nearly 300. The handles of the bronze swords are very short, a characteristic much relied on by those who attribute the introduction of bronze into Europe to a people of Asiatic origin, but is probably due to the manner in which they were held. The Museums of Denmark contain more than 1000 bronze swords, that of Stockholm, including daggers, over 500. At Mycenæ 150 swords were found, all of bronze.
Fig. 27.—Sword from Sweden, one-fourth of the actual size.
Fig. 28.—Sword from Switzerland, one-fifth of the actual size. In the museum of Col. Schwab.
Bronze arrows are not very common in Northern Europe, probably because flint was so much cheaper, and almost as effective.
More than a hundred bronze fish-hooks have been found at Nidau in the Lake of Bienne, but elsewhere they appear to be rare; the Museum at Dublin contains only one. Sickles are more numerous; at Copenhagen there are 25, at Dublin 11; in the lake-village at Morges 11 have been found, at Nidau 18; they are generally about 6 inches in length, flat on one side, and raised on the other; they were always intended to be held in the right hand.
Bronze knives (figs. 40–44) are frequently round in tumuli, and among the remains of the Swiss lake habitations;
