II.--TRANSITION PERIOD._The Lake-Dwellings of Europe Being the Rhind Lectures in Archæology for 1888

Before proceeding to describe the changes brought about in the social

economy of the lake-dwellers by the introduction of the metals, there

is an important problem that demands a few passing remarks, viz. the

evidence as to the existence of a Copper Age in Europe. The theory of

those who advocate the affirmative of this problem, among whom are

notably Professor v. Pulszky, of Buda-Pesth, and Dr. Much, of Vienna,

is that the prehistoric people of Europe became first acquainted with

the art of extracting copper from its ore, which they fashioned both

by smelting and hammering into various kinds of weapons, implements,

and ornaments. In the first instance these were mere imitations of

objects previously in use. Thus the flat axe or celt, almost the only

form ever found in copper in Europe (except Hungary), was clearly

formed on the model of the stone implements previously in use. Daggers

and spear-heads are also imitations of their flint prototypes, as may

be strikingly seen by a comparison of =Fig. 7=, No. 11, with =Fig. 8=,

No. 2, the former being flint, and the latter copper.

As the very strongest arguments in support of a Copper Age are derived

from the number and variety of objects of pure copper that have

come to light through lake-dwelling researches, I will endeavour,

as briefly as possible, to point out their general bearing on this

problem. We have already seen that in many instances celts, daggers,

beads, and other objects of copper were found on various stations, but

almost invariably associated with bronze objects, as was the case,

for example, at Wollishofen. There can hardly be any doubt that the

transition from Stone to the most flourishing period of the Bronze Age

took place during the occupation of this lacustrine settlement, but to

infer that its copper objects were the products of a Copper Age would

manifestly be overstepping the limits of a legitimate conclusion.

From these long-lived settlements, with their promiscuous contents,

we must turn to those which have come, as it were, to a premature

end, just shortly after the first metal objects began to be used, but

before the full development of the Bronze Age. From such stations

in the lake-dwelling area I select the following seven as the most

interesting, viz.:--Polada, Laibach, Mondsee, Robenhausen, Locras,

Vinelz, and St. Blaise. In the following table I have tabulated all

the metal objects that I can find on record, or deposited in local

collections, as coming from these stations.

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

| Polada | ---- |1 dagger, 3 flat |Dr. Rambotti's |

| | | | Fig. 67 |

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

| No. 3) | 1 fish-hook, | | |

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

| | Fig. 186), | | vols. xiv. and |

| | | | 1885, p. 106 |

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

| Vinelz |49 beads (45 of | ---- | Fig. 7 |

| | Bern and 4 in | | p. 107; B. 462, |

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

| | 2 earrings, | | 1885, pp. 10, |

| | 1 spiral | | 108; and |

| | | | p. 13 |

+------------+------------------+------------------+-----------------+

The total number of copper objects tabulated by Mr. Forrer, in

his carefully prepared "Statistick der in der Schweiz gefundenen

Kupfergeräthe,"[136] amounts to 250. Of these, 107 are beads or

ornaments, and of the remaining number, 37 are flat celts--the rest

being chisels, knives, daggers, hammers, etc. The copper finds on the

other stations, except the seven here mentioned, may be dispensed with

as weakening rather than strengthening the evidence for a separate

Copper Age, because there was a preponderance of bronze objects

associated with them, as was the case, for example, at Lattringen and

Gerlafingen.

Looking now at our seven selected stations we see, from the general

character of the relics with which the metal objects were associated,

that they belonged essentially to the Stone Age; and it would appear

as if the use of the metals had not been sufficiently long known to

alter their prevailing character. Now it will be observed that in

all these seven stations, except one, viz. Vinelz, objects of bronze

were also found associated with those of copper. On the other hand,

Polada has yielded only a few bronze weapons, and yet there can be no

doubt that this station existed during the earliest Transition period.

Nor is it in this respect singular, as at Ober-Meilen there were two

objects of bronze, viz. a flat celt and a bracelet, associated with

relics of the Stone Age, but none of copper. Also in the transition

station at Morges (Roseaux) there were no less than 18 bronze celts

of the same type, together with a few other objects of this material,

but none of copper. On the supposition that a Copper Age prevailed

for any length of time as a preliminary to that of Bronze, it would

follow that the station at Vinelz was earlier than the others. The

character of its relics does not, however, bear this interpretation,

as the perforated hatchets and other relics are more numerous and

more elegant than anywhere else, and some of its pottery is highly

ornamented and in some respects resembles that of the Bronze Age. The

arrow-points and daggers of flint are exceedingly well formed, and

among a variety of types of the former there are some with recurved

barbs. Also this station is rich in cloth, nets, thread, bone buttons,

etc., and corresponds in every respect with that of Locras, on which

a sword and a dagger of bronze were found along with a few copper

implements. The mere absence of bronze in Vinelz is not a sufficient

reason, _per se_, to suppose that it existed in a pure Copper Age

without a knowledge of bronze. All the copper objects from the other

stations bear the same evidence of primitive workmanship as those from

it.

On the other hand, the earliest bronze objects, wherever found, such

as the swords and daggers, etc., from Locras, Polada, and Laibach,

show a totally different and a much higher style of manufacture; but

yet there is not even presumptive evidence in favour of the idea that

they represent a later date than the crude copper tools and weapons

of Vinelz. The contemporaneity of more or fewer bronze objects in

the six other stations of the Transition period above named entirely

outweighs the exceptional evidence of this one. Admitting that these

copper objects were fabricated by the lake-dwellers, a supposition

which is rendered highly probable by the finding of so many crucibles

at Robenhausen, Mondsee, Laibach, and other places, we must also admit

that their fabricators were somehow acquainted with the superior

qualities of bronze implements. Consequently the manufacture of

these inferior articles must be explained on some other grounds than

the supposition of a Copper Age, in the sense that it preceded and

gradually developed into that of Bronze. I fancy the true explanation

is that the lake-dwellers became first acquainted with metal

instruments in the form of imported bronze objects, especially swords

and daggers, and that this suggested to them, and directly led to, the

discovery of the art of reducing the pure metal from the copper ore.

Local or peripatetic coppersmiths, in trying to imitate these imported

implements, went on manufacturing copper objects until they learned

the art of hardening it by the proper admixture of tin. This knowledge

might have been originally kept a great secret. But, however this may

be, it is certain that the secret was not long kept, as we soon find

the lake-dwellers in full possession of the art of manufacturing all

manner of bronze objects. Ignorance of the nature of the alloy or

perhaps the scarcity or dearness of tin, leading to wilful deception

on the part of the fabricators, may partly account for the production

of some of these copper implements. It has also been suggested that

the repeated melting of bronze causes the tin to disappear, and that

in this way copper objects may have come about. But this explanation

is inapplicable to those from the lake-dwellings, as they are all of

the most primitive type, and were undoubtedly manufactured during the

initiatory stages of the metallurgic art.

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