“A new civilization is indicated not only by the mere presence of bronze but by the beauty and variety of the articles made from it.  We find not only, as before, during the Stone Age, axes, arrows, and knives, but, in addition, swords, lances, sickles, fish-hooks, ear-rings, bracelets, pins, rings, and a variety of other articles.”

If the bronze implements of Europe had been derived from the Phoenicians, Greeks, Etruscans, or Romans, the nearer we approached the site of those nations the greater should be the number of bronze weapons we would find; but the reverse is the case.  Sir John Lubbock ("Prehistoric Times,” p. 20) shows that more than three hundred and fifty bronze swords have been found in Denmark, and that the Dublin Museum contains twelve hundred and eighty-three bronze weapons found in Ireland; “while,” he says, “I have only been able to hear of six bronze swords in all Italy.”  This state of things is inexplicable unless we suppose that Ireland and Denmark received their bronze implements directly from some maritime nation whose site was practically as near their shores as it was to the shores of the Mediterranean.  We have but to look at our map on page 43, ante, to see that Atlantis was considerably nearer to Ireland than it was to Italy.

The striking resemblance between the bronze implements found in the different portions of Europe is another proof that they were derived from one and the same source-from some great mercantile people who carried on their commerce at the same time with Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Switzerland, and Hungary.  Mr. Wright ("Essays on Archaeology,” p. 120) says, “Whenever we find the bronze swords or celts,

Vases from mounds in the Mississippi valley.

whether in Ireland, in the far west, in Scotland, in distant Scandinavia, in Germany, or still farther east, in the Sclavonic countries, they are the same—­not similar in character, but identical.”  Says Sir John Lubbock ("Prehistoric Times,” p. 59), “Not only are the several varieties of celts found throughout Europe alike, but some of the swords, knives, daggers, etc., are so similar that they seem as if they must have been cast by the same maker.”

What race was there, other than the people of Atlantis, that existed before the Iron Age-before the Greek, Roman, Etruscan, and Phoenician—­that was civilized, that worked in metals, that carried on a commerce with all parts of Europe?  Does history or tradition make mention of any such?

We find a great resemblance between the pottery of the Bronze Age in Europe and the pottery of the ancient inhabitants of America.  The two figures on page 260 represent vases from one of the mounds of the Mississippi Valley.  Compare them with the following from the lake dwellings of Switzerland: 

Vasesfrom Switzerland.

It will be seen that these vases could scarcely stand upright unsupported; and we find that the ancient inhabitants of Switzerland had circles or rings of baked earth in which they placed them when in use, as in the annexed figure.  The Mound Builders used the same contrivance.