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DUBLIN R
VIEW. S.R.R. 84-
I N a .very InterestIng an
admirably illustrated work
(AncIent Hunters. 'l\lacmlllan and Co. London. Price
12S. net) Professor Sollas gives a very vivid account of
of th
Î Palæolithic period, illustrate
by comparisons with
the ]ue of the nearest representatIves of the cultures of
different epochs of that period, the Tasn1anians Aus-
tr alians, Bushinen. and Eskimo. These races, he
rgues,
Inay have actu2.11y been the lineal descendants of the
prehistor
c tribes. "It would appear that the surviving
races \vhIch represent the vanished Palæolithic hunters
have succeeded one another over Europe in the order
of their intelligence; each has yielded in turn to a Inore
highl y developed and a more highly gifted forin of
Iman. From what is now the focus Gf civilization they have,
\,one by one, been expelled and driven to the utterrJ.10
t
parts of the earth; the l\lousterians survive in the remotely
related Australians at the Antipodes, the Solutrians are
represented by the Bushmen of the southern extremity
of Africa, the l\Iagdalenians by the Eskimo on the frozen
margin of the North An1erican Continent and as ,veIl,
perhaps, by the Red Indians" (p, 383). The theory
'which connec
s the l\lagdalenians and the Eskimo ,vas
put forward years ago by Dawkins, and has been challenged
on various occasions by different writers. No doubt the
writer's theories \vill excite controversy also, but the
arguments by which they are supported are weighty
,and cannot lightly be set aside. Particular attention
'ma y be called to the very admirable and complete account
of the art of the Aurignacians and its similarity to that
of the Bushmen. The facts here given were familiar
to anthropologists from the pages of L' Anth1'opologie
and the monographs of the Abbé Breuil and others,
Ibut they have not previously been made accessible,
as they now are, to the general reader. Especial interest
Iwill be felt in the bearing of the facts detailed in this
book on the question of the antiquity of man. At the
present mOlnent \.ve have to deal.with t\V? anolnalou5
and puzzling cases, and the
a f
Irly consIderable .and
complete record. The Trinll obJe
ts-often descrIbed
as Pithecanthropus erectus-remain the puzzle t
at
they have always been. I
is .n?t clear that a!l the reina1I1S
belonged to the same IndIvIdual; there IS no sort of
agreelnent amongst scientific Inen as to \vhat kind ûf
3. creature it may have been, and the current number
of L'Anthropologie (T. XXII, t--5). informs us that the
painstaking labours of the expedition. of
Ime S
lenka
have revealed no further traces of prehIstorIc man In the
.listrict \vhere Dubois discovered these much debated
bones. '1'he second object, the Heidelberg mandible,

is a hnost eq uall y puzzling. It is more simian in general
outline than any mandible yet discovered, but on the
other hand, the teeth are less simian than th ose of ccr tain
hun1an exanl.plcs of the present day. These two cases
In ust thcn be left aside until further facts clear up the
matter in one vvay or another, as facts have cleared up
the nature of the long and much debated Neanderthal
skull. Anà \\-hat arc thesc facts? Recent discoveries
have revealed a series of con1plete interments of the

lol1sterian period, and these and other observations else-
\vherc prove the exi3"Lence of a race of human beings at
that early period \vho have teen named" Neanderthal,"
from the place oÍ discovery of the first of their skulls.
Of this race \ve know two very important things. First
as to their position in the human scale-" it is clear
that the l\lousterians" (another name for the sanl

race), " \.vere 111en with big brains" (p. 158). As a Inatter
of fact their cranial capacity was far su pcrior to that
()f the Australian, and exceeded the average. capacity
of the modern European. Secondly as to thcir religious
vievvs-vve know that they believed in a future life for
the soul, for the earliest interment discovered was a
"ceremonial interment" \vith "accon1panying gifts"
òf food and implements for the use of the dead n1an
in the \vorld of spirits. Well may the writer say
, it is
almost with a shock of surprise that vve discover this well-
known custom, and all that it Ï1nplies, already in existence
during the last episode of the Great Ice Age" (p. 147).
Professor Sollas is quite clear that thcre is no kind of
evidence at present available for the existence of man
prior to the Great Ice Age. As to the nUHlber of years
of man's existence on the earth he givcs-no reasonable
person \vould attempt to do SO-:lO figurc
, but discusses
the matter in a most tfèmperate and illuDlinating manner
at the end of his book. .
We notice that Professor Sollas proposes the term
".boücher" for the palæolithic implement often called
a " celt" (a badly chosen word) or a " coup de poing "
(a most inconvenient term). vVe should like to think that
his suggestion vvill be adopted, but we have our doubts.
We also notice (and agree) that he considers that the
discoveries of Abbé Breuil in the Lo"'\\'cr Eocene sands
have disposed of the question of eoliths. Altogether a
most interesting book. B. C. A. W
.

ANCIENT HUNTERS

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'V. J · SOL LAS

D.Se. Cambridge",. LL.D. Dublill; JI..-1. OxjorJ; Fh.D, Christiania: F.R.S.:
Fello'W of ll/liversit), Collè!{è; and Professor of Geology alld
Palaeolltolo.gy in the University of O.ljord

MACMILLAN ANI) CO., IJMITEI)
ST. MARTIN'S STH.EET, LO{\iDO

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::l..

PREFACE

'fHE substance of this ,york, at least in its l11ain out-
lines, ,vas first set forth in a course of three lectures
delivered before the Royal Institution in 190ô, ana
subsequently published as a series of articles contributed,
at t.he request of the Editor, Dr. N. H. ...AJcock, to
Science P'}'og}
ess.

Iy original intention ,vas sin1ply to gather these
together and to re-publish thenl in book-forul ,vith
adequate illustration. But in the Inean,vhilû the rapid pro-
gress of discovery had renderec1necessary so Inany changes
in the text that I took advantage of the opportunity to
introduce a good deal of additional lnatter, and to
enlarge the short snnlnlaries treating of recent hunting
races, especially the Australians and Bushulen.
The lllanuscript as delivered to the printers in 1910
contained an account of our kno\vlec1ge as it existed up
to the end of the previous year;
ince theIl, ho,vevcr, luany
inlportant discoveries have been nlnde kno,vn; to rCIHler
an account of thenl all ,vas inlpossiùle, but by the kind
indulgence of l\Iessrs. ::\laclllillan, I haye hecn able to in-
corporate such as are of 11101'e than usual interest, partic-
ularly to lllyself. This must l)e IllY apology to those
Authora ,vhose recent ,york finc1
no 111entioll. I
.especially regret that I been unable to refcr to )[1'.

Iarett'ti aC(.oullt of his explorations in J crsey,l ancl the
inlpOl'tant con
ln;-;ions to ,vhich they lead on the oscil1a-
tiOllS of land and sea.

1 H.. R. l\Iarett, "Pleistoccne l\[an in Jer:-;cy," ....!rdufoloUla, l!Hl,
\Vol. lxii., pp. 44D-480.

Vi

PREFACE

1\Iy thanks are duc to a nU1111Jer of friend
,vho haY8"
assisted nle in nlY studies. III France, our grcat teacher
in these 111atters, I anl indebted first to 1\1. Cartailhac,
thc Nestor of pre-historic Archæology, through "'hose
kindncss I enjoyed, in company ,vith 11lY friend :\lr.
l\larett, an unrivalled opportunity of studying the
paintcd caves of Aripge and the Hautes Pyrénées, and
ncxt to Prof. Breuil and 1\1. Peyrony, ,,
ho Iuadt} us
aCll1u1Ìlltcd ,,
ith those of Dordogne, to Prof. Boule, ,vho-
illtrod uced llle to the fossil lllan of La Chapclle-aux-
Saints, and to 1\L C0l1l1110nt, ,vho initiated me into the.
lurstcrics of the J..\Ioustcrian industry. In Gcrnlany I
learnt nluch fronl 1 )r. R. TI. Sclllnidt, ,vho guided 111Y
studies of thc Palæolithic deposits of "TÜrtelllherg; in
Belgiulu frolul\I. Rutot, ,vhose kindnpss and infornlation
are 1 )oth incxhaustible, as. ,veIl as frollI Professors
Fraipollt ancll\Iax Lohest, the discoyerers and expounders
of the skeletons frolll Spy. In England nlY old fricnd
tIle Rey. l\Ia.gens
Iello guided l11e through the ca,yes of
Cres,vell Crag; Dr. Sturge nlade nle at honlc anlong
thc treasures of his great collection, probably one of the-
finest collections of flint implell1ents in the ,yorld; Prof.
TrIor, Prof. Haddon, 1\11'. H. Balfour and 1\11'.
l\Iontgolllcry Bell, have assisted me in the most effica-
cious nla-nncr, by frank discussion, and the late 1\11'.
Pengelly luany years ago led nle ,,,ith hunlorous and
illulllinating discourse through the recesscs of the.
faluous !{Cllt's Hole, near Torquay.
I aln also under grcat obligations to those generous
friends and eolleagnes \vho have given lue perll1Ïssion to.
horrow. illustrations fro 111 their published \vorks; in
every case ackno\\?ledgeulcllt has been nlade of the.
source, lJU t I desire in addition to express illY cspecial
thanks to Professor Boule and the publishers of

PREFACE

Vll

L' .Á.l1d It ï'OjJO[ ogic, 'v ho ha ye alIo \\"ed 111e to ransack
this thesaurus and to carry a,yay fron1 it sonle of D1Y
riche
t slJoils; to 1\I. Con1n10Ut., "Those figures of
l\lousterian in1plelllellt
are all fron1 his o,,,,n cúllection;
to the Sn1Ïthsoniall Institution for the use of many
illustrations published by the Bureau of An1erican
Ethnology, and to the c. C0l11111ission for Ledelsen af de
geologi
ke og geographiske U nderscigelser i Grollland,"
for the use of illustratiol}f-: puhlishecl in the J[pddelelsPl.
Oln rJí'(ndand.
I have. also to thank lny assistant 1\1 r. C. J. ßayzand
for the skilful llUlnner in ,vhich he has prepared the
illustrations for publication; luan)" of thenl have been
rr-dra,vn by him.
I lJelieve thiR is the fin:;t tinle that a general survey
has been attell1pted-at least in the English tongue-of
the vast store of facts ,vhich have re,varded the labours
of investigators into the early history of ßlan during the
pa
t half-century. It is difficult to over-estÏ1nate their
importance; they afford a ne\v picture of the mode of life
and intellectual status of our primitive predecessors,
differing in many of it
details fronl that ,vhich
suggested itself to the in1agina tion of earlier
in vestiga tors.
In revie\ving the successive Palæolithic industries as
they occur in Europe, 1 fiucllittle evidence of indigenous
cyolution, but 111ueh that suggests the influence of
111igrating raees; if this is a heresy it is at least
respectable and i:-; no\v rnpidly gaining adherents. In
n collateral branch of enquiry it has heen po\vel'fully
ady'ocated ùy Graebner 1 aud it received the support of

1 "Die nlelanesi:;;che BoO"enkuItul' und ihl'C Y crwandten,"
t nfhrop".i.,

190U, Yúl. iv., pp. 72" and
m8.

