Part 19

[36] Dr. Meschinelli, in reply to my observations on the Laibach machine, the advanced proofs of which I sent to him, rejects the _beaver-trap_ theory as a possible explanation of the use of the Fontega machines, but suggests that they might have been used as traps for catching wild-fowl. (B. 469.)

Third Lecture.

LAKE-DWELLINGS AND PILE-STRUCTURES IN ITALY.

On the 20th of July, 1860, M. G. de Mortillet wrote a letter to Sig. Cornalia, president of the Italian Society of the Natural Sciences, at Milan,[37] in which, while mentioning the discoveries made in Switzerland, he suggested that similar antiquities might be found in the lakes of Lombardy. The reading of this letter led to a discussion which at once elicited one or two statements of archæological importance. The vice-president, Sig. Antonio Villa, recalled the fact that a bronze axe-head and some flint arrow-heads were found in the turf-bog of Bosisio, at a depth of 10 feet, which were described and figured in a Milan journal, _Il Fotografo_, 2nd August, 1856. The president also mentioned that he possessed weapons of a similar character, which were found, along with some human bones, in the peat-beds of Brenna. Shortly afterwards the celebrated naturalist Gastaldi, in an article in _Il Nuovo Cimento_, directed attention to certain antiquities which the turf-cutters were in the habit of finding in the "torbiera di Mercurago." (B. 37.) Subsequently Gastaldi visited this locality, and along with Professor Moro, of Arona (who first recognised the importance of the objects in question), made further researches in the peat at Mercurago, the result of which was to leave no doubt that they had here to deal with the remains of a true palafitte analogous to the pile-dwellings in the Swiss lakes. During the next two years Gastaldi's report was considerably enlarged by further finds at Mercurago. (B. 43 and 52.)

About the same time that these discoveries at Mercurago were being made the existence of a palafitte in Lake Garda was surmised from the finding, at various times, of bronze implements and weapons in the harbour at Peschiera; but nothing further of a very definite character occurred till the summer of 1863, when Professors Desor and De Mortillet visited Lombardy in search of lake-dwellings. These eminent archæologists were joined by Professor Stoppani, and the immediate result of their investigations was the discovery of several settlements in the Lake of Varese and elsewhere. (B. 67.) Since then the lacustrine stations south of the Alps have greatly increased in number, there being now scarcely any of the smaller lakes and turbaries of North Italy that have not yielded more or fewer remains of this character.

In addition to these ordinary lake-dwellings, whether in water or in peat, there are, in the valley of the Po, other ancient remains known as "Terremare," which are now shown to be so closely analogous to the former that they fall to be described as land palafittes. They are found only in the eastern part of the valley, and as some of their relics, in common with those of the adjacent palafittes, present some characteristics which are not found in western Lombardy, I fasten on this distinction as a convenient principle of classifying the lake and peat dwellings into a western and an eastern group, reserving the "terremare" for separate treatment. Accordingly we begin with Lake Varese, whose settlements appear to have been the most important and the most central in the western group.

LAKE OF VARESE.

Lake Varese is irregularly shaped, about 5½ miles in length, and less than half that in breadth. It occupies a somewhat shallow basin, its greatest depth being 85 feet, and, although bounded on the north by high hills, its banks are generally flat or shelving. Its surface is 770 feet above sea-level, and 134 feet above that of Lake Maggiore, to which its surplus water is carried by the Bardello, a stream which has its outlet at the north end of the lake. The district around is rich and well cultivated, except on the south side, where the lake becomes contiguous with an extensive peat-bog called "torbiera della Brabbia." When Stoppani and his illustrious friends, along with Desor's experienced fisher, Benz, commenced their lacustrine explorations in Lombardy, they selected Lake Varese to start with, on account of the suitability of its shores for such structures. On the very first day (21st April, 1863) their labours were rewarded by the discovery of the sites of two settlements--one at the south-east side of the little island then called Isolino, or Isola Camilla, but now I. Virginia,[38] and the other opposite the village of Bodio.

Professor Stoppani continued his researches after the departure of his friends, and made further discoveries, not only in Lake Varese, but in some of the other lakes of Lombardy. In November of the same year Captain Angelo Angelucci, of Turin, was attracted to the scene of these discoveries in Lake Varese, and henceforth took an active part in the investigation of its palafittes. (B. 63.) Nor must I omit to mention the Abate Ranchet among the list of the early explorers. He discovered in the same year not only a new station on the south side of the outlet, but also, in the following year, two others in the adjoining lake of Monate. (B. 85.) At the end of the first year's explorations we find, from the reports of Stoppani and Angelucci, that no less than six stations were determined in Lake Varese, all situated on its south-western shore. In 1868, when Dr. Camillo Marinoni published a report on "Le abitazioni lacustri e gli avanzi di umana industria in Lombardia" (B. 159), the number had increased to seven. Although no addition has since been made to their number, much attention has been given, especially in these later years, to their investigation. The Sketch Map of Lake Varese (page 189) shows the names and the respective positions of these settlements, which I shall now shortly describe.

