excavations, which convinced him that this was a
regular lake-settlement. Later on the foundations of a quadrangular
wooden building came to light, from which, owing to its being 3 feet
under the late lake level, Mr. Kühne inferred that the lake must have
formerly stood at a lower level. That this structure, however, as well
as the piles, belonged to the Iron Age, he says there can be no doubt
whatever, as the antiquities collected in both were precisely similar,
being generally iron objects, such as swords, lance and arrow-heads,
stirrups, spurs, knives, and bricks of the thirteenth or fourteenth
century. In the rectangular building, in addition to such objects,
were found a helmet and greaves. But what was considered still more
singular, there was found among the piles a number of stone chisels
and hammers, together with one bronze celt. (B. 119, 2^o ed., p. 629.)
Adjacent to this lake at Bonin, and deeply buried in the turf,
indications of wooden structures came to light which, in 1872,
attracted the attention of Professor Virchow, who, in company with
the local antiquaries, made excavations which revealed structures
analogous to those in the Persanzigersee. (B. 227.) In excavating they
passed through the following distinct layers:--First, 5 to 8 feet of
peat; second, some thin layers of marl, sand, and mud; and third, a
relic-bed, 2 to 4 feet in thickness. The woodwork appeared to the
investigators to have been cut by sharp metal tools. Among the relics
collected were four sharpening-stones, a few perforated staghorn
hammers, a bone chisel 6½ inches long, some large horn handles, a
small iron knife, bits of leather, fragments of wooden dishes, and
part of a boat. Pottery was also found which belonged to the Burgwälle
type.
SOLDINERSEE.--In 1857 this lake was lowered 7 to 8 feet, when two
islands became visible, one of which turned out to be the site of a
lake-dwelling, and yielded a considerable number of antiquities, among
which was portion of a reindeer horn. (B. 165, p. 407.)
In 1873 Major Kamienski examined it with greater care, and published a
short notice of the results. (B. 241.) The island was 150 yards from
the shore, and measured 85 by 30 yards. It contained many piles, and
showed no evidence of having been destroyed by fire. The relics were
of a mixed character. With flint flakes and broken stone-axes were
various iron objects, as a hook, a spear-head, three knife-blades, and
three halves of horseshoes. There were also arrow-points of bone, two
portions of bows, a clay spindle-whorl, a bone shuttle, beautifully
worked, and a piece of horn with a kind of ornamentation cut on it.
The fragments of pottery also indicated different kinds. Stones, which
looked as if they had been exposed to fire, were supposed to have been
used as hearths. Among the osseous remains were those of the ox, pig,
stag, roe, fox, bear, beaver, wild boar, and a single vertebra of a
fish.
A Burgwall was on the land near the lake-dwelling--a fact which is
somewhat significant, as, according to Virchow, there was often a
close connection between these two classes of remains.
DABERSEE (HINTER POMMERN).--The Pfahlbauten in this lake were shown
by Professor Virchow to be connected with an adjacent Burgwall by a
wooden bridge. (B. 165.) He also found that the piles were associated
with submerged wooden rectangles similar to those already described
in the Persanzigersee. Together with pottery of the Burgwälle type,
he found bone skates, an iron hatchet, and an ornamented comb,
constructed of several pieces of bone banded together with iron
rivets. About this comb he remarks that the teeth were sawn after the
pieces were put together--a peculiarity which I have noted of the bone
combs found on the Ayrshire crannogs.[55]
LÜBBINCHENERSEE (KR. GUBEN).--In 1877 a lake-dwelling of the Slavish
period (_Spätwendischer und darüber Mittelalterlicher Pfahlbau_) was
examined by members of the Märkisches Museum, in Berlin, from which
they collected a large quantity of iron objects, pottery, bones, etc.,
which may now be seen in this museum. The base of this lacustrine
dwelling was constructed precisely similar to that at Persanzig,
and the beams had similar cuts near their extremities, where they
overlapped each other.