VIll

PREFACE

Dr. Rivers in his rccent inlportant Address to the
British .A..ssociation at Portsnlouth. 1
No allusion has been lllade to the belief so strongly
held by Piette that the A urignacians hac11earnt to bridle
the horse, because the evidence seenled insufficient to
establish so startling a conclusion; now, ho\vever, we
have reason to believe that the
fagdalenians drove
behind a reindeer harnessed to a sledge, Piette's vie\v
acquires a fresh interest, and deserves renew cd
investigation.
In every branch of Natural Science progress is no,v
so rapid that fe\v accepted conclusions can be regarded
as nlore than provisional; and this is especially true of
l)rehistoric Archæology. General vie\vs, ,vhatever other
interest they may havc, are chiefly useful as suggesting
the ,yay to fresh enquiry. If the brief SUlllmary
presented in the present ,york should have happily that
effect, it ,vill have exceeded IllY anticipatiolls in
accolllplishing its ainl.

,V. J. SOLLAS.

"CNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFORD.
Septem,ber, 1911.

1 Presidential Address, Section H, "Anthrupology," Nature, vol.
lxxxvii. p. 336, Septemher 14th, lUll.

CONTENTS

CfL\PTER I

"IRE GREAT ICE .\(
E .

PAGE
1

CHAPTER II

THE A:XTIQCITY OF )IAK

29

CHAPTER III

EOI,ITH
.

34

CHAPTER IY

EXTIXCT Hl-XTER
. THE T .U';)L\
IAS

70

CH
-\PTER V

THE )IO
T AXCIEXT HCXTERS

.

CH.\PTER YI

]\IIDDLE P_\.LEOUTHIC .

. l;
O

CHAPTER '
II

'THE AGSTR.\LL\X ABORIGI
E:-)

. 170

CIL\PTER YlII

'THE AURIÜXACI\.
AnE

.
10

x CO.KTEKTS
CHAPTER IX
P_H;ß::
THE Bl'SH
IE
2.1
CHAPTEH X
THE
OLl"'.rRL\X -\ca; 307
CHAPTER XI
1\L-\f:DALESIAS ::\L\X 311
CHAPTEH XII
THE };:,m:DIO :
31
CHAPTER XIII
THE AZILIÅ
:-- :

4
CHAPTER XIV
(,HltOXOLO(
Y :{Hl

LIST OF ILLUSTRA l'IONS

:UG.

1. The feature
left at the end of a yanished glacier .
2. Roches moutonnées around Loch Doon. . .
3. A glaciated boulder . , . . . .
4. Diagrmn to show the ancient eÀtension of th0 Rhrme glacier
5. i\Iap showing the terminal moraines of the Rhône glacier,
fonned during the Great Ice Age.
G. l\Iap of Europe .
J\lap of 1\ orth America ..,.....
The four terraces of the Iller and their corresponding moraines.
Diagram to show the formation of ri\Ter terraces in the Alps
Yiew from the promenade along the Inn at Innshruck
Diagrammatic section showing the H()tting breccia .
Fossil leaf of Bhododpndnm ponti/'unl from the HÜtting hreccia
A flowering branch of the existing Rhtlcfodpndron j)(JHtinwl frOlll
the Caucasus
Outline of Jaya .
Section of Trinil, J a\'a .
Pithel'fOlthl'ojJw, PJ'Pdll.>i, Duh(Jis
Profile of the skull-cap of Pithecanthropus conlp:tred ,,-ith that
of a chimpanzee, an Australian, and a European .
Cranial capacity of Pithecanthropus compared with that of the
gorilla and lUan
Po
ition in which the Iuandihle was found; l\laner, near
Heidelberg .. . .
:IHaudible, of J\lauer, seen from the side and aboye
Lower jaw of an Australian man to show the projecting canine
Pl'ojections of the
Iauer jaw, the jaw of an Au
tralian aborigine,
and the jaw of a chimpanzee .
Sagittal section through the sYlUVhysis of the lower jaw of l\lauer,
an
\.ustralia.n aborigine, and a chimpanzee .
The l\Iauer jaw, the jaw of an orallg, of an
\ustralian ahorigine,
and of a young gorilla
...\.n "eolith " from Puy Courny .
Asserted implCluellts from Cromer Furest Bed
" Eoliths " from the Oligocene of Boncelles. .. ,
Associated fraO'ments of flints from the Thanet S:lllds of Belle-
...
ssize (Oise) produced by tlaking in :5itu
Xaturally-formed tlint-tlakes simulating artefacts from the
Thanet sands of .Belle-Assize
"-ind Screen of the Tasmanians
Some Tasmanian stone implements .
Painted pebhles of l\Ias <1' Âzil
Tasmanian "raft"
Raft 01' "balsa" of Seri Indians
Tasmanian skull, seen from aho\'e .
Tasmanian skull'" en face" and in pro tile

,...
1 .
8.
R
10.
11.
12.
l
t

14.
15.
V;.
17.

18,

19.

20.
21.
2 0)
....

23.

24.

23.
26,
27.
2R.

2V.

30.
31.

''> .')
,--).6oJ .

:\;{.
:{4.

j.
3ü.

PA(:E
Õ
()

'7
t)

.
It)
l

n
il

-t.
i;)
26

.)-
-I
:10
31

..-
",,)

;3t.

;{S

41
4
;
41

46

47

4
)
;)()
;-)8
5H

üS

tm
71
7:

7H
.H
:'1
0"
0....
84

xu

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. PAGE
:{7. The Pleistocene Geography of Europe , . . . . . 9;3
38. Elevhants and Hippopotamuseb at a Tropical 'Vatering-place
(Africa) , .....
;
9. The
abre-toothed Tiger, JlacJw irodus HPogu H!y ,
40. A section across the yalley of the Somme, near St. Acheul
41. Palæolithic deposits at St. Acheul. .
42. Section across the valley of the Thames .
43. Section across the valley of the Lys, Belgiu111
44. Section at IIelil1 through the fourth terrace .
43. l\Iode of fracture of flint
4(>. Strepyan implements. . .
47.
\. Chellean boucheI' found at Chelles
48. A Chellean boucheI' and a "limande "
4!). A Chellean scraper . .
50. Flint dag
er from Binche, Belgium . .
31. 'Tarious flint implements from Kent's Hole . ..
3:!. l\Iap showing the distribution of the Lower Palceolithic industry
in Europe. . . , . . . . . 119
33. Lower ....:\cheuleall implements frml1 St. .Acheul . 123
54. Boucher of La IVlico(!ue . . . 124
33. The J\Ianulloth (Elepha.
primiyenill.')) . 123
õ(). J\Iolar tooth of the l\Ial1ll1loth (El(phas pl'imigcniw;) . 126
i)7. J\lolar tooth of Elepha;-; antiqll us, Falconer 126
58. l\lolal' tooth of Bh'l)Jws meridional is, .xesti . 126
39. The Indian Elephant . 1:!7
60.
rhe African Elephant . . 127
61. Rhinoceros ti('hodtJnu.v . . . . . . '. 128
ü2. The two-horned African Rhinoceros, for conlparison with
R. tichvl'hin us . . 129
();). l\Iousterian implements . . . . . . 1;-e
ß4. A Levallois flake from 'V olvercote, near Oxford. . . . 13;3
ü3. Bection across the valley of the SOlll1lle to show the horizons on
which l\Iousterian implements are found . 1;33
()(-). Distribution of l\Iousterian stations in Europe , 1:36
H7. Przevalsky's 'Vild Horse . 1:
8
n8. The Reindeer. ... 139
m). _A here! of musk-oxen in East Greenland . 140
70. The
.\.rctic Fox. Caui.') l()fI(JPIf.
. , 141
71. The Glutton or \Volverine. .. ... . 1-1:1
72. Sketch lllap of the district of Les Eyzies (Donlogne), showing
the position of some of the more important caves and rock
shelters . . . . . . 1-13
73. The caye of La Chapelle aux Saints . . . 1-1:7
7 4.
ection of the N eandertal cave, near Diisseldorf. . . . 148
7;). The:N eandertal calotte and the skull of La Chapelle aux Saints. 1-1H
76. Skulls fronl Spy and Gibraltar . . 151
17. Front view of K eandertal skulls 1;)3
78. K eandertal skulls seen from ahove. . . . ., 156
7H. Diagrams to illustrate the fallacious use of the nasi-inion line . 1
9
80. The Gibraltar skull and a low form of Australian skull compcu'ed. 1G2
81.
ection of the Grotte de la Biche-aux-Roches, near F\py . Hj3
82. Rection of the rock shelter at Krapina . If;;)
83.
lan of Arunta tribe, Central Australia. 171
.84. l\Iall of "Tan'amunga tribe, Centr:-tl r\ nstralia 172

U3
H6
. 101
. 102
. 107
. 108
. 108
110
. 113
114
115
116
117
118

I ,)...
-i.
1:!8.

