Theirsmallerboats，orcoracles，weremadeofosiersinterwoven，coveredwithhides，andriggedwithleathernsailsandthongtackle。
Itwillreadilybeimaginedthatanythinglikecivilization，asatpresentunderstood，musthavebeennexttoimpossibleundersuchcircumstances。”Miserableindeed，”saysCarlyle，”wastheconditionoftheaboriginalsavage，glaringfiercelyfromunderhisfleeceofhair，whichwiththebeardreacheddowntohisloins，andhungroundthemlikeamattedcloak；therestofhisbodysheetedinitsthicknaturalfell。Heloiteredinthesunnygladesoftheforest，livingonwildfruits；or，astheancientCaledonians，squattedhimselfinmorasses，lurkingforhisbestialorhumanprey；withoutimplements，withoutarms，savetheballofheavyflint，towhich，thathissolepossessionanddefencemightnotbelost，hehadattachedalongcordofplaitedthongs；therebyrecoveringaswellashurlingitwithdeadly，unerringskill。”
Theinjunctiongiventomanto”replenishtheearthandsubdueit”
couldnotpossiblybefulfilledwithimplementsofstone。Tofellatreewithaflinthatchetwouldoccupythelabourofamonth，andtoclearasmallpatchofgroundforpurposesofculturewouldrequirethecombinedeffortsofatribe。Forthesamereason，dwellingscouldnotbeerected；andwithoutdwellingsdomestictranquillity，security，culture，andrefinement，especiallyinarudeclimate，wereallbutimpossible。Mr。Emersonwellobserves，that”theeffectofahouseisimmenseonhumantranquillity，power，andrefinement。Amaninacaveoracamp——anomad——dieswithnomoreestatethanthewolforthehorseleaves。Butsosimplealabourasahousebeingachieved，hischiefenemiesarekeptatbay。Heissafefromtheteethofwildanimals，fromfrost，sunstroke，andweather；andfinefacultiesbegintoyieldtheirfineharvest。Inventionsandartsareborn，manners，andsocialbeautyanddelight。”Buttobuildahousewhichshouldserveforshelter，forsafety，andforcomfort——inaword，asahomeforthefamily，whichisthenucleusofsociety——bettertoolsthanthoseofstonewereabsolutelyindispensable。
HencemostoftheearlyEuropeantribeswerenomadic：firsthunters，wanderingaboutfromplacetoplaceliketheAmericanIndians，afterthegame；thenshepherds，followingtheherdsofanimalswhichtheyhadlearnttotame，fromonegrazing-groundtoanother，livingupontheirmilkandflesh，andclothingthemselvesintheirskinsheldtogetherbyleathernthongs。Itwasonlywhenimplementsofmetalhadbeeninventedthatitwaspossibletopractisetheartofagriculturewithanyconsiderablesuccess。Thentribeswouldceasefromtheirwanderings，andbegintoformsettlements，homesteads，villages，andtowns。AnoldScandinavianlegendthuscuriouslyillustratesthislastperiod：——Therewasagiantesswhosedaughteronedaysawahusbandmanploughinginthefield。Sheranandpickedhimupwithherfingerandthumb，puthimandhisploughandoxenintoherapron，andcarriedthemtohermother，saying，”Mother，whatsortofbeetleisthisthatIhavefoundwrigglinginthesand?”Butthemothersaid，”Putitaway，mychild；wemustbegoneoutofthisland，forthesepeoplewilldwellinit。”
M。WorsaaeofCopenhagen，whohasbeenfollowedbyotherantiquaries，hasevengonesofarastodividethenaturalhistoryofcivilizationintothreeepochs，accordingtothecharacterofthetoolsusedineach。ThefirstwastheStoneperiod，inwhichtheimplementschieflyusedweresticks，bones，stones，andflints。ThenextwastheBronzeperiod，distinguishedbytheintroductionandgeneraluseofametalcomposedofcopperandtin，requiringacomparativelylowdegreeoftemperaturetosmeltit，andrenderitcapableofbeingfashionedintoweapons，tools，andimplements；tomakewhich，however，indicatedagreatadvanceinexperience，sagacity，andskillinthemanipulationofmetals。Withtoolsofbronze，towhichconsiderablehardnesscouldbegiven，treeswerefelled，stoneshewn，housesandshipsbuilt，andagriculturepractisedwithcomparativefacility。