ALT FRIESACK (KR. RUPPIN).--A similar Slavish Pfahlbau was found at
Alt Friesack, from which there is now in the Märkisches Museum a large
quantity of _débris_--wooden beams, quern-stones, some perforated clay
sinkers (=Fig. 96=, No. 5), an iron hatchet (No. 2) with traces of
ornamentation on it, an iron oblong ring (No. 1), and pottery with the
characteristic wavy lines (Nos. 3 and 4).
[Illustration: =Fig. 96.=--FRIESACK (1 to 5) AND PERSANZIG. No. 5 =
¼, the rest ½ real size.]
KLOPPSEE (NEUMARK).--A lake-dwelling in the Kloppsee, near Woldenburg,
has yielded a fine black pottery, so well burnt that it gives a
metallic ring when struck. The vessels found here are well shaped, and
the fragments show handles, feet, and well-formed recurved rims. (B.
165.)
SPANDAU.--One of the most remarkable lacustrine discoveries in North
Germany was made a few years ago (1881) at the town of Spandau, near
Berlin. Here, in a flat space called Stresow, close to the river
Havel, in which workmen were excavating the foundations of a military
powder-house, oak piles and bronze weapons were turned up from
considerable depths.
The locality was almost surrounded by the adjacent sluggish waters,
and so wet that two pumps had to be kept going before the men could
carry out the necessary excavations. From the sedimentary character
of the deposit, as well as the abundance of fresh-water shells, there
could be no doubt that formerly the place had been occupied by a
lake. There was, first of all, a bed of peat about five feet thick,
and under this came a deposit of mud and sand. On the south side of
the space being excavated there was observed at a depth of nearly
12 feet a layer of greenish stuff, mixed with bones, impregnated
with vivianite, and through this layer the piles were found to have
penetrated to the sand underneath. It was in the muddy deposit
immediately beneath the peat that the tops of the piles appeared, and
they were arranged sometimes in parallel rows, and sometimes without
any apparent regularity. Some were of oak, and others of soft wood.
There was also much timber lying transversely, and many of the beams
showed signs of charring.
The relics were collected between and around these piles, and
uniformly all over the area. They consisted of a remarkable series
of bronze implements and weapons, together with a few of stone and
horn. There were also found the bones of tame and wild animals, a
human brachycephalic skull and some other human bones, a portion of
a canoe, and a very small quantity of pottery of an indeterminate
character. The bones were very much broken, but, notwithstanding, they
were identified as belonging to the following animals, viz.:--stag,
roe, hare, bear, ox, horse, pig, and dog. It is noteworthy that the
reindeer and elk were both unrepresented.
_Relics._--It is, however, the relics that distinguish this lacustrine
find from others in North Germany, and these I shall now describe
shortly:--three swords with handles (=Fig. 97=, Nos. 8, 9, and
10), one sword-blade attached by rivets (No. 11); an ornamented
_commandostab_ (No. 18), and a small button-like object, ornamented
with a running scroll of double spiral; three daggers have rivet-marks
and one has a tang (Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 12); one dagger, still in its
bronze handle (No. 13), has its butt end ornamented with concentric
circles and spirals characteristic of the Scandinavian archæological
area; two lance-heads with sockets (Nos. 4 and 17), one of which is
ornamented with lines and crossbars (No. 17); one socketed celt (No.
3); five paalstabs (Nos. 1 and 2); and a piece of bronze wire.
[Illustration: =Fig. 97=.--SPANDAU. Nos. 8 to 11 = ⅙, and the rest
⅓ real size (socket of No. 17 = ⅔).]
Of stone objects there were two round grindstones or polishers (No.
15) and some sharpening stones, a polished perforated stone (No. 16),
a portion of a hammer of greenstone, and a round stone ball 4 inches
in diameter, like a cannon-ball.
Five staghorn axe-heads, a disc of horn perforated, a portion of a
horn spear, five bits of rough unornamented pottery, and a large
perforated ball of clay. Fragments of a canoe showing a length of 10
feet. Report goes that an iron implement, and a portion of a dish
like earthenware of the twelfth century, were found; but probably
they had no connection with the bronze objects above described.