)Ian of the \Y orgaia tribe, Central Australia . .
Elderly woman of the Kaitish tribe, Central Australia
The woman of preceding figure seen full face ..
Young woman wearing arm-bands and f'howing eicatrisation of
the skin; Anula tribe, Central _.\ustralia .
The same as Fig. 88, seen full face .
Yarious forms of spear-head, Central .Australia
Spear throwers .
BOOJllerangs . . . , .
The flight of a returning l,oomcr<tng , . . . .
Stone axe decorated with line ornament (Ct-llÜal Australia)
Stone kni,'es , . .
l\lallufacture of stone kllin.'

Bone awl
Bone pins .
The bark-boat .
X ative hut or "T luley . .
"Toman's apron made of human hair (Ârunta tribe, Central
Australia) . . . . . .. ... 184
:x eckband with incisor teeth of kangaroo (Central Australia). 183
1\Iessage-sticks. .. . 188
Earth figure, in relief, of the chief spirit, known here under
the name of Daramulull (South-East Australia)
CIllll'inga of an ..AchiIpa or wild-cat man
BuII-roarers .
Initiation Ceremony
Initiation Ceremony .
Initiation Ceremony .

acred drawings of t.he \\
itc]letty grub totem on the rocks at
Emily gap (Cenb-al Australia) .
Group of mon of the Emu totem, sitting round tho totem
device painted on the ground (Central Australia)
l\Iap of the Aurignacian Stations in Europe .
Section of the Pa\-iland Cave, Gower, South 'Yales
The Chatelperroll Point .
Aurignacian Scrapers and Gravers, from La Uoumba-del-
Bouïtou (C01Tèze) , . 217
The La Grayette Point . . :!18
The Aurig-naciall Bone Point, . . . :!1B
_-\urignadan ana Eskimo's Shaft Straighteners. . . . :!:!o

ection through tho Deposits of the Hock Shelter at 80lutré , :!:!

()utlinps of Paintings on the Ruof of the Caverll of ..Altamira
:!4
Plan of the Cay ern of ....\ltamira :!:!7
Engraving of a bison, Altamil'a ..
:!8
Polychrome painting of a deer, from the group
hown 111
Fig. 120 . . ...,... _ :!:!V
Polychrome p[\inting of a hison, from the group shown 111
}'ig, 120. . .. ... . 229
Sketch of Fig. 124, engl'ayed as a Vl'eliminary to painting . :!:30
Polychromc painting of a bison, partly nHxldled by the relief
of the wall . . , . . . :!:H
"Paint-tuhes" from La Grotte des Cottt-H . ..
Crayons of red ochre in 1\1. Didion's collectioll from Castle-
meule, Dordogne 2:3

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOl\S

}"Ie;.
83.

6.
87.
88.

8
).
!JO.
91.

):! .
93.
H4.
H3.
HU.
g7.
HS.
!m.
100.
101.

102.
103.
104.

105.
106.
107.
108.
10
-}.
110.

111.

] 1
.
11:t
114.
II;=;.

IIG.
117'.
118.
119.
120.
1:!1.
122.
1 ')'

_.'.

124.

12;).
12ü.

Xill

PAGE

. 17

. 1ï4
175

. 176
. 17'7
178
178
179
. 180
180
181
181
. 182
. 182
18

183

lUU
HJ(.
. 1 H7
HJ8
. 1 !)n
. 200

. 201

205

I:-

214
:!H)

. :!:

XIV

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIO
S

FIG.
12H.

PA(;E

130.
1:31.
13
.

Outline drawing of a painting of two reindeer fronting each
other from FOl1t-de-Gaume, Dordoglle
SUlJposed pictographic inscription in red . 2;
4
Outlines of two trout, traced in the sand on the floor of Xiaux
;3j
Recent tracing of a fish (the matrincham) made in the sand hy
the nati,'es of Central Brazil
Engraving of a l\Iammoth, Le
COluharelles
Engraving of a Horse, Les Combarelles .... :!;;7
Interlacing lines scratched in the clay (If Hornos de la Pe1Ìa in
the Cantabrihn mountains :!;38
Silhouettes of hands in red and hlack 2;-m
IVlutilated hands of Bushluen .
42
Enigluatical signs . . . , 24;

Tectiforn1 signs from Font-de-Gaume , .. :!4;

Tectiform signs on the side of a l\Iammoth, from ]'ont-de-Gaume 243
Pectiniform <.;igns painted on the side of a Bison. 2-14
l\Iammoth from the Grotte de la l\louthe, Dordoglle .
-i:;
Sketches of the human face, from the ca'-e at :\Iarsoulas
47
l\lonstrous forms engrayed. . 247
Three figures of wOl
len fr0111 the group at Cogul 248

\ hunting scene from Cogul . . .
4n
Paintings in red on a block of granite in the Sierra de let Caca-
chillas, Lower California .. .....
f)O
Figures from the cayes of the Glenelg Yalley,
. \V. Australia 231
Elands pursued hy lions .. . 25:3
.A group of ostriches and a Bu
hman hunter disgui
ed as an
ostrich .
Outline of a picttne of a rhinoceros .
A Bushman cattle-raid; pur
uit hy the I\:affirs and rear-guard
action. From a cave near Hermon, Basutoland
Bushman paintings
Bush111
l11 l)ailltillgS. . . . . .. .
;)7
Generalised paintings by the n1en of Cogul and by the Bushmen
37
Part of a long picture showing undulating lines, rows and dots,
Bushmen and animals, from Zuurfontein, Cave Colony. ,2j8
Symbolic paintings from striated rocks on the hanks of the
Gumaap, Griqualand \\T est... . 23B
Ilead of a horse neighing, frOlll l\Ias d'
-\zil . 2jU
Carving in geOlnetric designs . . 2(iO
A urign:1Cian figurines .
(il
A urignacian figurines . . 2H:)
A urignacian figurines . . i(i4
Aurignacian figurines . ..... 2(iü
Section through the Grotte des Enfants, ::\Ielltone .. 2(;fi
Skull of a Bushman for comparison with that of the Aurignacian
woman ... . 2()7
A Bushman from the I\:alahari desert . 27

..\ Bushman from the I\:alahari desert 27:

Bushman's arrows . 27;:;
Bushman's quiver..
7H
The Bushwolllan's 'l\:ihi 01' digging stick 277
The lower e11(l of the Bushman filter-pump. . 27H
_-\ Bushman's pipe . 27U

.)....-,
....J.,.J

133.
1:34.
1 ,,,,,-
.:>
.

2:3';
:!;17

13ß.
137.
138.
1:3B.
140.
141.
142.
143.
144.
143.
14ß.
147.

148.
149.
130.

131.
132.

234
234:

13:t
134.
155.
13ü.

",..-
...;..).J
2ü()

137.

15K
13
..
IGO.
HH.
1(;2.
IG3.
IH4.
1 G3.

Inn,
In7.
16
.
Hm.
170.
171.
172.

LIST OF ILLUS
[RA 1
IONS

xv

FIG,
173.
174.
173.
17ß.
177.
178.
179.

l'AliE

180.

Elephant sculptured in sunk relief, from South
-\frica
Stages in the manufacture of Bushman's beads
Part of a Bushman's kraal in the .l\Iiddeh"eld, showing huts
l\Iythical Bushman painting, frOlll the Biggardsberg. .
Animal-headed men in dancing pustures, from
outh
-\frica
Bushman stone implements from Ol'angia ..
The routes taken hy the Bushmen in their migrations from the
Etluator southwards to the Cape of Guod Hope . . . ;302
Deeply incised drawings of BlllmlH.'i mdi,pou; from the Cùl dOEr
Richa, Aflu,
outhern Oran . :
()-!

olutrian flint implements . :
OH
l\Iagdalenian flint implements .. ;n:1
l\[agdalenian spear-heads and arrow-heads . . :113
Barbed hqrpoolls frOlH the l\Iiddle and rpper
Iagdalellian stages 31(j
Harpoon heads with perforations for attaching a thong . . 317
Pro1}lematical characters, supposed by Piette to be primith'e
writing .. .. . 317
Simple fOl'ms of the ra,'en totem in use among the Eskiulo of
Bering Strait . . :US
Eskimo and A.ustralian spear-throwers .. . 3] 9
Throwing stick in iyory, from the l'lagdalenian of )Ias d'Azil. :):!O
The l\Iagdaleniall bâton de cmnuHwdement and all Eskimo's
arrow-straightener. . . . . . . 3
1
l\Iagdalenian and Eskimo shaft-strai
htencrs . 8:!4
Bone implements frOlH the l\Iagdalenian of l
ellt's Hole, Tor(luay ;t?3
Bune implements used by the Eskinlu in East Greenland . . ;;:!G
I yory peg fronl Brassempouy and wooden peg u:-;ed hy the
Eskimo to stop the wounds made hy their spears . . :1
7
l\Iagdalenian bone implements, supposed to be fish-hooks . 3:?8
A perforated stone, probably used to load a digging stick, from

alpétrière .. .
1
8
l\Iagdalenial1 implements . .. 3
B
Implements fl'Olll the cayes at Creswell ('rags
;)I)
l\Iag(lalenian impleIllents from the mammuth ca\'e uf "Tierz-
chuvie, Poland '. . .
l\Iagdalenian and Eskimo implements in hone and ivory
A sandstone lamp from the l\Iagdalenian of La )Iouthe
An ivory pendant from an Eskimo chatelaine
I vory carvings hy Pal:eolithic men and the Eskimo
l\Iammoth engraved on ivory, from La l\Iadeleinc
The reindeer grazing, from the J{csserloch, near Tha;yugell,
Switzerland, engt'ê"wed on a shaft-straightener .
:
8
The running reindeer, deer and salmun, and the stag
The "fullowing" reindeer, engraved on slate, frolll Laugeric
Basse . '. .. :
4C)
l\Ian stalking a hison, on reindeer hurn, from Laugerie] ;asse, etc. :141
l\Ian's head carved on reindeer's horn, from Urotte de Roche-
berthier, Charente .. ..
Goose on reindeer hurn, from nourdan. etc. ,.
Two troops of hurses, each with its leader, engraved on a slah
of stone, from Le Chaffaud (Yienne) . . ;
.t-!
Dagger of reindeer horn, frolH l..augerie Ba!-'se, etc. ;;.t,)
Yarious )Iagdalellian relics :
4(j

281

8:3
284
. :!! tj

B7

!)8

181.
182.
183.
184.
183.
186.

