THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

'
'
THE EARLY IRON AGE IN EUROPE. 409
own, which had developed quite independently of that of the
Mediterranean.
The literary evidence is clear on this question. If in
addition it can be shown that the material remains, which
have come to light
in central Europe, coincide with the statements
of the historians, the evidence of the latter will be
placed beyond all questioning.
In discriminating between the remains of the Celtic tribes
and those of the Romans, who later on became the masters
of the Celtic lands, the nature of the arms and ornaments
found with the dead affords a read}- and sure criterion. Thus
the presence in a grave of a long iron sword and a gold
torque, such as those found in Ireland, where no Koman
legionary ever set his foot, is a sufficient priraa facie indication
that the interment is that of a Celtic warrior. If other objects,
plainly not of Roman origin, are found associated with the
typical weapons and ornaments, the jjriina facie evidence is
confirmed, and the presence of glass beads manufactured in
Egypt or Phoenicia need excite no sus{)icion.
For to aigue
from the presence of such beads that all the remains were
Roman, would be just as foolish as if a modern tra\eller on
finding in the grave of a negro l)eads or trinkets made in
Birmingham, were to infer that the interment was that of a
European.
3Io(lcni disccneries in
many ))]act's where, t(
according the
most I'oliable
documentary evidence, (\'ltic tribes once dwelt,
liave brought to light iron swords of great length of blade, and
furnished witii grips of a size which contrasts strongly with the
small hilts of the swoi'ds oi' the Bronze Age, such as are found
at Mycenae and in many othei- ))arrs of iMiiope. The grip ot
the iron swoi'ds is
generally about ']}, inches, whilst- that of the
bronze swoids is
comnioidy about 2,1 inches. From tliis we
naturally iid'er--on the pi-niciple of c.r jK-dc. Ucrcnlciii -\\v,\\
the men who wielded the lion swords t'oiind in localities once
occupied by the fair-haireil proples had ninch larger hands
and Were theretorc of much laiger stature than the men ot
the Ihonze period at
Mycenae. As the ('elts are niiiloiinly
di'sci'ibcd 1)\- the classical writers as hiin-c of liml), there is a
410 THE EARLY IRON AGE IN EUROPE.
presumption that these swords with large grips were once
wielded by these Celtic warriors.
But this presumption can be amply strengthened, by a
survey of the places where these swords have been found, and
by the nature of the objects by which in
many cases they were accompanied.
At La Tene on Lake Neuchatel were
itf
Fiii. (;;). Sword of
La Telle t,v[ie in its
sheath ;
Marne
Connantre,
found moi-e than 100 iron swords all of one
characteristic type, though ranging from
30 to 38 inches in lengfth, of which the
handles occupy 4 to 7^ inches*. The blade
is
always double-edged, generally with a
defined midrib, and scarcely tapers in the
whole length until within a short distance
from the extremity, when it gradually forms
a round blunt tip.
The handle is separated
from the blade by a prominent curved ridge
attached to the heel of the blade ;
into the
concave side of this ridge the end of the
scabbard neatly fits (Fig. 69). The central
tang of the handle was fitted with a grip of
horn or wood.
Swords and other antiquities corresponding
to those of La Tone have been
found in other places in Switzerland, in
France at Alise-Sainte-Reine (Alesia) and
Mont Beuvray (Bibr(fcte), where Caesar
overthrew the Helvctii and Boii
; they
occur also in the graves of Gaulish warriors
in the valleys of the Marne'"' and Anbe, and
at Lisnaci'oghera-'', Co. Antrim, Iieland.
The evidence puts
it
beyond doubt that
I^a Tene was an (ippidmn of the Heivetii
who, as We saw. at the battle of Telanion,
ike theii' allies the Taurisei and Boii, carried long pointless
-
Munro, Th,' I.,ile-,lir< lliiin.< ,,i Kumpr, p. 'iS'i.
Morel, (liiiiiipiKjiii' Sdiitn-raini'. ]i. 142, I'l. xxxii. (here '.t rejirodueeil).
Munro, up. rit.. ji.
.'iSli. Fij.'. IlM.