It is noteworthy that all the relics are of a military character,
there being among them no spindle-whorls, combs, hair-pins, fibulæ,
bracelets, or any other objects that can be said to belong to domestic
life. For this reason this lacustrine abode is generally supposed to
have been a military fort like La Tène. (B. 384 and 396.)
(C) POSEN AND POLAND.
OBJEZIERZE.--In the province of Posen there are several localities
to be recorded which have yielded unequivocal indications of
lake-dwellings, two of which, viz. Objezierze and Czeszewo, are
supposed by local archæologists to date as far back as the Stone Age.
The former existed in a swamp now filled up with peat, which has thus
preserved and concealed piles and other remains recently brought to
light by peat-cutters. The relics collected from this place are now
deposited in the Posen Archæological Museum, and among them I have
noted the following:--A few remarkably fine knife-flakes of flint,
one of which is 7½ inches long, a perforated bead, four large clay
rings (=Fig. 98=, No. 8), and three flint celts of the Scandinavian
type (No. 7). In the same turf moor and in the vicinity of the
lake-dwelling was found a large bronze torque ornamented as shown in
No. 9.[56]
CZESZEWO (KR. WAGROWICE).--Although for many years the existence
of piles in a particular spot in this lake was known to fishermen,
it was not till 1871 that their true nature was recognised by
Professor Lepkowsky of Krakow. The lake was surrounded by marshy
borders and peat bogs, and at various times its level was lowered,
which thus considerably reduced its area. Firewood being scarce in
the district, the fishermen were in the habit of pulling out the
piles, and in this way the structures were greatly damaged before a
competent archæologist saw them. The site of the Pfahlbau was near
a large tumulus constructed close to the original lake margin. The
area occupied by the piles was in the form of a segment of a circle,
the base of which was 250 paces long and its greatest breadth 75.
Transverse beams from 10 to 12 feet long were found interspersed
among the uprights, which were supposed to have bound the latter
together, though neither wedges nails, nor mortises were detected. It
was observed that the uprights had their tops charred and that the
portions remaining were longer the farther they were placed from the
shore, and hence it was supposed that the dwelling had been destroyed
by a conflagration.
[Illustration: =Fig. 98.=--CZESZEWO (1 to 6), OBJEZIERZE (7 to 9), and
LAGIEWNICKI. All ½ real size.]
The remains of human industry collected from this station are now
deposited partly in the Jagellon Museum at Krakow, and partly in the
Archæological Museum at Posen. Among them are fragments of pottery,
one being part of a dish perforated with small holes (=Fig. 98=, No.
5), perforated stone and horn hammers and axes (Nos. 1 and 2), one or
two plain celts (No. 6), some fragments of clay rings (No. 3), two
fragments of human skulls, and a large quantity of the osseous remains
of different animals. One object of bronze is said to have been found
on this station, and one of the stone implements is only partially
perforated, the operation having been unfinished. The stone objects
are made of dark granite.
Messrs. Kohn and Mehlis have published a small photographic view of
the objects in the Krakow Museum, but the more interesting ones,
though fewer in number, are at Posen, from which the illustrations
here shown are taken. Notices of this lake-dwelling have been
published by Count Przezdiecki (B. 156 and 195), by Kohn and Mehlis
(B. 338), and by Ossowski of Krakow (B. 361)--the last being in Polish
and French.
GROSSESEE.--At Alt-Gortzig, in the Grossesee, there was a small
island which became visible on the lowering of the lake some 10
feet, around which were found piles and the usual _débris_ of a
lacustrine dwelling, among which were pottery with parallel and wavy
lines, charcoal, and an iron axe-head, together with numerous osseous
remains. (B. 228 and 352.)
