The
furnace is a very small affair, not holding more than three pounds of
ore. This is filled with ore and charcoal. The bellows are used, and
after the charcoal is all burned out, the result is a small piece of
spongy iron, which needs only repeated heating and hammering to be made
serviceable.<8> Primitive furnaces, on a somewhat larger scale, have
been discovered in Switzerland. Here the excavation was made in the side
of a hill, and a rude, dome-shaped chimney built over it.

We must not forget that our task ends where the historian's begins.
The use of iron did not long precede history, so we have but little to
describe as to the customs and manners of life during the prehistoric
Iron Age. A general advance in all the social arts must surely have
taken place. Improved tools, and more cheaply produced, could not fail
to advance man very materially in culture. Some lake settlements were
still in use as places of residence, but better means of protection than
water was now known--walled cities were in use, especially around the
Mediterranean sea.

Mr. Morgan has traced for us the evolution of government. At this early
date the Greek and Roman people were engaged in substituting for ancient
society the modern idea of government founded on territory.<9> The great
body of European tribes were now in the final stage of barbaric life.
Their system of government was doubtless the highest known to ancient
society--that of confederacies; the union of tribes speaking dialects of
the same language, for offensive and defensive purposes.

Illustrations of Ornaments and Gold Ornament.-----------

As characteristic of the advance of this epoch, we may mention the
appearance of pottery made on the potter's wheel, and baked in an
improved kind of furnace. Previous to this epoch all the pottery had
been moulded by hand and baked in an imperfect manner in the open air.
This may be thought to be but a small improvement. Our civilization,
however, depends upon small improvements. Only during the early part
of this age, while iron was scarce, and therefore valuable, would it
be used for the purpose of ornaments. Iron brooches have been found in
considerable quantities in the lake settlements. Bronze would still
be the principal article used for ornaments. The articles of bronze
manufactured play a great deal of skill. Nor was gold entirely
forgotten. The cap-shaped ornament of gold was found in Ireland. During
the Bronze age, as w