The Lake-Dwellings of Europe

Abstract

IN this work on the lake-dwellings of Europe, Dr. Munro has carried out on a wider field the inquiry begun in 1882 in his book on those of Scotland. He has brought to his task qualities of a high order. He had a large share in the exploration of the lake-dwellings in his own country, and has recorded the results in a businesslike fashion. He has prepared himself for dealing with the lake-dwellers of the Continent by a painstaking examination of the evidence on the spot, and by visiting all the principal collections. He further has read the voluminous literature bearing on the subject scattered through various journals and periodicals, as well as that which lies ready to hand in separate books. The result of all this labour—and how great it has been only those can know who, like the writer, have gone over the ground—is this work “smelling of the oil” in every page, well illustrated with numerous cuts and with good indexes, and a systematic list of references. It is, indeed, to be looked upon as an encyclopædia of matters relating to lake-dwellings, rather than as an ordinary book. It is little less than a miracle that the vast array of facts brought together should have been compressed into the narrow limits of six lectures.

The Lake-Dwellings of Europe; being the Rhind Lectures in Archæology for 1888.

By Robert Munro (London: Cassell and Co., 1890.)