187.
188.
189.
HJO.

HJ1.
192.
193.
194.

195.
l!)G.

197.
198.
199.

200.
201.
202.
203.
204.
203.

;-
;)1
333
. :;:-;.j.
. ;1;1:;

: t-
(.

3:-
7

20G.
207.
208.
209.

;-;;{U

;
.t :!

210.
211.

;H;1

212.
213.

XVI LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FIn. PAGE
214. Distribution, past and present, of the Eskimo . 332
213. Portraits of Polar Eskimo . . .. ... 333
216. 1\1ap showing the distribution of 111usk-ox (after A. G. Kathorst)
and the migrations of the Eastern Eskimos 336
217. An Eskimo lamp . 3(51
218. The Eskimo bow . . . .. . 3ü

2HJ. A snow scraper and harpoon head of i\90ry with a tiint point 3();)
220. 'V ooden needle-cases, Baffin Land Eskimo . ... 3ü6
221. An ornament for the hair with pendants of reindeer's teeth,
Baffin Land Eskimo .. 3()()
222. A rudimentary harpoon used by the Alaskans . . . . 3U7
22:3. An iyory smoother used by the Eskimo of Point Fl"anklin,
'Yest Georgia.. . . 368
224. Drawings on Eskimo how-drills. ... 370
223. Photographs of portraits drawn by an untaught girl se\Ten 01'
eight years of age. . . . . 371
226. Skull of the old l\Ian of Crô 1\1agnon, , . . . . 373
227. The l\Iagdalenian skull of Chancelade and a recent Eskimo skull 374
228. Profiles of the Eskimo skull, the Crô l\Iagnon skull, and the
skull of an }
skimo superposed on the glabella-lambda line
as a base. . . . . . 373
229. l\lagdalenian stations in Europe. ..... 371
230. {T pper Palæolithic stations in Belgium, Go
yet typically l\lagda-
lenian . 378
231. Azilian harpoons . . . . .. ... 386
232. Chronological scale from 2000 A. D, taken as the origin down to
the last glacial episode . 3!J3
23:1. Section at lIoxne . .. .... 400
234. Bection acro:,::; the yalley of the Ouse, two 111ÌIE;s 'V. K. "T. of
Bedford, . 401
233. Chronological scale . 404

ERRATU1\I.

Page 31. "Andrew" should he "
-\ndrcws."

ANCIENT HUNTERS AND THEIR
MODERN REPRESENTATIVES

CJ IAPTER I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

THE changes ,vhich have affected the face of the earth
since the da\vn of recorded history are comparatively
fe,v and uninlportant. In SODle regions, as in the
British Isles, great tracts of forest and nlarsh have been
replaeed by cultivated land, and some fe\v species of
,vilLI aninlal
, such as wolves and bears, have been
exterminated; hut, so far as "Te can judge, the clÍ1nate
has remained the same, and no movenlents have per-
Dlanently disturbed the leyel of the sea. The recent
period seems to have been one of geological repose,
affording a peaceful and stable arena for the great
dranla of hunlan existence. The historian consequently
may pursue his researches untroubled by disturhallces
of the environnlent, aceepting the world as it HOW is, a

that \vhich, so far aR he is concerned, has ahvays been. l
But directly we extend our inquiries into antece<-lent
periods, and endeavour to recall the story of our species
froln the ul1,vritten past, \ve are conscious of a ne\y
régime: not constancy, but change seenlS to dOll1Ïnatc
1 Recent researches in Centra.l Asia secm to show that important
changes of climate have affected that region in historical times; see E.
Huntingdon in EXIJloratiuns ,in Turl."istan, 'with an llCC01tllt of the nasin of
E(#"stern P
r.'\in and S-istftn, edited by R. Pum}Jelly, \Vashington, If)Oü;
and the same author in The Pulse uf Asia, IH07 ; also l\1.
\. Stein, Of oyl'.
Juurnal, vol. xxxi,', Nos. 1 & 3, l!JOH.

B

2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the environment. The climate loses its stability; it
s\vings slo\vly to and fro bet\veen extremes of heat and
cold, of moisture and dryness, in long oscillations
several t!mes repeated. Harmoniously ,vith these,
successive asselnblages of living forms-southern,
tenlperate, northern-faunas of the forest, the tundra,
and the steppe--make their appearance in the temperate
European zone, disappear to reappear, and then finally
vanish, either altogether or into relnote regions of the
earth.
Even the land itself ceases to Inaintain its solid
firlnness, but subsides over larger or snlal]er areas
beneath the ,vaters of the encroaching sea, or in some
places rises to greater altitudes, and even shares in the
increasing gro\\Tth of nlountain chains.
No doubt, in a retrospective glance, ,ve are liable to a
deceptive effect of perspective, and events \videly
separated in fact appea.r unduly cro\\Tded together by
foreshortening. \Ve are not, ho\vever, altogether
,vithout the means of making an appropriate correction
for this illusion. The geological scale of tinle, though
far from exact, is sufficiently so for the purpose, and,
judged by this standard, the duration of the latest
epoch of terrestrial history, known as the Pleistocene,
cannot have exceeded some three or four h undrecl
I thousands of years. It corresponds with the chief period
1 of human developlnent, and includes four complete
oscillations of climate; one of then1 being of nluch
longer duration than the rest.
The Great Ice Age.-Of the lnany changing elements
\vhich contribute to the geology of the Pleistocene
epoch, climate is one of the most inlportant, and to
this, therefore, in the first place, we ,vill turn our
attention. The recent existence of a great Ice age ,vas

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

3

first divined hy Schinlper, the poet-naturalist, \vhose
enthusiasl1l fired the inlagination and stÏ1nulated the
researches of the indefatigable .i\gassiz.
As a result of his investigations, Agassiz announced
his belief that the earth had passed at no l1istant date
through a period of extren1e cold, \vhen ice and snow
enmantled a large part of its surface. ..
tten1pts,
persisting even dow'n to the present day, have been
n1ade to overturn or belittle this conclusion, but \vith
very imperfect success, and it no\v stands n10re assured
than ever. As the nUlnber of observers increases
scarcely a year pa::;ses \vhich does not bring some
importan t discovery to hear additional testimony to its
truth.
The evidence on \vhich Agassiz basea his vie\vs \vas
derived, in the first instance, fron1 a study of the S\viss
glaciers and of the effects associated \vith their existence.
The conten1poraries of Agassiz-Forbes and 1"yndall-
and subse<fuent generations of scientific explorers
have pursued their researches in the sanlC region; and
this land of lofty peaks, \vhich has furnished inspiration
to so many great discoverers in other branches of
science, is thus pre-en1inently clas
ic grouncl for the
glacialist. Let us then conlmence our studies ill the
Alps, and, as a prelilninary to further investigation,
make ourselves acquainted \yith phen0111CIHt no\v alien
to our land.
The Gorner Gra.[.- "Then Agassiz l)cgan his
researches, glaciers \vere hut little kllO\Vn, evcn to the
travelled Englisillnun ; no\v a cro\vù of sununcr visitors
makes holiday upon thcn1. It mattcrs little to \vhieh
of the lnany glacier systen1s \\
e direct our attention;
perhaps one of the best kno\vn is that ,,"hich rOl1trihuteg
to the astonishing paHOran1:1 111lfoh1cd ])('forc 11S froln
ß 2

4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the Gorner Grat (P]ate I). Donlinatillg the scene IS
all array of majestic SllO\VY peaks. On t.he extrenle
left stands the mighty conlplex mass of
Ionte Rosa,
then the Bretthorn; ill front of us the J\Iatterhorn rises
in its superb and isolated grandeur; farther to the right
come the Dente Blanche, the Gabelhorn, the Rothhorn;
and last, the Hhapely 'Veisshorn, \vhich from sonle points
of vie\v, lJut not here, offers the most cOlnplete realisation
of the ideal of nlountain beauty.
Belo\v lies a \vide valley, filled deep ,vith a mass of
slowly flo\ving ice, fed by lllfiny tributaries pouring
down fronl the broad snow-fields \vhich s\veep around
and between the nlountaill fastnesses. T\vo nlain streams
-the Grenz and the Gorner glaciers-unite on almost
equal terms, and flo\v together as the Boden glacier,
\vhich comes to an end at the llpper nlargin of the IIinter
vVald, above Zermatt, ,vhere it ll1elts a\vay into the
hurrying 'Tisp.
Suppose no\v that by SOllle magic wand \ve could
,vave a\vay all these streams of ice, and dismantle the
lTIountains of their snowy rohes, leaving the rocks
exposed and bare. A strange and \vonderful landscape
,vould then stand revealed; the valleys, as far up as the
ice had filled theIn, would be 1110delled in smooth and
round and flo\ving outlines, in striking contrast to the
rugged forms of the frost-splintered mountain sumnlits.
Angular fragnlen ts of rock, some of then1 very large,
the renlnants of the lateral moraine, ,vould lie scattered
over the valley sides, 11larking the line \vhere the glacier
had lapped against its banks; and a heap of déhris,
confusedly piled together, ,vould stretch across the
valley in a broken crescentic mound, like the ruins of
a great natural danl. This is the tern1inal nloraine,
and marks the end of the vanished glacier. Behind
it "Te n1Íght see a hasin-like depression, in \vhich the

I

THE GREAT ICE .AGE

5

glacier had sunk itself by abrasion 1 (Fig. 1); and \vithin
this, rising from its surface, elongated hummocks, or
drumlins, of houlder clay. These radiate from the centre
of the Lasin out\vards, streaming like a swarn1 of fishes
s\vinln1ing against a current. They record the strean1-
lines of the once flowing ice.
"Then ,ve have gazed on the desolate scene long
enough to distinguish its principal features, \ve \yill
descend fronl our eyrie and exan1Ïne them 1110re in
detaiL The sn100thness of rounded outline \vhich \\Te
haye already relnarked is found to Lo due to the
abrasive action of the glacier, \vhich has ground a\vay

FIG. I.-The features left at the end of a vanished glacier (After
Penck and BrÜckner.)

all the asperities of its Led; crags and jutting roeks
have 1,een worn dO\Vll into rouullcù bosses (roches
nloutonnées) (Fig. :Z), the sn100th surfaces of "Thich are
striated hy grooves and scratches all running in the stune
direction as that once taken Ly the glacier in its ffo\v.
The drun1lins consist of a tough clay
cro\v<led \vith
stones uf all ::;orts and sizes, but bearing very l'clnal'k-
able features by \vhich they arc l'eadily distinguished.
()riginally angular fraglnents, they are 1l0\V :;ubnllgular,
their sharp edges and corners having heen groul1<1 a"Tay
ana rounded off by the ice; thcir flattened faces are
snloothed and polished, and covered \yith scratches
\vhieh run in parallel groups, generally in the direc-
1 This seems to follow from the detailed mapping of the Swiss lakes
and their surroundings by Prof. Penck and lkiickner, but the glacial
origin of lakes is still disputed by Prof. Bonney aud others.