ISOLA VIRGINIA.--This is a small egg-shaped island lying along the west shore, from which it is distant about 80 yards. It is 240 yards long, with a maximum breadth of 100 yards, and contains besides some fine trees, a house with two storeys, the upper of which is converted into an archæological museum, and at a little distance there is a café for the convenience of the numerous visitors that frequent the locality. Its area is nearly 3 acres, and its highest point is barely 8 feet above the average level of the lake.

Piles were discovered in the lake at the south-east side of the island, in a space extending along its margin for about 100 yards, and about half that distance in breadth. Two years ago, when I visited the locality, the heads of piles were readily seen through the water, just cropping above the sandy bottom. In some cases it was difficult to distinguish them from stones; but a poke with the oar or a long stick at once determined which they were. Professor Stoppani, in his first report (B. 67), describes this as a steinberg, but the idea of the whole island being artificial--an idea first suggested by Desor, who found analogous instances in the Rosen Insel, Lake Starnberg, in the little island at Inkwyl, and in the Irish Crannogs--gained strength by the discovery of similar stumps of piles on its north-west side. Although the local antiquaries--Ranchet, Regazzoni, Quaglia, Castelfranco, and others--occasionally visited these lacustrine stations and made considerable investigations, with the result of adding to their private collections, it was not till 1878 that any systematic researches were made with the view of testing Desor's suggestion that the island was a gigantic crannog. This was first attempted by an Englishman, Mr. W. K. Foster, of London, who happened to be residing in the neighbourhood. In carrying out the necessary excavations he had the assistance of Ranchet and Regazzoni, both experienced investigators of lacustrine antiquities. Five trenches, covering on the aggregate about 80 square yards, were dug in different parts of the island, and in all these, piles, fragments of pottery (one of which had the impression of plaited reed-work), and various other relics of human industry, were encountered. In the sections presented by these trenches the following strata were successively passed through:--

1. Surface Soil for about 14 inches. 2. Vegetable Mould, of a dark colour 10 " 3. Sand and Gravel 21 " 4. Sand and Earth, with much organic _débris_ 16 " 5. Sand and Mud (the original lake-sediment).

The most noteworthy objects collected in these operations were as follows:--In the first layer a Roman coin of Marcus Aurelius, and a portion of a mould for a socketed lance-head (=Fig. 48=, No. 19). In the second, two fragments of bronze. In the third, two polished stone celts, with a portion of a third, and two clay weights. In the fourth, a flint saw with a wooden handle, two bone pins, and some sharpening-stones.

The piles were evidently in their natural position, and the conclusion that the entire island had been a pile-dwelling was irresistible; but the questions when and by what means was the transformation accomplished, were as obscure as before. Mainly for the purpose of clearing this matter, Sig. Ettore Ponti, in September of the following year, gave instructions to have further excavations made in different parts of the island. On this occasion 12 trenches were dug, covering an area of about 230 square yards with an average depth of 3 to 4 feet.

The stratification and composition of the stuff were very similar to those experienced in the former excavations. In this space 440 piles were counted, and Regazzoni calculates that at this rate the original number of piles requisite for the construction of the entire lake-village would be from 35,000 to 40,000. Some horizontal beams were also found among the _débris_. Among the relics the following are noteworthy:--A tyne of deer's horn, with a flint implement inserted into the end of it (No. 3); a small clay weight shaped like a pear; several objects of worked bone, as needles (Nos. 7 to 9), pointers, chisels (No. 25), handles, etc. A knife (No. 5) and a dagger of bronze (No. 6), and two oblong beads of coloured glass with transverse grooves, were found in the stratum immediately below the surface soil.

As a rule, the tops of the piles in these trenches were on a level with the surface of the water, while those in the lake were several feet lower--more or less, according to the depth of water. The cause of this was no doubt the protection given to the former by the accumulation of _débris_ around them. It was observed that the uppermost layer alone had yielded Roman coins, but along with them were objects of both the Stone and Bronze Ages--a juxtaposition which might be accounted for by agricultural and other operations to which the island has been subjected in historical times. The fourth, or that which lay immediately over the ancient lake-sediment, was alone exclusively deposited under water, as it contained some entire dishes, and the associated _débris_ were just the usual contents of lake-dwelling relic-beds, viz. the shells of hazel-nuts, acorns, charred bits of wood, bones of various animals (among others the skull of an enormous wild boar), as well as implements of bone, horn, and flint, pottery, etc. The second and third layers were composed of much the same materials as the fourth, but they appeared to have been the contents of a previously-deposited relic-bed artificially heaped up, as they contained portions of wooden beams which had no definite purpose, but lay in the soil in all directions.

