lake-villages, and may be regarded as belonging to the Bronze Age.
Fig. 34.—Hilt of sword from Denmark, one-fourth of the actual size.
The personal ornaments which may, I think, safely be referred to the Bronze Age, consist principally of bracelets (figs. 49, 50), pins (figs. 51–54), and rings. The bracelets are either simple spirals, or rings open at one side, and decorated by those combinations of straight and curved lines so characteristic of the Bronze Age. Like the weapons, they generally indicate small hands, but, like the bronze ornaments of various existing savages—for instance, of many Negro tribes, of the Khonds in Orissa, etc.—they are often extremely heavy.
Fig. 35.—Hilt of sword from Denmark, one-fourth of the actual size.
Fig.36.—Hilt of bronze sword, Museum, Bergen.
Bronze pins are very abundant: for instance, 239 from Estavayer, 600 from Nidau, and more than 6000 from the two lakes of Bienne and Neufchâtel.[1] They are also very frequently found in graves, where they were used, as pointed out by Sir R. C. Hoare, to secure the linen cloth which enveloped the bones. Although brooches of bronze are very common, they have generally been found in conjunction with iron, and during the Bronze Age their place seems to have been generally filled by mere pins. Many of the latter articles found in the
- ↑ See Appendix.