6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

tion of the longest axis 0 of the stone, but o ocûasionally
crossing it (Fig. 3). The "Thole asselnhlage of scratched
stones ana clay is kno\yn as till or houlder clay.
Such, then, are the signs \vhich \yould be left behind
on the disappearance of the ice.
It requires no magic \vand to bring about the trans-
fOl'luation \ye have Ïtnagined; an an1elioratiou of clÏ1nate
\vill suffice. Eyen at the present tÏ1ue the Boden glacier,
like so luany other great glaciers ill S\vitzcl'lana, is
-
- c1in1Ïnishing in 1 )ulk ; its surface, insteaL1 of bulging up,

_

W_'

;:.... - ....,.....

.0
'-."r,.....;

).

<-

..
.Ii" 'Y '

...

.\r

".

.-

'\ .

'*'

-'

,., ..

-"

''\

FIG. 2.-Roches .:\Ioutonnées around Loch Doon. (After James Geikie,)

is sagging in like an elupty paunch, since the annual
sno\yfall is insufficient to nlake good the annual loss
due to Hlelting a\yay. A general rise of telllperature
over S\yitzerland to the extent of 4 0 or 50 C. \\Tould
drive the sno\v-line high up the n10untain peaks, and all
the glaciers \yould aisappear.
E.1lects oj" IlefJ'iger((t

on.-Let us no\v suppose that
the clÏ1uate, instead of aillcliorating, gro\vs gradually
more seyere. The Boden glacier ,viII l)e lliore riehly
replenished by its tributaries; it \viII bulge up\varc1s
and c1o\vn\vards, and descend farther into the valley of

J

THE GREAT ICE AGE

7

the Visp; if the 111ean anuual tenlperature falls lo\v
enough-say, 50 C. helo\v the present-it \vill extend
do\yn\vards till it reaches the valley of the Rhône All the
glaciers \vhieh Ee in valleys tributary to the Rhônc ,,'ill

l
\/

·
Uf.: I
'ff
';
(I
'.I
1
I ' ',' '

""
/
10,
, '.i f Ai
'H.j '\'1 .
ß t r ' ·
,

,
I
)0 tf p'1J"
.1- :
"
, I-t
j. \
I .
. J' t .'
, I..... i\
.. 4'1 ......
p ,

..:I '1

)í

/

.

.J

....

, .
'II

:Fw. 3.-A Glaciated Boulder. (After James Geikic.)

sinlÏlarl y enlarge, as "Till the glacier of the llhôlle itself.
The Ilh ônc Valley. - If, bearing this possibility in
n1Ïnd, \ve \\
alk do\vn thc valley of the 'Tisp, \yC shall
c1iseovcr on every side signs of all ancient cxten
ion of
th e ice, and on the nlost 8tu pendous scale. The ß\yollen
v-risp glacier evidently soon becalne confluent \vith that
\vhich filled the Sass-tal, and their united YOIUllle then
entered the glacier of the l
hône. 'rhis, \vhich llO\V cnd"
close to the Furca, had then already attaincd there a
thickness of SOine 5,000 ft., and overflo\yccl the Grinlsal
pass (Fig. 4). Farther do\vn, \vhere the Sa
ser- Visp

8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

glacier entered, it ,vas even thicker. Jj"'illing the valley,
it pursued its course past the bend at l\lartigny, and
enlerged from the Alps to over,vhelm, in a grea.t fan-
shaped expansion, all the region no,,," occupied by the
lakes of Geneva and N euchâtel; it rose against the
flanks of the Jura to a height ,vhich sho,vs it to have
possessed, even at this distance from its source, a thick-
ness of over 3,000 ft. But it did not ternlinate here; it
surnlounte<l the Jura, an<l debouched on the plains of
France (Fig. -1). There it deposited its ternlinal n1oraine,

La. Cnok R

: ' { ' Culoz
LyoN' Va.llt'lt' tk í'lÙ, I
I I I I
I I I
I I

5000 ..,

2DOO

.000

FIG. 4.-Diagram to show the ancient extension of the Rhône Glacier.
If the line pointing to the Col du Grimsel be prolonged downwards,
it will meet the termination of the present glacier of the Rhône.
(After De Lapparent.)

\vhich runs in a much indented, but on the \vhole
crescentic, line fron1 Vienne, through Lyons, past Ville-
franche, to Villereversure, Arlay, l\Iesna.y, l\Iorteau, till
it re-enters Swiss territory, between l\Iaiche and Seigne-
]egier, to become continuous farther on \vith the
sin1ilar n10raine of the great Ithône glacier (Fig. 5).
.
Slv'l
tzerl(tnd in the Ice Age.-As nlight ]Ulye been
expected, this increase in volunle \vas not confined to
the glaciers of the Rhône valley. All the glaciers
of S,vi tzer land ,vere affected in a corresponding degree;
and the ,vhole of this territory, no\v dottel1 over ,vith
numberless farn1s and villages and ,vith great to\vns like
Zurich and Geneva, was buried beneath a continuous
sheet of sno\v and ice.
The Ice Sheet of Northern EU1'ope.-It is not

THE GREAT ICE AGE

9

necessary to visit Switzerland to hecolne falniliar
with the signs left by the ancient ice of the Glacial
epoch; they surround us on every hand at home,

FIG. .;.-:Map showing the terminal moraines of thc Rh(lllc
Olacier, form cd during the Grcat. Ice Age. The thick
line -- marks the moraine of the 3rd glacial episode, the thinner line 1'"
within it the moraine of the !th glacial episode. (After Pellck awl
Briickner.)

and are an10ngst the COllllllonest features of the
mountainous parts of our land. Silloothetl and striated
surfaces, boulder clay and superficialuloraillic lllaterial,

10

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

testify to the passage of the ice, indicate its direction,
afford eviL1ence of its thickness, and 111Hrk its boundaries.

=
.....,

r.

.
2 1
........
tI)

t 51
OJ:1 [[]] i
0::'. t

j I ,i

.

DtJl

0 0
v f'")
0
I')
.
0
N

Q

<=>

<=>
"<'"-
--
-- -

If \ye follo\v the southern boundary of the ice, \ve
shall find that it \viI] take us out of Britain and lead

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

I I

us right across the continent of Europe (Fig. 6).
After
tretehing fron1 f(erry to "... exford, and through
the Bristol Channel to Lonl10n, it cros
es the sea,
continues its course through ...
nt\verp, past lVlagdehurg,
Craùo\v, }(iev, runs
outh of l\[uSCO\V to I(azau, an(l
then tern1inates at the southern end of the Ural
nlountains. ..1Jl that lies to the north of this line-
the greater part of the Britii1h Isles, :Northerll Gerillany,
ScallllillLtvia, and ahnost the \vhole of European llussia
-\ya,s buriel1 out of sight beneath a luantle of ice
fornlel1 by the confluence of n1any colossal glaciers.!
The Ice Sheet oj' .LVoJ'th Ll1ne1'ica.-At the saIne tÏ1ne
a large part of North Ålnerica \\Tas over\vhehned (Fig. 7).
The great tern1Ìnal n10raine \vhich lnarks the
out.herll
l)ouIHlary of the ice ean he tracell \vith oc('asiunal
interruptions fro III N antncket, through Long IHlan<l
pa:-;t N e\v Y urk, tü\vards the \vestern extren1Ìty of
Lake ]
rie, then along a sinuous course in the
anle
<lil'eetion as the Ohio, c1o\vn to its confluence \\Tith the
l\lississippi; then it follo\vs the l\li:-;souri a
far as
I(ansas City, and beyond runs approxÏIllate]y parallel
to that river, but south of it, through Nehraska, Dakota
ana
Ioutana, and 'Vashington, \vhere it lllcctS the
coast north of Colulubia river. 'Vithill this houndary
nearly the half of North .Ltnlerica \vas 1)urie<l beneath
a thick sheet of ice, tio\ving Blore or lè
s rutliatcly
out'Yarth
fl'olTI a central region situatcl1 ill ana ahout
the region of {[udson Bay.2
The co-existence of t\VO continental ice-caps, one 011
each side of the Atlantic Ocean, i
a sufticiel1tly iUl-
1 According to one school of geologists, represented in this country by
Professor Bunney, the British area and Northern Germany were pa.rtly
submerged heneath the sea, and much of the glaciation they experienced
was due to fluating ice. .
2 F. Leverett, "Cum paris un of North American and [
uropeall Glacml
Deposits," Zeit. f. Glets('hprhuule, IHOl, iv., pp. 241-31fj, pIs.