PAWLOWICE.--Mr. Schwartz, of Posen, describes what he considers to
have been a lake-dwelling near Pawlowice. Here, in a turf-moor which
had formerly been a lake, he found, at a depth of five feet, bits of
clay plaster, hearth-stones, fragments of cooking vessels, etc.[57]
Also at Komorowo, in the Bythinersee, indications of lake-dwellings
have been found.[58]
LAGIEWNICKI.--Another interesting locality, discovered a few years
ago, is at Lagiewnicki (Posen). Here the tops of oak piles were found
at a depth of five feet in the peat, and associated with them were
fragments of two kinds of pottery--one rough, like that used in the
manufacture of urns, and the other of the Burgwälle type. Among the
relics were a wooden mallet, a perforated bone implement, some flint
flakes, the pin of a bronze fibula of La Tène type (=Fig. 98=, No.
11), and a silver necklace (No. 10), terminating at one end in a
raised button which clasped with an eye at the other when fastened.
(B. 430.)
KWACZALA.--At the request of the Academy of Sciences of Krakow,
Mr. Adam Kirkor, curator of the Archæological Museum at Wilna,
investigated, in the summer of 1873, a peat-moor near the village
of Kwaczala, said to contain pile-dwellings. Mr. Kirkor found beams
and piles in several spots pointed out by the proprietor, where
the peat-cutters were said to have formerly encountered woodwork.
Water came upon his trenches at a depth of three feet. Both upright
and transverse beams of oak were found, some being over a yard in
circumference and 8½ yards long. The area containing structural
remains of woodwork was 70 yards long by 40 broad. The foundation was
of horizontal beams, spread out in all directions, which he concluded
to have been arranged after some kind of architectural principle.
There was a large quantity of rude pottery, some showing linear or
punctured ornamentation. Two perforated axe-hammer heads of stone, and
about 300 bits of worked flint were collected among the _débris_, as
well as some bones of the horse. Altogether, this primitive habitation
appears to have been of a peculiar kind. (B. 338.)
BIALKA (LUBLINER KR.).--In the moor of Bialka, formerly covered
with water, there is a small island about 100 paces in diameter, on
which tradition says there was once an enchanted castle. Professor
Joseph Przyborowski, of Warsaw, made some excavations on the island,
and found on the surface some tiles and modern implements, which so
far confirmed the tradition of the ancient castle; but upon digging
he came upon wooden piles at a depth of four feet. His excavations
extended some twenty feet long and nine feet wide, and in the whole
of this area he found numbers of piles, as well as cross-beams.
Associated with these wooden structures there was also a relic-bed,
entirely distinct from the superficial layer, on which he found two
well-formed flint arrow-heads, a portion of a perforated axe of
serpentine, some flint implements, and broken bones of edible animals.
If this site were properly investigated the author prognosticated
results of considerable scientific value. (B. 338.)
Professor Ossowski, in his "Carte Archéologique" (B. 361), gives the
following sites of lake-dwellings, none of which, however, have been
carefully investigated:--(1) _Warlubie_ (Kr. Swieć). This is a
vast peat deposit from which neolithic implements and staghorn hammers
have been extracted from time to time. It was visited by Ossowski in
the year 1878, who found some fragments of pottery and charcoal. But
these merely strengthened the suspicion that the antiquities were due
to Pfahlbauten. (2) Similar indications were found at _Kowalewo_,
in the district of Tornú. (3) At _Wabrzeźno_, in the district of
Chelmno, there is a small lake, in which were found a primitive vase,
a bronze fish-hook, a stone hammer, and an implement of staghorn. (4)
_Lankorsz_, district of Lubawa.
(D) EAST PRUSSIA AND LIVLAND.
In the eastern districts of Prussia lake-dwelling remains have been
discovered in the following places, which have been more or less
investigated and described in various archæological publications,
especially in the _Altpreussiche Monatsschrift_:--
ARYSSEE (KR. LÖTZEN).--_A. M._, vol. iv. p. 667; xii. p. 89;
xiv. p. 181. _Zeit. für Ethn._, vol. xix.,
_Verhand._, p. 491.
CZARNISEE (KR. LÖTZEN).--_A. M._, vol. xiv. p. 181; vol. xv. p. 481.
