16,7 Military Flails. 9 Military Fork. Fig. 68-GROUP OF FOURTEEN EXAMPLES OF SHAFTED WEAPONS. In the 2. Marteau. 3. Axe. 1 6, 7 Military Flails. 9 Military Fork. Fig. 68-GROUP OF FOURTEEN EXAMPLES OF SHAFTED WEAPONS. In the Artillery Museum, Paris. 2. Marteau. 3. Axe. 4, 8. Fauchards. 5. Corsesque. Fig. 69.-GROUP OF Two SWORDS AND THREE EARLY BAYONETS. 1, 3, 5, Bayonets. 2. Spanish Sword. 4. Italian Sword. All in the Artillery Museum, Paris. NOTES. NOTE 1, p. 1.-In the infancy of nations, the same implement which would be applied to the ordinary requirements and uses of every-day life, would also doubtless serve the purpose of the hunter in the chase; and in the time of strife, the very same implements, with some additions probably suggested by the exigency of circumstances, would become the weapons of a barbarous people. NOTE 2, p. 4.-It is quite possible that some of the statements in the text relative to the distinctive characteristics of various primæval objects in flint, may be considered, even by many experienced archeologists, to be speculative, or, perhaps, purely fanciful. The study of these certainly very curious relics of remote ages has been pursued with great earnestness and proportionate success on this side of the Channel, where the flint weapons and implements have been found in great numbers and no inconsiderable variety. NOTE 3, p. 7.-See Note 2. NOTE 4, p. 8.-The sketch of the "Stone Period," given in Chapter I. in the text, is to be regarded as a sketch only; so that it has not been proposed to enter with any minuteness into details, or, indeed, to deal with the "Period" at all from an archæological point of view. Stone "celts," and every variety of implement or weapon of the same class or period, are constantly found in England. The term "Dolmen" denotes certain Celtic tombs, which consist of a large nearly flat tablestone, raised entirely from the ground upon two or more (but not more than four) stone props or upright blocks. NOTE 5, f. 9.-In the Athenæum journal, No. 2,121, published June 20, 1868, there appeared a communication dated from "Shanghai, China, April 21, 1868," and bearing the signature of "Thos. W. Kingsmill, Corr. Sec. of North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society," which contains much information that bears directly upon the considerations that are set forth in the text. In the ancient sacred Scriptures there is no evidence to show of what metal the swords of the warriors of Israel were made. In the Old Testament, however, iron and brass (or bronze) are mentioned together on several occasions; as in Genesis iv. 22; Deuteronomy xxxiii. 25; 1 Samuel xvii. 5-7 and 2 Chronicles xxiv. 12. The spear-head of Goliath of Gath (B.C. 1063) was of "iron," while his defensive armourhelmet, target, greaves"-was of "brass;" Samuel xvii. 4-7. But the spear of that son of the giant, who, in after days, when "girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David," was of "brass; " 2 Samuel xxi. 16. Plutarch has recorded the discovery of a brass or bronze sword and spear head in the tomb of Theseus. "9 Plato says ("De Legibus," XII.), that "iron and brass are instruments of war that is, that weapons of war were formed of both those metals. Polybius assigns to the Gauls (B.C. 223) leaf-shaped swords of bronze, while the swords of the Romans were of iron. It must be added, however, that swords of iron which correspond with the description of the bronze swords given by Polybius, and of a date long anterior to Roman dominion, have been found in Switzerland. The poet Virgil, who must have known of what metal those arms were made that were ancient in his days, speaks of the brazen swords and javelins that were in use when the Trojan settlers established themselves on the soil of Italy "Eratæque micant pelta, micat æreus ensis." ("Glitter their brazen spears, and their swords made of brass are bright.") ÆN. vii. 743. And, once more, Pausanias asserts that all the ancient weapons were made of brass. Iron began to supplant brass in the 5th century B.C. |