12

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

NORTHAMEffiCA

10

r"".UlSN ""6.1"5

[:J Regians rqw>,-yv/ hg Ire

II
I:
"I'
I

.. Lond.
Sea

IZO

110

JOO

o

00

Iõöõi.
, . -.;;; V'

Ilor --.... n.-I"'fh...

FIG. 7.

pressive fact, and that the Ocean itself enjoyed no
immunity fron1 the rigours of the time is sho"\vn by the
discovery of boulders, "\vhieh appear to have been

I

Tl-IE GREAT ICE AGE

13

carried hy ice, in close proxÏ1nity to the Azores (about
lat. 38 0 N. ).1 ..A. revie\v of the evidence Inay fairly lead
us to conclude that a general lo\vel'ing of the telnpera-
ture, probably to the extent of about 50 C.) affected the
\vhole of that part of the Northern hemisphere \vhich
lies outside the Tropic of Cancer.
Llncierl,t Glacicttion in the Southern IIc1nisphere.-
A sinlilar fall of temperature seems to have affected
the Southern henlisphere. If \ve turn to our antipodes
\ve discover obvious signs of the former existence of
glaciers in the I(osciusko plateau or l\Iuniong range
of Ne\v South "Tales (lat. 36 0 22' S., height 7,328 ft.).
The sno\v-fields on the \vatershed gave birth to glaciers
\\Thich fio\ved do\vl1 the valleys on each side; to the
,vest to a level of at most 6,300 ft., to the east of 5,800
or perhaps 5,500 ft. The largest of these glaciers \vas
only a fe\v hundred feet in thickness and three 11liles
in length. 2 'rhe facts ohserved in the I(osciusko plateau
indicate a former lo\vering of the sno\v-line to the
extent of 2,200 to 2,700 ft.
In Tas1l1ania, the former existence of Pleistocene
glaciers has long been kno\vn,3 and they point to a
lo\vering of the sno\v-line to the extent õf 4,000 ft.

1 Dc Geer, Out Sknndillftviens Geoffnifìsklt Utl.'eckling efter Istiden:
Stockholm, 189G, p. 41.
2 David, Rehus, and Pitman, "Geologica.l Notes on I{osciusko, with
special reference to Evidence of Glacial Action," P1'UC. Linn. Soc.
N,S.1V. 1H01, pp. 2G-74, plntes. This memoir contains a valuahle
bibliography 011 the Pleistocene glaciation of the Southern hemisphere.
3 T. B. 1\100re, "Discovery of Glaciation in the Vicinity of l\Iount
Tyndall, etc.," Papers Hncl P,'uc. R. Soc. Tasmania for 1893, pp. 147-H
(18U4), and" Notes on Further Proofs of Glaciation at Lower Levels,"
Op. cit. (189G), pp. 7;
-7. The latest work on the subject is by J. \V.
Gregory, " A Contribution to the Glacial Geology of Tar-;mania," Qlla1.t.
JO'urn. Geol. Soc. 1U04, vol. Ix. pp. 37-53, plates. At the close of this
paper are sonle remarks by Prof. l{endall, who considers that the
e,'idence points to glaciation by ice-sheets, not valley glaciers, and calls
attention to the fact that the ice came down to within a few hundred
feet of the sea level in a latitude corresponding to that of I\Iadrid.

14

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

N C\v Zealand differs froll1 Australia and Taslnania,
lnasnluch as ll1any great glaciers still moye do\vn the
valleys of its lofty Inountains, the Southern Alps, and
reach in SOlne cases to \vithin 610ft. of the existing
sea; but it presents sin1Ìlar evidence of an ancient
extension of the ice, and of a lo\yering of the sno\v-line
by SOlne 3,000 or 4,000 ft. I
After a careful consideration of all the facts, Pellck
concludes that the descent of the sno\v-line during the
glacial epoch \vas approximately the san1e in both
hemispheres, 1..e. bet\veen 3,000 and 4,000 ft. 2
So far no indications of a P]eistocene glaciation have
been observed in South Africa, but the southernn1ost
extremity of the Cape lies north of :\Iount l(osciusko,
the most northerly point of Australia at \yhich glacial
markings have lJeen recognised, so that this perhaps is
only \vhat n1Ìght have been expected; but in South
Anlerica, "\\rhich extends farther to\vards the pole, they
are once more manifest; boulder clay and erratic blocks
are \videly distributed O\Ter the plains of Tierra del
Fuego and 80uth Patagonia. After a survey of the
evidence 1\Ioreno rell1arks: "In Patagonia an in1n1ense
ice-sheet extended to the present Atlantic coast, and
farther east, during the first ice period; \vhile, during
the second, tern1Ïnal n10raines . . [\vere ] . . left as far as

1 Prof. James Park has lately given a detailed account of the ancient
glaciation of 'Vest Otago. He calls attention to the chains of glacial
lakes, the ice-grooved and nlammillated slopes of the mountain ranges,
the perched blocks, extensive rock-striation, and wide-spread glacial
till, which all point to a period of prolonged glaciation, not exceeded in
intem;Ïty in any part of the northern hemisphere. He concludes that a
great ice-sheet covered the larger p
ut of South Island during the
Pleistocene epoch; it prouably attained a thickne8s of 7,000 feet and
extended from the land into the sea. New Zealand Geological Survey,
new series, Bull. 7, James Park, 'Vest Otago, Queenstown subdivision,
pp, 112, see in particular p. 4 and pp. 25-43.
2 Penck, "Die Eiszeit Australiens," Ze-its. d. Ges. f. Erdk. z. BeJ"lin,
1900, vol. xxxv. pp. 239-8G, map.

I

TI-IE GREAT ICE AGE

15

thirty miles north and fifty Iniles south to the east of the
present crest of the Cordillera."1 l\nd SteinnUtl111, ÎlJ
summarising the results of his obserya tions, ren1arks :
"\Vhere the ice extended Over the plain in a great
mer de glace, as near as the Strait of l\Iagellan, the
glacial formations correspond \vith those of North
Germany or the lake region of North ...\merica. \\There
it flowed through deep valleys into the sea, as in the
Patagonian archipelago, it repeats the fjord landscape
of Norway or Alaska. In the \yell- \vatered parts
of the Cordillera of Oen tral Patagonia and South Chili,
marginal lakes occur, \vith the same characters as those
of the
hviss Alps, bordered by teru1Ìnal 11l0raines of no
great height." 2
Ancient Glaciatiun in the T}'opics.-If the telnperate
regions of both henlispheres experienced a lo,rering
of tenlperature at all approaching 50 C. the tropics
then1selves could scarcely renlain unaffected, and we
might expect to find son1e signs of a colder clinlate
eyen in the torrid zone. Though these signs are to bp
sought in regions \vhich are difficult of access and rarely
visited hy skilled observers, yet an increasing l)ot1y of
evidence sho\vs that they actually exist. In South
l\ll1erica "traces left by the Ice age extend along the
\vhole lnountain chain from Cape lIorn (Jat. 56 0 S.) up
tu the Sierra N evatla de Santa :\Jaria (lat. 11 0 N.). 3 On
l\tlount
racora (lat. 17 0 30'
.), the SUllllllit of \vhich
just reaches the sno\v-lille (19,965 ft.), ternlÎllalnloraines
have been traced c1o\yl1 to a level of ] 3,779 ft., i.e.
6,186 ft. belo\v the existing sno\y-lillc; l\[OUllt rrunari,
situated in the 1110rc richly \yatered East Cordillera

1 F. B. Moreno, Geugr. Journ. 18Bn, vol. xiv pp. i41- HH awl :3;)3-';8.
2 Steinmann, "{Teher Diluviulll in Siid-America," _'fU}1fdsb, d. ])elll.,c},.
(1(Jol. Ges. InO(j, .No, 7, p. () HCp. copy. 3 Steinmann, (1). eit.

16

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

at about the same latitude (170 10'), reaches the snow-
line at about 17,000 ft., and its ancient terminal
moraines extend c1o\vn to 9,842 ft., or 8,210 ft. belo,,

the sno,v-line.
The Himálaya and KarakoruJn, situated, it is true,
outside the tropics, afford concorùant testimony; thus
in the latest account of these regions \ve are inforn1ed
that the existing glaciers, though large and numerous,
are but the relics of an older series of ice-flo\vs. The
ancient moraines, the perched blocks, and the glaciated
surfaces all furnish proofs that the ice in fornler tin1es
covered an area in .Asia immensely larger than at
present.
On the southern slopes of the Dhau]adhar range an
old nloralne "ras discovered hy the late General
l\lacl\Iahon at the extraordinarily low altitude of
4,700 ft.; and on the Tibetan side of the great
Hin1álayan range the glaciation appears at one time to
have been ahnost universal. No trust\vorthy obserya-
tions have yet heen nlade in Central or Northern Tibet,
bu t in Laclak, ill N ari IChorsam and in Tsang, according
to Burrard and IIayc1en, "the yast moraines and the
transported blocks, perched high on hillsides far fronl
their parent nlass, are indications of the fornler existence
in Southern Tibet of an alnlost continuous ice-sheet,
and of sllo\v-fields and glaciers such as are no\v to he
found in polar regions only." 1
The Lest register ho\vever of a former glacial climate
\vithin the tropics is afforded by the solitary
lount
I(enya (19,500 ft.), which rises only half a degree south
of the equator. rrhe glaciers \vhich no\v fio\y c1o\vn its
slopes tern1inate at a height of about 15,400 ft., Lut

1 Burrard and Hayden, A Sketch of the Geog1'ltJ1hy u't1l1 Geoloyy uf the
HÜnulaya .l\lountains and Tibet, 1
07, part iii. p. 192.