LastofallcametheIronperiod，whentheartofsmeltingandworkingthatmostdifficultbutwidelydiffusedofthemineralswasdiscovered；fromwhichpointtheprogressmadeinalltheartsoflifehasbeenofthemostremarkablecharacter。
AlthoughMr。Wrightrejectsthisclassificationasempirical，becausetheperiodsarenotcapableofbeingclearlydefined，andallthethreekindsofimplementsarefoundtohavebeeninuseatoraboutthesametime，*
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THOMASWRIGHT，F。S。A。，TheCelt，TheRoman，andTheSaxon，ed。1861。
thereis，nevertheless，reasontobelievethatitis，onthewhole，wellfounded。Itisdoubtlesstruethatimplementsofstonecontinuedinuselongafterthoseofbronzeandironhadbeeninvented，arisingmostprobablyfromthedearnessandscarcityofarticlesofmetal；
butwhentheartofsmeltingandworkinginironandsteelhadsufficientlyadvanced，theuseofstone，andafterwardsofbronzetoolsandweapons，altogetherceased。
TheviewsofM。Worsaae，andtheotherContinentalantiquarianswhofollowhisclassification，haveindeedreceivedremarkableconfirmationoflateyears，bythediscoverieswhichhavebeenmadeinthebedsofmostoftheSwisslakes。*
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ReferredtoatlengthintheAntiquityofMan，bySirC。Lyell，whoadoptsM。Worsaae’sclassification。
ItappearsthatasubsidencetookplaceinthewatersoftheLakeofZurichintheyear1854，layingbareconsiderableportionsofitsbed。Theadjoiningproprietorsproceededtoenclosethenewland，andbeganbyerectingpermanentdykestopreventthereturnofthewaters。Whilecarryingontheworks，severalrowsofstakeswereexposed；andondiggingdown，thelabourersturnedupanumberofpiecesofcharredwood，stonesblackenedbyfire，utensils，bones，andotherarticles，showingthatatsomeremoteperiod，anumberofhumanbeingshadlivedoverthespot，indwellingssupportedbystakesdrivenintothebedofthelake。
Thediscoveryhavingattractedattention，explorationsweremadeatotherplaces，anditwasshortlyfoundthattherewasscarcelyalakeinSwitzerlandwhichdidnotyieldsimilarevidenceoftheexistenceofanancientLacustrineorLake-dwellingpopulation。Numbersoftheirtoolsandimplementswerebroughttolight——stoneaxesandsaws，flintarrowheads，boneneedles，andsuchlike——mixedwiththebonesofwildanimalsslaininthechase；piecesofoldboats，portionsoftwistedbranches，bark，androughplanking，ofwhichtheirdwellingshadbeenformed，thelatterstillbearingthemarksoftherudetoolsbywhichtheyhadbeenlaboriouslycut。Inthemostancient，orlowestseriesofdeposits，notracesofmetal，eitherofbronzeoriron，werediscovered；anditismostprobablethattheselake-dwellerslivedinasprimitiveastateastheSouthSeaislandersdiscoveredbyCaptainCook，andthatthehutsoverthewaterinwhichtheylivedresembledthosefoundinPapuaandBorneo，andtheislandsoftheSalomongroup，tothisday。
