. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. It is not rare to meet witb bronze buttons in tbe palafittes ; we possess several from tbe stations of Cortaillod and Auveruier. Tbey are convex, formed of a tbin plate, and bave a loop on tbe concave side. One, in tbe possession of M. Otz, from Cortaillod, measures not less tban two iucbes in diameter, and is decorated on tbe border witb designs cbaracteristic of tbe age of bronze, similar to tbose on tbe vase represented by figure 25. Tbe
. Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science. It is not rare to meet witb bronze buttons in tbe palafittes ; we possess several from tbe stations of Cortaillod and Auveruier. Tbey are convex, formed of a tbin plate, and bave a loop on tbe concave side. One, in tbe possession of M. Otz, from Cortaillod, measures not less tban two iucbes in diameter, and is decorated on tbe border witb designs cbaracteristic of tbe age of bronze, similar to tbose on tbe vase represented by figure 25. Tbe cbemical composition is now an important el&- jment of tbe study of lacustrian brouzes. From numer- ' ous analyses made by M. Fellenberg, it results tbat tbe proportion of copper and tin is not so fixed as was at first tbougbt, wben, to a lacustrian bronze tbere was assigned 10 per cent, of tin and 90 of copper. Tbe pro- portion of tbe tin, on tbe contrary, may vary from 4 to 20 per cent., accordiiig as tbe founders of tbe epoch < igure a. experienced more or less facility in procuring tbat metal. Tbese proportions are indicated more or less sensibly by tbe tint of tbe metal. Tbe bronze into wbicb enters a tentb part of tin (as in tbe metal of cannon) bas tbe finest color; it is tbe most common in our lakes, and in its tint nearest approaches gold. Wben tbe tin is in less proportion, tbe metal is more red and soft; it takes, on tbe other band, a light tint and becomes very hard wben tbe proportion of tin sensibly exceeds tbe tentb. What is still more suggestive is tbe absence in objects of the age of bronze, of every other metal in any cons^idcrable proportion. If lead, iron, or nickel be occasionally found, it is in insignificant quantities, like impurities in the ores of copper. Hence 31. Fel- lenberg concludes that when a bronze contains however inconsiderable a portion of lead or zinc, it cannot bave proceeded from the age of bronze, but mu?t date from a more recent
Size: 1784px × 1401px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithsonianinstitutio, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