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

17

t.he ancient ice extended at least 5,400 ft. lo\ver clO\Vll,
for a tern1inal n10raine has been observed at 10,000 ft.
antl erratics have been tra.ced do\vn to 9,800 ft. l
Sin1Ïlar evidence is afforded by l\Iount Ru\venzori 2 and
l\[ount I{ilin1andjaro. 3
Thp J TTh ole TTTorld was Affected by the Glacial
ClÙnrttp.-Thus, to \vha.tever region \ve turn, our
inquiries elicit the san1e facts. Alike in Northern
Europe antl Southern Australia, in the Peruvian Andes
or the isolated cones of Central Africa, the evidence
points to a considerable lo\vering of temperature in
cOIllparatively recent tin1es, corresponding \vith the last
glacial epoch. 'Thus the Great Ice Age clearly deserves
its nan1e; it affected the \vhole of our planet, and can
scarcely have failed to influence in a high degree the
history of its inhabitants.
Oscillations of ClÙnrtle.-Of late years investigations
l,earing, if pu

ible, even more in1n1etliatel y on our
suhject, have been directed to the succession of events,
or the inner history, of the Glacial epoch.
In the British Isles the n10untains are so inconsitlerable,
and the volulne of the ice was so great, that secoIhlary
effects are lost in the general result, and detailed
research is cOIHlucted uuder exceptional difficulties. In
the Eastern _\1 p8, on the other hand, hoth the relief of
the groulltl and the nlagnitu<1e of the glaciers are Ruch
as seCHl to pl'onlÎ
e a ready response to fluctuatiollR of
ten)pcrature, and this uuder conditions favourahle to a
pprn1anellt rcror<1 of their effects. Nature RCeJHH,
intlec(l, to provicle In theIll a delicate rcgi
tl\ril}g

1 J. \v. Gregory, "The Glacial Geology of Mount l{enia," Qllad.
Jollrn. Geol. Soc. lSn4, vol. I. p. 52!.
2 J. \V. Gregory, "The Geology of l\Iount Ruwenzori, JRB;,," Q"ar!.
JUlll'n. Grot. Soc. 18H;" vol. Ii. p. 676.
3 If. Meyer, {htafl'Íf'anische Gletschelfahd{'11..

c

18

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

thermometer. It \vas in this \vay, at least, that they
appealed to the sagacity of Prof. Penck,1 one of the
most distinguished investigators of glacial phenomena
at the present day; and it \vas on the Eastern Alps,
therefore, that he first concentrated his attention. Let
us follow hinl into this region.
Ri1Jer Te1"races.-The accompanying illustration
(Plate 2); which I owe to the kindness of Prof. Penck,
represents one side of the valley of the Steyr. On
close examination it will be seen to display a nunlber
of parallel terraces, almost horizontal, and running \vith
great regularity in the same direction as the valley.
The lo\vest of these terraces (w) forms a broad field
through which runs the poplar-bordered road fronl Steyr
to Sierning. It descends by a steep slope, about 50 ft.
in height, to the river. :Nearly 70 ft. above it, the
surface of the second terrace (1
), is seen; one of the
characteristic farmhouses of IT pper Austria stands upon
this. Immediately behind it follows the third terrace
(m), and above this again the highest terrace (g), \vhich
forms a plateau of considerable extent. Such terraces
are not confined to the valley of the Steyr; they are
common in many of the great valleys of the Eastern
Alps, of the 'Vestern Alps also; they occur very generally
over Europe, and indeed in all the glaciated regions of
the globe.
These terraces can be traced do\vn the valley of the
Steyr into the valley of the Enns, and then on\varcls
towards the Danube; t\VO of them, indeed, the upper-
most and lowermost, actually reach the bank of this
stream. They can also be traced up\vards to\vards the
mountains, extending \vith considerable interruptions,

1 A. Penck and E. Brückner, D1..e Al}Jen int Eiszeitalter, 8vo, Leipzig,
H}Ol-1909, three volumes.

1

THE GREAT ICE AGE

19

over a course of forty or fifty miles. The pits, \vhich
are dug in to thell1 here and there, afford an insight
into their structure and composition. Entering one of
these, \ve obserye IJeds very much resenlbling gravel,
very coarse, and cleanly washed, nlade up of pebbles
varying froln about 2 in. to 6 in. in dial11eter. On the
\vhole they are rather evenly stratified, though some-
times they forIn oblique layers (false bedding), and
include occasionally lenticular patches of sand or loam.
To these deposits the Germans give the nanle of shotter
(schotter), a ternl \ve shall find it convenient to adopt.
The shotter have evidently been deposited by s\viftly
running \vater; they mark the course of a rapid
rIver.
'Ve may no\v follo\v the terraces up the valley, anll
this time \ve \vill select the valley of the Iller. The
terraces broaden out to \vide sheets, and then beconle
replaced by features of a totally different character.
'Ve are no\v introduced to an irregular assemblage of
hills, \vhich extend, not like the terraces, along the
valley parallel 1vith its length, but transversely across
it, running in a gentle curve convex do\vn\vards. They
may be overgrown by forests of firs or covered \vith
soft green turf, but natural or artificial sections \vill
some\vhere expose their structure. This is yery different
from that of the river terraces; instead of roundeù
pebbles \ve find angular fragnlents of rock and an
occasional striated boulder, the stones are of all sizes
and of very diverse kinds, fine sand and nlud are inter-
mingled \vith thenl, and all are thro\vn together in
confusion, \vith no trace of order or arrange1nent. 'fhese
are the characters of a tern1Ïnal Inoraine. J-Iere an
ancient glacier of the Iller ca1l1e to an cnd.
A question of capital interest now presents itself;
ü 2

20

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

1-

,vhat are the relations, if any,
between the terrace and the
nloraine 1
The answer to this has been
given by Penck, ,vho has sho\vn
that the river terrace loses itself
in the moraine; the t\VO meet and
interdigitate \vith each other, as
ShO\VIl in the diagram (Figs. 1
and 8).
"There the glacier gave birth to
a river, there the moraine passes
in to a terrace.
As there are four terraces, so
there are four moraines., one to
each terrace.
....\. consideration of these facts
leads to very important conse-
quences. In attempting an ex-
planation let us begin ,vith the
first or highest terrace. To ac-
co un t for the formation of the
thick sheet of shotter it represents,
we must assume the existence of
a river, so heavily ovcrhurdenefl
\vith detritus, that it had little or
no po\ver to erode; it coultl l'arry
a\vay the material of the nlOraÜ)C,
round the angular fragnlcn ts into
\vell-\vorn pebbles, and distribute
thenl far and wide over its valley
floor, but it could not deepen its
Its energy was restrictcd to building up a
shotter, oyer a hundred feet in thickness,

it'"
I /,
Æ
1

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C1I

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channcl.
sheet of

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

21

,vhich stretched from side to side of the river valley.
'Ihis sheet of shotter represents the first stage in the
formation of the terrace (a, Fig. 9).
Of the sheet so forn1ed only the first terrace, a mere
ren1l1ant, a narrow selvage, no\v exists, lining the side

Deposition.

a

_ a-w---

. ..- .. ...
..
.

Denudation.

IW

., .' . . Deposition. b . .
---. .-
:.: :.
.,:...,. .... :...
. ..".:.:10'..... ;......

(..: ':.' .......' :j :.:.. .....

: "':."

. : . . . #. . .. .....-.

Denudation.

2

.....:........,. =' P.

. .. . . ...

Deposition.

.
...

c

....' ...

. .........,.....

.:...... .. .... . .. ..........

e... ....:. .........

3

Denudation.

. .:.- ..

... . ..: . ...
.. e._.

. . . .

Deposition.

d ø

._ e.- . . ,... ."

..
&1""'HUiUß.

Denudation.

. .. a.a _.": .,. _._,

d;þ'

r

FIG. D.-Diagram to show the formation of river terraces ill the Alps.

of the valley; the river ,vhich previously deposited it
has since eH-l'rie(1 the greater part of it tt,vay. It ::;ccnlS
natural tu aSSU1l1C that the river had acquil'c<1 a higher
degree of actiyity, probahly as a cOllsequCllf'e of illl'l'casc(]
volun1e and velocity; and its enhanced po\ver is ðtill

22

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

further shown by the fact that after removing the
shotter it was able to \vear its \vay do\vn into the harder
rocks beneath, and has actually deepened its valley.
Thus the terrace ,vas cut out during a period of erosion
which followed upon a period of deposition (b, Fig. 9).
The second terrace involves a sin1ilar succeRsion of
events; it points to a return to the earlier conditions,
\vhen the river, po\verless to erode, spread out a second
sheet of shotter over the ne\vly excavated valley floor
(c, Fig. 9); then came renewed activity, and the second
terrace \vas carved out. The same is true of the third
and fourth terraces, and thus ,ve have repeated, time
after time, an alternation of periods of deposition and
periods of erosion. Such are the inl1nediate inferences
fron1 the facts.
"T e nlust now take a step further, and attempt to
account for this alternation of processes.
rfhe interdigitation of the terrace \vith its moraine
sho\vs that the terrace, or rather the sheet of shotter
fron1 \vhich it was carved out, \vas deposited during an
interval ,vhen the glacier was comparatively stationary,
i.e. during an interval in \vhich it huilt up its ternlinal
moraine. But \vhen a glacier is stationary the anlount
of \vater discharged fronl it is conlparatively small, the
annual discharge is indeed precisely equal to the annual
sno\vfall by which the glacier is replenished. \Vhen the
glacier is adyancing the discharge is even less. {Jnder
these circumstances the resulting river would be scarcely
larger than the corresponding river which no\v repre-
sents it, and its po\ver to erode ,vas at a minimum.
If now \ve are to endo\v this river with greater volume
and velocity \ve must aRsun1e that the glacier conlmenced
a retreat, or in other \vords that 1110re ice \vas melted
a\vay from it than ,vas 11lade good by the annual snow-

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

23

fall; and this retreat must have continued for no in-
considerable period-it must have lasted at least as
long as \yas necessary for the s\veeping a wa y of the
previously deposited shotter and the deepening of the
valley.
Thus, if this reasoning be valid, \ye are led to greatly
enlarge our conception of the glacial epoch: it \vas
evidently no unbroken reign of ice, it \vas not a single
episode, but a repeated alternation of contrasted episodes.
'"fhere were periods of predon1inant sno\vfall, \vhen the
ice attained its n1aximum development, and the rivers
were in1poverished; and alternating \vith these \vere
periods of predominant rainfall, \vhen the accumulated
ice of centuries melted a\vay, and, adding its volume to
the general drainage, gave birth to s\vollen streams far
surpassing in magnitude those \vith \vhich we are fan1iliar
in the existing Alps.
The great ebb and flo\v of temperature \vas at least
four tin1es repeated; four times have the glaciers enlarged
their bounds, and four times have they been driven back
into their mountain home.
IIY1)othesis.-Such then is the hypothesis which arises
froln our contemplation of the river terraces; there is
n1uch that is attractive about it, and it has the additional
advantage of completely eXplaining the facts, so far as
they are kno\vn. Yet \ve Il1USt not on1it to point out
that its author, Prof. Penck, admits it \vas suggested by
the \vritings of Prof. James Geikie, \vho in turn \vas
inspired hy the theory of .Adhemar, as advocated by
Croll. At the present day, ho\vever, there are fe\v ,vho
accept the theory of .Adhenutr, ana consequently the
explanation is discredited at its
ource.