KOCKSEE (KR. RÖSSEL).--_A. M._, vol. xxii. p. 169;
_Zeit. für Ethn._, vol. xvi.,
_Verhand._, p. 560.
PROBCHENSEE (KR. RÖSSEL).--_A. M._, vol. xxii. p. 169
QUERTZ (KR. HEILSBERG).--_A. M._, vol. xxii. p. 169.
BONSLACK (KR. WEHLAU).--_A. M._, vol. xxii. p. 485.
TULEWOSEE (KR. LYCK).--_A. M._, vol. v. p. 750.
SZONTAGSEE (KR. LYCK).--_A. M._, vol. xxiv. p. 488.
KOWNATKENSEE (KR. NIEDENBURG).--_A. M._, vol. xxiv. pp. 168 and 496.
LONKORRECKERSEE (CULMERLANDE).--_A. M._, vol. x. p. 579.
GESERICHSEE--_Phy. Ok. Gesel._, 1874, _Verhand._, p. 14.
ARYSSEE.--The existence of the _débris_ of a remarkable lake-dwelling
in the Aryssee became known in 1863, in consequence of the
discontinuance of a mill which had its motive power supplied by
the surplus water from this lake, and the subsequent deepening of
its outlet, which had the effect of lowering its level about seven
feet. Its remains have been investigated and described by various
persons, notably Professor Heydeck, of Königsberg, who has made plans
and models of its peculiar structure. These, as well as a large
collection of relics, are now deposited in the Prussia Museum at
Königsberg. It appears to have been a kind of _Packwerk_. There were,
first of all, two or three layers of round timbers lying transversely
to each other on the bottom of the lake in the form of rectangles,
after which their sides only were continued upwards by single beams,
laid successively on each side, thus leaving empty spaces above.
These horizontal beams were kept in position by numerous uprights,
which here and there flanked them on both sides, as well as by deep
cuts towards their extremities where they overlapped each other,
precisely similar to the plan adopted at Persanzig and elsewhere. This
understructure had a thickness of three to four feet, and over it
was laid a wooden platform, above which the huts of its inhabitants
were constructed. Clay floorings were found over these platforms,
with evidences here and there of fire-places. The relics were found
both on the platform and in the originally empty spaces, which, of
course, were now filled up with _débris_. Upon its first appearance
there was a layer of from 1½ to 2 feet of mud over the woodwork, but
after its exposure for some time the mud dried and became greatly
contracted. The central area of this structure measured 72 by 36
feet, and was surrounded by three rows of piles. A bridge or gangway,
also constructed on a triple row of piles, extended to the shore, a
distance of about fifty yards.
At first, and for several years after its discovery, no metal objects
were found, and hence it was supposed to belong exclusively to
the Stone Age; but this is no longer the case, as latterly it has
furnished both iron and bronze objects.
Among the relics are the following:--fragments of an iron socketed
lance-head 4 inches long, a large bronze button 1¾ inch in
diameter, and a portion of cast bronze. Wooden hooks, like those
from Robenhausen, and perforated square bits, supposed to have been
floats for nets. Fragments of pottery and some whole dishes, the
largest being 18 inches high, showing nail and finger marks (=Fig.
99=, No. 11), perforated rims (No. 10), and sometimes handles. A few
flakes, arrow-points, and scrapers of flint (Nos. 8 and 9). Fragment
of a perforated axe-hammer of diorite and some mealing stones. Six
perforated horn axes, the largest 6½ inches long; pointers, pins, two
needles, and various other objects of bone (Nos. 1 to 7). Arrow-points
of bone are 3 to 4 inches long, and scrapers 1½ to 3½ inches.
Portions of roofing thatch of rushes, clay flooring, etc.
[Illustration: =Fig. 99.=--ARYS AND KOWNATKEN (12 to 14). No. 10 =
⅛, 11 = ¼, and the rest = ½ real size.]
CZARNISEE AND TULEWOSEE.--These two lakes are in the vicinity of the
Aryssee, and each contained a lake-dwelling similar to that in the
latter, both in structure and in the character of its relics. On the
station in the Czarnisee were found a blue glass bead; a partially
perforated stone axe, 3⅛ inches long, with the core still remaining;
and two socketed iron lance-heads.