The relics of humanity collected on the Isola Virginia in the course of these various excavations are so numerous that one of the two rooms set apart by Sig. Ponti as an archæological museum for the lacustrine remains of Lake Varese is entirely devoted to their exhibition and preservation, where they have been carefully and neatly arranged under the skilful care of Professor Regazzoni.

_Pottery._--As in the other lacustrine stations in this lake, there are two kinds of pottery--one black, and made of fine paste, of which most of the smaller vessels were made; the other is of a greyish colour, but sometimes it has a reddish tinge, and contains a mixture of fine gravel or coarse sand, which gives it a rough appearance. The fragments and entire dishes in the Ponti Museum decidedly testify to considerable skill in the ceramic art. Besides perforated knobs and tubular borings for the insertion of cords (No. 17), there are various forms of handles, as in Nos. 14 and 16, the latter of which is interesting, as it suggests the primary stage of the _ansa lunata_ which is such a prominent characteristic of the pottery in the eastern portion of the Po valley.

The diversity of ornamentation is also worthy of notice--raised dots, nail-marks, perforated rims, lines, corrugated grooves, and cord-markings, forming a variety of combinations (Nos. 13, 15, 22, 23, 26, and 27). One bit shows the impression of plaited reed-work (No. 29). Another, an entire dish made of fine black paste, is a curiosity in its way; it consists of three cups united, and having a communication with each other by a small hole in the dividing septa (No. 24). The coarse pottery indicates vessels of large dimensions. There are also loom-weights, spindle-whorls (No. 21), some conical objects pierced vertically (No. 10), and casts of wicker-work, supposed to be the remains of the cottage walls.

_Bone and Horn._--Objects of this class are numerous, as polished daggers, pointers, chisels (No. 25), needles (Nos. 7 to 9); also a few perforated teeth.

_Stone._--Celts and chisels are fairly abundant, and among them are one or two of jade. Though I noted only one fragment of a perforated axe-head, the art of boring stone was known and skilfully practised, as there are several spindle-whorls and other implements with neat perforations (No. 18). There are also hammer-stones (some with finger-marks), corn-grinders, and polishers. Among the latter are large flat polishing slabs, and a few hand-polishers made like a stone celt (No. 11), which are peculiar to North Italy, if not, indeed, to the Varese lake-dwellers, as I have seen only one other out of the district, viz. at Viadana.

Among the flint objects are knives, scrapers, saws, arrow-points, chisels (like those in =Fig. 68=, Nos. 8, 14, and 15), cores, and a large quantity of flakes (Nos. 1 to 3). For small cutting implements flint was not the only substance used by these lake-dwellers, as there are 36 fine flakes of obsidian (No. 4), and some arrow-heads of rock crystal.

_Bronze._--The bronze objects in the museum, including fragments, amount only to 15, and represent knives, fish-hooks, etc. (Nos. 5, 6, and 12).

_Amber._--There is also a bit of amber which appears to have been an ornament.

Small square or oblong pieces of wood perforated (No. 20) are supposed to have been floats for nets.

The organic remains collected in the fourth stratum, which was considered to be the true relic-bed of the palafitte, were submitted to Professor Sordelli, who recognised, among other seeds and fruits, the following:--Millet (_Panicum miliaceum_), wheat (_Trit. vulgare_), bramble (_R. fruticosus_), and the vine (_Vitis vinifera_).

Among the bones of animals identified were those of the bear, wolf, badger, beaver, wild boar, stag, roe, etc. The ordinary domestic animals were also represented, and in addition to them I have to mention portions of two human jaws which were found a few inches below the tops of the piles. (B. 324, 326, 341, 343a, 359, and 437.)

Professor Castelfranco (B. 456), who has carefully studied the phenomena presented by these repeated excavations, formulates the following theory as to the succession of events which have brought about the evolution, so to speak, of the Isola Virginia:--

(1) The original palafitte had been destroyed by a conflagration towards the close of the Bronze Age or the beginning of the Iron Age.

(2) Its inhabitants were hunters, fishers, rearers of domestic animals, and agriculturists.

(3) Shortly after the destruction of the pile-village, its subsequent occupiers converted the larger portion of its site--which had already, in parts at least, reached the surface by the gradual accumulation of _débris_--into a veritable island, by heaping over it stuff dug from the margin and especially from the landward side, where there is now a channel separating the island from the mainland. Thus the upper layers contain the _débris_ of the earlier people, mixed with sand, gravel, and mud. This view is rendered probable by the fact that in one place, towards the north of the island, the second layer was displaced by an artificially constructed bed of large pebbles.