TheseaboriginalSwisslake-dwellersseemtohavebeensucceededbyaraceofmenusingtools，implements，andornamentsofbronze。Insomeplacestheremainsofthisbronzeperioddirectlyoverlaythoseofthestoneperiod，showingthelattertohavebeenthemostancient；butinothers，thevillagesitesarealtogetherdistinct。Thearticleswithwhichthemetalimplementsareintermixed，showthatconsiderableprogresshadbeenmadeintheusefularts。Thepotter’swheelhadbeenintroduced。Agriculturehadbegun，andwildanimalshadgivenplacetotameones。Theabundanceofbronzealsoshowsthatcommercemusthaveexistedtoacertainextent；fortin，whichentersintoitscomposition，isacomparativelyraremetal，andmustnecessarilyhavebeenimportedfromotherEuropeancountries。
TheSwissantiquariansareofopinionthatthemenofbronzesuddenlyinvadedandextirpatedthemenofflint；andthatatsomestilllaterperiod，anotherstrongerandmoreskilfulrace，supposedtohavebeenCeltsfromGaul，camearmedwithironweapons，towhomthemenofbronzesuccumbed，orwithwhom，moreprobably，theygraduallyintermingled。Wheniron，orrathersteel，cameintouse，itssuperiorityinaffordingacuttingedgewassodecisivethatitseemstohavesupplantedbronzealmostatonce；*
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Mr。Mushet，however，observesthat”thegeneraluseofhardenedcopperbytheancientsforedge-toolsandwarlikeinstruments，doesnotprecludethesuppositionthatironwasthencomparativelyplentiful，thoughitisprobablethatitwasconfinedtotheruderartsoflife。Aknowledgeofthemixtureofcopper，tin，andzinc，seemstohavebeenamongthefirstdiscoveriesofthemetallurgist。
Instrumentsfabricatedfromthesealloys，recommendedbytheuseofages，theperfectionoftheart，thesplendourandpolishoftheirsurfaces，noteasilyinjuredbytimeandweather，wouldnotsoonbesupersededbytheinventionofsimpleiron，inferiorinedgeandpolish，atalltimeseasilyinjuredbyrust，andintheearlystagesofitsmanufactureconvertedwithdifficultyintoformsthatrequiredproportionorelegance。”——PapersonIronandSteel，365-6。Bysomesecretmethodthathasbeenlost，perhapsbecausenolongerneededsincetheinventionofsteel，theancientsmanufacturedbronzetoolscapableoftakingafineedge。inourowntime，Chantreythesculptor，inhisreverenceforclassicmetallurgy，hadabronzerazormadewithwhichhemartyredhimselfinshaving；butnonewerefoundsohardyanddevotedastofollowhisexample。
thelattermetalcontinuingtobeemployedonlyforthepurposeofmakingscabbardsorsword-handles。Shortlyafterthecommencementoftheironage，thelake-habitationswereabandoned，theonlysettlementofthislaterepochyetdiscoveredbeingthatatTene，onLakeNeufchatel：anditisaremarkablecircumstance，showingthegreatantiquityofthelake-dwellings，thattheyarenotmentionedbyanyoftheRomanhistorians。
Thatironshouldhavebeenoneofthelastofthemetalstocomeintogeneraluse，ispartlyaccountedforbythecircumstancethatiron，thoughoneofthemostgenerallydiffusedofminerals，neverpresentsitselfinanaturalstate，exceptinmeteorites；andthattorecogniseitsores，andthentoseparatethemetalfromitsmatrix，demandstheexerciseofnosmallamountofobservationandinvention。
Personsunacquaintedwithmineralswouldbeunabletodiscovertheslightestaffinitybetweentheroughironstoneasbroughtupfromthemine，andtheironorsteelofcommerce。Tounpractisedeyestheywouldseemtopossessnopropertiesincommon，anditisonlyaftersubjectingthestonetosevereprocessesofmanufacturethatusablemetalcanbeobtainedfromit。Theeffectualreductionoftheorerequiresanintenseheat，maintainedbyartificialmethods，suchasfurnacesandblowingapparatus。*
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