Das Weerd.—The existence of the remains of a lake-dwelling at the east end of the Insel Weerd has been known for a long time. The site is close to where a Roman bridge extended from Eschenz to Arach; but the piles are somewhat scattered, and embrace both sides of the river. In 1882 Mr. Schenk succeeded in finding its relic-bed, which he describes as composed of two distinct layers—the upper one being of a dark colour probably the result of the conflagration which destroyed the settlement; and a lower of a yellowish colour, containing much organic débris. About 4 cubic mètres of this Kulturgeschicht was examined, and among the relics collected were three human skulls, one of which is perfect, but the others were in bits; a knife, a hair-pin, and some rings of bronze; a copper celt (B. 420b, p. 174); polished stone celts, one of which was made of jadeite. In addition to these, there were various objects of Roman times collected on or in the vicinity of this station, including a tile with an inscription, a bronze statue, Roman coins, etc. In the Rosgarten Museum there is a bronze sword, said to be from this station; also a quern stone 21 inches in diameter, with a central hole 3 inches in diameter. But it is not probable that either of these objects really belonged to the lake-dwellers. The bronze knife, three pins, and some perforated stone implements ([Fig. 28], Nos. 4 to 7, and 10), are also in this museum, and labelled "Insel Weerd." The human skull has been reported on by Professor Kollmann, who shows it to be dolichocephalic. (Antiqua, 1883, p. 69; and 1884, p. 174; Das Ausland, 1885, p. 219; B. 462.)
Mammern.—In the bay above Mammern, at a place called Neuenburgerhorn, there is an extensive area containing very decayed piles. It was investigated by Messikommer in 1861 on behalf of the Historical Society of Thurgau. (B. 41.) The piles commenced about 160 feet from the shore, and extended some 400 feet along, covering an area of 40,000 square feet. The antiquities were all found on the surface, and consisted of hundreds of stone celts, flint implements, pottery, and bones. No small bone tools, nor any trace of the lighter industrial remains or food material, were met with, nor was there a relic-bed underneath. Hence Messikommer concluded that the finer contents of the relic-bed had been washed away by the current of water, which, it seems, is pretty strong at this place. (B. 40, p. 26.)
Feldbach and Steckborn.—A station called "Pfahlbau Turgi," near Feldbach, has been long known, and several prehistoric objects have been found on it from time to time. The water being low in 1882, the Historical Society of Thurgau undertook some systematic explorations. From various indications it was inferred that this station was not among those destroyed by fire. The antiquities collected belonged to the pure Stone Age, among which are:—Stone celts, bone and horn objects, specimens of barley and wheat, cloth made of bast, and fragments of basket-work. From the observations of Mr. Schenk, it would appear that this pile-dwelling had been protected from the waves by a kind of wooden bulwark. (B. 383a.)
Fig. 28.—Untersee (1, 4 to 7, 13, 16, 18, and 19), Mindlisee (2, 3, 11, 12, 14, and 15), and Bussensee. Nos. 10 and 12 = 1⁄4, and the rest = 1⁄2 real size.
Near Steckborn there was another small station, known as "Der Pfahlbau Schanz," on which some interesting objects—as dishes, harpoons, etc.—were found. In 1885 it was again searched by Messikommer (B. 434b, p. 33), and among the objects then collected were stone celts ([Fig. 28], No. 13), harpoons of horn (No. 19), a flax-heckler, and an implement called a whistle (No. 18) made of the short foot-bone of a cow. According to Messikommer, this settlement had been twice destroyed by fire and the usual carbonised materials—as cloth, grain, charcoal, etc.—were abundantly found. (B. 462.)
Berlingen.—In the bay above this town are piles, but not readily discernible, and stone celts have been found all along the shore.
Ermatingen.—This settlement occupied the bay below the village, and its site is particularly rich in flint implements and the refuse of their manufacture. Stone celts are also abundant, and among them are a few of nephrite. Some fragments of pottery showing a net-like ornamentation on their inside are noted from this locality. The station appears to have been voluntarily abandoned, as there are no carbonised materials among its débris. (B. 40 and 462.)
Langenrain.—Below Gottlieben, at the north end of a small island formed by a divergent branch of the Rhine, Dr. Nägeli, of Ermatingen, discovered in 1882 the remains of a pile-dwelling of the Bronze Age. Some of the piles were seen in the water projecting from the mud, but they are mostly concealed by the deposits imported by a stream (Wollmatinger-Bach) which here falls into the Rhine. They are partly round and partly split stems, sharpened by metal tools, and occupy an area about 100 yards in length and 15 in breadth. The relic-bed was covered with a layer of mud from 1 to 2½ feet in thickness. Among the objects recorded from this station are a winged celt, two lance-heads, and two hair-pins of bronze, fragments of pottery (some of which are ornamented with the meander pattern), and two bits of clay crescents. Also various bones of animals and portions of a human skull, the latter being found in the presence of Mr. Leiner at a depth of 2½ feet from the surface. (B. 462.)