(4) The newcomers, to whom Castelfranco assigns the transformation of the palafitte into an island, were the Ligurians, whose "sépultures à cineration" are so numerously found in the neighbourhood.

BODIO.--The bay opposite this village contains the remains of three stations, the most southerly of which is known as "Keller" or "Del Gaggio," the next as "Bodio Centrale" or "Delle Monete," and the third as "Desor" or "Del Moresco." All these are comparatively near the shore, being only about 30 yards distant, and the central one is about equidistant--some 800 yards--from the other two. (B. 327, p. 47.) The central station appears to have been a true steinberg, as its area was covered with stones; regarding which Stoppani remarks that formerly they were more numerous, because within recent times some were known to have been removed for building purposes. At first more bronze objects were found on Keller, and more pottery on Desor, while the Centrale was characterised by the discovery on it of a hoard of Roman coins. Subsequent investigations have not borne out these early distinctions based on the character of their relics, and they are now generally acknowledged to belong to the same age.

The coins found on the Centrale were mostly small silver pieces, much decomposed, belonging to the last half-century of the Republic. Stoppani collected about 70, and Angelucci, who explored shortly after him, no less than 128. One found by Regazzoni in 1876 (B. 327, p. 52) has on it, along with the head of Mark Antony, the following legend:--M. ANT. IMP. AUG. III. VIR. R.P.C. M. BARBAT. Q.P., etc., which would make the date about 40 B.C. The hoard is supposed to have been lost or deposited here long after the lake-dwelling ceased to be inhabited--a supposition that is borne out by the fact that the coins were confined to one limited spot, only a couple of yards square. In 1876-7 Sig. Ponti made researches on Desor which greatly enriched his museum both in stone and bronze objects. (B. 327.) A selection of objects from these stations is given on =Fig. 49=.

CAZZAGO-BRABBIA.--This station is situated opposite the village of the same name, and at first it gave such poor results that Stoppani called it a trial station, or an attempt to found a settlement. From the researches made in 1877 it was found to be rich in remains, and exactly similar to those at Bodio. It was, however, farther from the shore, and extended parallel to it for about 150 yards. Its breadth was somewhat irregular, and, judging from the disposition of its piles, it would appear to have been two quadrangularly-shaped stations nearly in contact with each other. Among the bronze objects collected on this station are four lance-heads, a chisel, an awl, 10 fish-hooks, four hair-pins, a fibula, etc. (B. 456.) There are also some fine arrow-points of flint.

BARDELLO.--Near the mouth of the river are two stations, one on the left and the other on the right shore. The former, called Ranchet, after its discoverer, is a small settlement some 200 yards from the mouth of the river, and 6 or 7 from the shore. It measures about 60 yards long and 50 broad. A large quantity of the bones of domestic animals was found here, as well as some flint and bone arrow-points, spindle-whorls, and various fragments of pottery. Ranchet records also a small lance-head of bronze, a portion of a vase containing some black stuff adhering to it (supposed to be remains of food), and portions of another of fine black paste. The station on the north shore, called after Professor Stoppani, by Regazzoni, is about 100 yards from the mouth of the Bardello, in the direction of Gavirate. It is in the form of a parallelogram, 65 by 45 yards, and, like the previous station, has the piles arranged in parallel rows. Among its relics are:--Bones of the ox, goat, stag, and pig; flint arrow-heads, scrapers, etc., of the usual kind; some bone implements. Two bronze pins and a winged celt are sufficient to show that the station was similar to the others in Lake Varese (Nos. 23 and 44).

Marinoni (B. 159) mentions another station opposite Gavirate, but neither Regazzoni nor Ranchet could find any traces of it. (B. 327, p. 66.)

TORBIERA DI BIANDRONO.--Lake Biandrono, which formerly occupied a larger area than at present, has on its north-west side an extensive peat-bog, in which Dr. B. Quaglia has discovered the remains of a true palafitte lying under a deposit of about 6 feet of moss. The station is some 200 yards distant from the lake, and of a quadrangular shape, with massive piles scattered over its area. It is remarkable as having supplied objects which might be considered characteristic of all periods--from the earliest polished Stone Age down to that in which knives, spears, hooks, and spurs of iron were manufactured. (B. 327, p. 89.) Other objects recorded from this station are polished stone hatchets; arrow and lance-heads of yellow and dark flint; fragments of pottery, some of which were made of fine paste by the aid of the potter's wheel, and had extremely elegant forms (B. 423, p. 86); two fish-hooks of bone and two oars now in the Museum at Varese. Four curious objects similar to one from Torbiera di Cazzago-Brabbia (=Fig. 50,= No. 18) were found here. (B. 327, p. 87.) These relics have been widely dispersed, some having gone to the Museums of Pavia, Milan, Varese, and Como. An iron spur figured by Regazzoni is in the Como Museum.