The first exploration of the settlement commenced in the spring of 1858, when Mr. Troyon, after examining the stations near Yverdon, visited the locality and fished up five bracelets of bronze, together with some hair-pins and a few small rings, which are now in the Museum of Lausanne. Mr. Burki, of Petit Cortaillod, also found several bronze objects, some of which he sold to Agassiz.
These respective successes induced Col. Schwab and Prof. Desor to direct their attention to Cortaillod, who, in the course of a few years, made a collection of very remarkable objects. Among these the following are worthy of note:—a bronze wheel, 19¾ inches in diameter, with four spokes ([Fig. 10], No. 17); the surplus jet of a bronze casting, broken off apparently after the operation was completed; several half-moon and other variously shaped pendants (Nos. 10, 12, and 21); bracelets (No. 14); a massive ring ornamented with concentric circles (No. 15); some large-headed pins, earrings (No. 7), studs (No. 22), hatchets, sickles, fish-hooks, beads of amber and glass, a spoon of terra-cotta, etc.; but the most novel were dishes, particularly a large plate ornamented with tin strips arranged in various patterns of lines, circles, and the Greek meander ([Fig. 193], No. 2).
Of the four brothers Kopp, who worked for these antiquaries, one afterwards commenced on his own account and sold the finds, and in this way many of the relics went to other localities. In 1874 a necklace of bronze was found ([Fig. 10], No. 3), which Mr. Vouga states is still in the possession of a gentleman at Auvernier.
Fig. 10.—Cortaillod and Bevaix (16, 18, and 23 to 26). Nos. 8, 16, and 18 to 20 = 1⁄4, 15 = 1⁄3, all the rest, with the exception of 17 = 1⁄2 real size.
In 1876 a fisherman found a sword, which he sold to the keeper of the Museum at Bale (No. 19).
Meantime the Stone Age portion of the principal station was little examined, as the relics were deeply buried. Here, however, were formerly found some iron objects of the La Tène type, viz. a sickle (B. 31, Pl. xiv. 20), and a stone anchor with iron hoops, now in the Museum Schwab. In 1878, when the Government drainage works began to tell on the lake, many articles were picked up. Thereupon Messrs. Vouga and F. Borel commenced systematic diggings, and this set an example to the authorities of the Museum of Colombier and the Société du Musée de Boudry, who likewise started operations with a gang of workmen. Among the objects collected up to 1883 Mr. Vouga particularises the following:—
Stone.—A number of sharpening-stones of sandstone; a large hollow stone for bruising corn, measuring 1 foot 6 inches by 1 foot 9 inches, and 5½ inches in thickness, having a hollow 2½ inches in depth; some hundreds of hammer-stones, corn-crushers, etc.; portions of stone showing marks of having been sawn, and perforated net-weights; also spindle-whorls, an oval hammer of serpentine ornamented with chevrons; some perforated stone axes, etc.; about 1,200 plain axes, nearly a third of which were still in their horn fixtures. Most of these horn fixtures were inserted in wooden handles, but of course all traces of the latter were generally gone; only 12 nephrite implements were among them. About 1,500 chisels or small celts, only a few of which were of jadeite. One celt was of flint, a very rare thing in this district; and an arrow-point was of polished serpentine. Many thousands of implements of various coloured flints—saws, knives, scrapers, daggers, and arrow and lance-heads. The arrow-points were generally triangular without wings, and a few were lozenge-shaped. The largest flint dagger measures 9 inches in length (Museum Colombier); and some of the saws were still fixed in their handles with asphalt when found.
Horn.—Some 3,000 fixtures for stone hatchets, of which about one-third were perfect. These implements are not bifurcated at their end, as is often the case with those found at Auvernier and elsewhere; and many are only partially made, so that one would suppose there had been here a factory for their special manufacture. There were also perforated hammers, and a great number of chisels, pointers, etc.; also some large plaques whose use is unknown. Out of twenty barbed harpoons one, 8½ inches long, has twelve barbs (No. 8), and one (now in the Museum Boudry) is unfinished. About a similar number of pendeloques or beads, and a few small objects like arrow-points.