The KOWNATKEN Pfahlbau was also a Packwerk formed of round and
split stems. It extended along the margin of the lake for about
seventy paces, and had a breadth of twelve at the east end, which
became reduced to seven or eight at the west end. Some of the
pottery from this station, of which fragments of twelve vessels were
found, was ornamented with finger marks as well as string marks
(_Schnurornament_). Among the relics are pointers of bone, one
supposed to be a skate (=Fig. 99=, No. 14); some round sling-stones; a
well-formed stone hatchet (No. 12); worked flint flakes (No. 13); and
sharpening stones. Among the bones were those of the stag, roe, pig,
horse, ox, and portions of reindeer horn.
The lacustrine dwelling in the KOCKSEE was discovered on the lowering
of the lake in the autumn of 1882. When its level had sunk 4½ feet,
the structure appeared above the water. It was 34 yards long by 15
broad, and stretched lengthways along the shore, with which it was
connected by a bridge. The woodwork appeared to have been cut by metal
tools, although none of them have hitherto been discovered in the
_débris_. The relics consisted of fragments of pottery and a few stone
and bone objects.
In the neighbouring PROBCHENSEE a lake-dwelling, in all respects
similar to that in the Kocksee, has recently come to light.
At BONSLACK transverse beams were observed, tied to the uprights by
means of birch thongs (_Birkengeflecht_). From this station, some
pottery, perforated like a sieve, and a mallet of wood, are recorded.
In the SZONTAGSEE there was also a lake-dwelling of the same class
as those above described, the exact details of which have not yet
been published. From it there are several interesting objects in the
Prussia Museum at Königsberg, among which I have noted bone pointers
and spatulæ, a well-formed needle of bone with the eye at one end, and
a large bronze button with a raised eye.
As to the other localities in East Prussia where indications of
lake-dwellings have been observed, the discoveries hitherto made on
their sites are too indefinite to merit a detailed notice here, and
I shall content myself with the references already given as to where
such observations have been recorded.
ARRASCHSEE (LIVLAND).--In 1876 Count Sievers announced the discovery
of a lake-dwelling in the Arraschsee, which was subsequently visited
by the indefatigable Professor Virchow. This was a small circular
island, covered with birch trees and bushes, which, on examination,
turned out to have been an artificially-constructed island, like our
own crannogs. Like them, also, it was surrounded by piles, and its
interior was constructed of layers of wooden beams laid transversely
over each other. Its structure was ascertained by digging two large
square holes in different parts of the island, and in one nine layers
of wood were counted, and in the other six. The chief relics collected
were a bronze ring-pin, seven inches long; a bronze fibula (_eine
lettische Fibel_); portion of a mould; a few clay beads; a pointed
bone implement; bits of string and rolls of birch-bark; also fragments
of grey and black pottery, with rude knobs and finger-marks, and
without handles. From marks on the woodwork it was inferred that iron
tools were used. The osseous remains belonged to the horse, ox, pig,
and beaver. (B. 292.)
General Remarks on the Lake-Dwellings of North Germany.
Professor Virchow, as early as 1869, published an excellent thesis on
the lake-dwellings of North Germany (B. 165), in which he maintained
that all of them, with perhaps one or two exceptions, belonged to a
much more recent period than those of Switzerland and South Germany.
This opinion he founded on the following considerations:--
(1) Though many objects of stone and bronze were found on the former,
yet in almost every case they were associated with others of a more
recent type, including iron implements, etc.
(2) The food refuse contained most commonly the bones of the ordinary
domestic animals, those of wild animals, such as reindeer, wild boar,
stag, wild goat, and beaver, being but rarely met with.
(3) Many of the lake-dwellings were synchronous with the Burgwälle,
a fact which was conclusively proved by their possessing the
characteristic pottery of the latter, as was notably the case in the
Persanzig lake-dwelling. Moreover, Virchow showed that some of the
Burgwälle had direct communication with adjacent lake-dwellings, as in
the Dabersee, Soldinersee, and Kloppsee.
Referring to this subject at a later date (1877), at the eighth
Congress of the German Anthropological Society (B. 306), Virchow,
while reviewing the further discoveries of lake-dwellings in North
Germany, maintained the general correctness of his previous
conclusions. These northern Pfahlbauten, according to him, were due
to the immigration into the country of the Slavish people, and bear
the same relation to the Burgwälle that the pile-dwellings in Italy do
to the terremare. "Ich denke," says he, "wir werden uns entschliessen
müssen, ganz im Gegensatze zu den süddeutschschweizerischen
Pfahlbauten, die Einführung der nördlichen Pfahlbauten an die
Einwanderung des Slavo-lettischen Stammes anzuknüpfen."
Virchow's opinion is not, however, universally accepted, as many of
the local archæologists maintain that there are several lake-dwellings
which have yielded relics that can only be explained on the
supposition that they were founded during the earlier prehistoric
ages. The chief examples relied on in support of their contention are
those at Wismar, Spandau, Czeszewo, Objezierze, and Aryssee.
After carefully examining the relics from all these stations I must
admit that much could be written on both sides of this controversy.
Notwithstanding the number of typical objects of the Stone Age from
Wismar and Gägelow, Dr. Lisch records that along with them were
portions of querns. Now, querns are never found among the remains
of the Swiss lake-dwellings, nor am I aware of their existence in
any prehistoric remains in northern or western Europe prior to Roman
times. The station at Spandau, if it be considered a true Pfahlbau,
was undoubtedly of the Bronze Age. Czeszewo and Objezierze have
yielded a considerable quantity of Stone Age relics, with scarcely
any of the succeeding ages. Only one bronze object is said to have
been found on the former, and from the latter there is in the Museum
of Posen a bronze torque (=Fig. 98=, No. 9), which was found at a
little distance from the lake-dwelling. As regards the Aryssee and
its neighbouring lakes of Czarni and Tulewo, with their respective
lake-dwellings, all of which are of the _Packwerk_ type, Professor
Heydeck relies largely on the presence of pottery with string and
finger ornamentation, as a proof of their antiquity, in addition
to the ordinary stone celts, horn clubs, etc.; but yet along with
them were found iron lance-heads and a blue glass bead (Czarnisee).
Similarly in the _Packwerk_ in the Kownatkensee, polished stone
celts, pottery with finger marks and _Schnurornament_, and portion
of a reindeer horn, were found associated with a bone skate, and the
osseous remains of the domestic animals, as the horse, pig, ox, etc.
In attempting, therefore, to estimate the chronological range of these
lake-dwellings from an examination of their contents, which (being
unnoticed in the early annals of the country) is the only available
means, the mixed character of these relics presents a considerable
difficulty--a difficulty which, as we shall afterwards see, is equally
applicable to the Scottish and Irish crannogs. But, whatever doubts
may be cast on their antiquity and early origin, there can be none as
to the comparatively late occupancy of many of them. A bone skate and
a comb made of square bits bound together by cross pieces, and showing
that the teeth were cut by a saw after the pieces were put together,
precisely as may be seen in the combs from the Scottish crannogs and
the terp-mounds of Holland, were found by Virchow in the Dabersee
Pfahlbau. Iron hatchets (Dabersee, Persanzigsee, and Alt Friesack),
horseshoes, and other iron implements (Soldinersee), pottery of
Slavish type (Bonin, Kloppsee, Persanzig, etc.), leather (Bonin), and
even armour and bricks of the thirteenth century (Lübtowsee), leave no
doubt as to their almost mediæval character.
Reindeer horns were found at Butzow, Soldinersee, and Kownatkensee;
but these objects do not necessarily indicate great antiquity, as this
animal, though not referred to in the early annals of North Germany,
is stated to have been an inhabitant of the country in the time of
Cæsar.
The undoubted contemporaneity of many of these lake-dwellings with
the Burgwälle opens up a field of research of considerable importance
to European archæology; but their exact chronological relationship
still remains an obscure problem, owing chiefly to the mystery which
surrounds the latter.
_Burgwälle_ or _Rundwälle_ is the general name given to the remains
of a remarkable class of prehistoric constructions found scattered
over the larger portion of middle and north-western Europe, embracing
the southern parts of Russia around the shores of the Black Sea,
Roumania, Bulgaria, Transylvania, Hungary, Austria, Bohemia, Poland,
North Germany, France, Great Britain, and the southern parts of
Scandinavia. Their foundations now only remain and these show that the
structures were generally circular or oval, but sometimes square and
semicircular. They may be divided into three kinds, according to the
materials of which their foundations are constructed, viz.:--earth,
stones or stones in vitrified condition (_Erd-, Stein-und
Schlackenwälle_). Their sizes vary from 20 to 100 paces in
diameter, and their height from 10 to 30 feet, and they contained
one, two, or sometimes three walls. Those made of earth were circular
and generally situated in swampy land, or in countries where stones were
not readily accessible. The Steinwälle were in hilly districts and
varied in form according to the nature of the ground. Sometimes they
assumed the irregular outline of a promontory or peninsula in a lake,
at other times, especially when placed on an overhanging cliff, they
were mere semicircles. Those of vitrified materials are of special
interest to Scottish archæologists owing to the number of vitrified
forts in Scotland. They are not very numerous on the Continent, Saxony
and Bohemia containing the largest number. In the former country
eight are known, viz.:--Schafberg by Löbau, Rothstein by Sohland,
Stromberg by Weissenberg, Landeskrone by Görlitz, Brandwall by
Blumberg, Koschütz near Dresden, Burgberg by Lichtenberg, and Vorberg
by Kirchberg. According to Jelinek, Bohemia is rich in Schlackenwälle,
those best known being near Katovic, Bukovec, Litoradic, Hradiste von
Hostem, Hradiste bei Strakonic, Hradec bei Domanic Burgberg, Vladar,
etc. ("Schutz-und Wehrbauten." p. 102). Instances also occur in
Silesia, Thuringian Forest, Rhine district, Brittany, and Normandy.
The Burgwälle, like their analogues in the British Isles, have not
yet been systematically investigated. From the character of the
relics found in those that have been explored in North Germany they
are divided into _Vorslavisch_, _Slavisch_ and _Spätslavisch_, a
distinction which has been suggested by the unique character of
Slavish pottery. These Slavish dishes are always without handles,
but of well-burnt pottery, and when ornamented the ornamentation is
in wavy lines running parallel to the rim forming the characteristic
_Wellenlinie_.
Many of these remains have, of course, now entirely disappeared in the
interests of agriculture, but their number still remaining is very
great. In Eastern Germany Dr. R. Behla describes and tabulates no
fewer than 1,100. They are more numerous in the fertile districts. In
Oberlausitz, in one district measuring 9 miles long by 3 to 16 broad,
they number 100, and in the neighbourhood of Bautzen within a one mile
circle 20 can be counted.[59]
It is probable that the material used in the upper structures of the
Burgwälle was wood, which, of course, has now completely decayed,
except in some special conditions, as in swampy ground where wooden
piles were used in their foundations. This is another point of
contact between these buildings and the lake-dwellings which has not
been overlooked by archæologists. Virchow describes the Burgwall of
Potzlow, and that of Zahsow near Cottbus, as constructed over former
Pfahlbauten;[60] and, indeed, the town of Cottbus seems to have
been altogether built over piles, as, wherever diggings have been
made, piles are met with, and in this way a finely ornamented quern
was found.[61] Wooden substructures, in the form of a platform or
_Packwerkbau_, have also been observed and recorded in many places, as
at Schlieben, Gross Topola (Posen), the Labenzsee, Westpreussen.[62]
Moreover, those in boggy places were approached by means of wooden
gangways, the remains of which have been frequently met with in the
form of a double row of piles.[63]