[ust \ve for that reason reject it? By no Ineans:
\ve shall not conden111 the prisoner at the bar 011 account

24

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

of his pedigree, or because he has been convicted of
a previous offenee. At the same time, in nlaking an
unprejudiced inquiry into the case, \ve shall be 1110re
than usually exacting in our demand for proofs.
"T e \",ill therefore inquire whether there is any
independent evidence in favour of these supposed

..........
....

, . ..:. 'øJ.... -0.. "" ,

'....
.l:ÒIt ','" "
'->:'
-

-,.
Ià"'..-
,... .
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:,:' ..
v.""'f; . ',
..........r
.'. ..,.: 1.. At,.

.

. ..

. ."'-./' 1

!Jr

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..
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-
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). V"....
r-. "

"
:

.,' ...
.\j

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. . .'11.. .
.':'. t ' .
'.
. -:.
}

..
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. ,. . .>';'
:...". . ,
_ ''4.... 4 . . ..t'
'. . 'I;:> .

_ -. :1 .....;;.,. .:;
.;.

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'Þ;-;,...
- 1
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{
"Î: '. ". :..
1

....
. .. . "1 ..
..
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p fd....

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.....

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..

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.
1111 ..

1
. (w

I ..

..'.ct., '
.....
'f . f "" .,...
...."L

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... ---.,,_
-.............. ""':"-...:;;;;-t ........

It} t
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.... ....:;..l À:-
r ,,
-
:,.._

, '
, -..----.......-

-
,......
&,

-.

FIG. 10. -View from the promenade along the Inn at. Innshruck, showing the
Hötting breccia on the other side of the valley.

inter-glacial or genial periods. It \vould seenl that
there is.
HöttÙlg br'eccia.-Every one, at least every geologist,
\vho has visited Innsbruck, that delightful starting-pla
e
for the mountains, is fan1iliar with the peculiar red
stone \vhich is so n1uch used there for huilding. It
con1es from SOl11e neighbouring quarries situated on the
northern slope of the lnn valley, near the village of
Hötting. By \valking do\vn to the proluenade along the
side of the river we shall olJtain a good general view
(Fig. 10). The breccia is seen, at the height of about

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

25

500 ft. above the bottonl of the valley, as an almost
horizontal band, several hundred feet in thickness, and
very conspicuous o\ving to the contrast of its reddish
colour with the dark blue rock beneath: its course can
be plainly traced by the heaps of \vaste stone thro\vn out
fron1 the \yorkings along its face. Crossing the bridge,
a short \valk takes us to the quarries. The hreceia
is then found to consist for the n10st part of fragn1ents
of a dark grey dolol1litic IÜnestone, cemented together
by a reddish luarly lnatrix) and the deposit is such as
nlight result fro III the eOl1sol
datioll of the déhris

INNTHAL

.11

FIG. 11. - Diagralllumtic section showing the HÜtting breccia (c) between the
boulder' clay of the last glacial episode (I\T) awl that of the last glacial
episode but one (III), (y) terrace gravels. (After .Pellck and BrÜckner.)

IJrought c1o\vn by a lllountaiu torrent.. The rock on
which it rests is a tlark l)lue elay contaiuing ohviously
scratched glacial 1)oulder8; it is a true boulder clay,
and repreHents a nlorainc of the third glacial episotle.
Since the breûûia overlies this, it Blust be of latcr date.
Bnt higher up, at a height of about 2,500 to 3,000 ft.,
\ve encounter a second deposit of hoult1er clay, a nloraille
forIlled during the fourth or last glacial episode (l
"ig. ] 1).
This rests directly upon the s11100th surface of t.he
breccia, \yhich Inust consc(luently be of earlier date.
Th us the Ll'eceia is older than the last glacial episode,
and younger than the last Lut one, ana niay provi::;Ïon-
ally be regarded as filling the interval between theln-

i.e. it represents a hypothetical interglacial or genial
epoch.
Taken by itself the evitlence \ve have so far offered
is not sufficient to establish so in1portant a conclusion,
Lut fortunately it does not stand alone. The Hötting
breccia is fossiliferous, and has yielded a nunlber of
lea ves and other reluains of plants: these fossils are
indeed fairly conlnlon, and the visitor \vho should fail
to find at least a few examples \vould
be singularly unfortunate. No less
than forty-t\vO species have been identi-
fied ; 1 they include anlong others the
fir (P-inus sylvest}'is), spruce (l)icea
sp. ), maple (Acer pseu.do]Jlatan1ls),
buckthorn (RhctTì111/US frangula),
several \villo\vs (Salix nigricans, S.
glabl'a, S. 1.ncanCt, S. triandra), the
\vayfarillg tree (V1'burnum lantana),
ye\v (Taxus baccata), ehn (Ulrnus
Ca1n]JPst }'is), strawberry (F,ragaria
vescc(;), self-heal (P}'unella vulga'ris),
beech (Fagus sil1)Cltica), and lllountain
ash (Sol'bus aucuparia). None of
these or of any of the relnaining
species are of distinctly boreal or alpine type.
Three of the n10st in1portant plants \ye have reserved
for special n1ention : they are a ne\v species of buckthorn,
Rharnnus IIoettillJgcllsis, related nlost. ûlu
ely to ll. lati-
{olict, no\v Ii ving in the Canary Isle
, the box (Buxus
sempwrvi1'1ens), also a southern species; and nlost import-
ant of all (Fig. 12) a rhododendron (fl. ponticum), \vhich

26

\

I

, (

FIG. 12.-Fossil leaf
of Rhododendron
ponticll1n from the
HÖtting breccia.
(After ,
, 'Vett-
stein. )

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

1 There is an important literature on this flura; we may mention in
particular R. ,Ton \V cttstein, "Die Fossile Flora dcr HÖttingen Breccie, "
Denksch. 'Hvdt. 'nHtnr. wiss. d. Kk. All. TV ien. B<l. lix, 1892, pp. 1-48,
7 pIs.

I

THE GREAT ICE AGE

27

no\v lives in the Caucasus, five degrees south of the
latitude of lnnsbruck, and in a climate on the average
3 0 C. \varmer (Fig. 13). Taking all the facts into con-
sideration Pellck concludes
that the clin1ate of lnllsbruck
in the days of the IIötting
hreccia wa
2 0 C. higher than
it is no\v : in correspondence
\vith this the sno\v-line stood
1 ,000 ft. above its present
level, and the .c\lps, save for
the higher peaks, \vere al-
most completely denuded of
ice and snow.
The region round IIötting
thus furnishes us with evi-
dence of revolutions of
clin1ate on the grandest
scale; the lo\ver houlder FIG. 13.-A flowering branch of the
cla y, re p resenting the third existing Rhorlorlcnclmn pontic'uln
u from the Caucasus.
glacial age, \yi tnesses to a
time \vhen the sno\v-line of the .Alps had descende(l
4,000 ft. belo\v its existing level, and the valley of
the Inn \vas filled \vith ice; the Hätting hreccia,
representing the third genial age, equally testifies
to a tÎ1ne \vhen the ice had disappeared and the
lnountains had been relieved of their n1antle of sno\v,
\Vhell also a varieù forest gro\\Tth, thickets of the l)ontic
rhododendron, and a ll1ultiturle of fio\vering auuuals
covered the bare rocks, and adorned the dreary expanses
of boulder clay; the upper boulder clay, representing
the fourth and last glacial age, ,vitne

eH to a final
advance of the ice, \VhCll the
llo,v-line again crept
do\vn to its previous level, 5,000 ft. belo\v that of the

\\\ß
\\
.ì

,.

f\\
,
. t . "

ì
:':\.:(
( ::t
\.

.
".
. \' .
, ' \

..

...It ,t
.....'"

\,-.

,

28

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. I

Hötting interval, and glaciers overflowed the forests
of the Inn.
It is fortunate for our argulnent that the advancing
ice did not sweep a\vay and destroy the IIätting breccia,
as it has destroyed in all probability a great nUlnber of
silnilar deposits. A fe\v other instances of undoubted
interglacial beds do, ho\veyer, exist--notahly that of
DUrllten, in the ncighbourhoúd of Zurich -anll these
afford almost equally cogent testilnony.l
In the light of these facts the in1aginary sequence
of events suggested by the river terraces aClluires a
greater appearance of reality, so Inuch so that ,ye 111ay
no\v make use of these features in our subsequent
. ..
Inq Ulrles.
The four terraces are ruled, as it \vore, across tho last
page of terrestrial history; they are datun1 lines, "Thich
enalJle us to divide the Pleistocene or Quaternnry epoch
into eight ages, the first, second, third, and fourth
glacial ages, and a sin1Ïlar Ruceession of genial ages.
"T e arc thus provided ,vith a chronological scale to
\vhich we can refer the n10re inlportallt events in the
early history of the hurnan race.

1 Penck and Brückner mention the Schiefer-kohlen of l\iörschwyl on
the Bodensee (p. 420), the Schiefer-kohlen of Dürnten and 'Vetzikon
(p. 581), the plant-bearing clay of Re in the Yigezzo ,"alley (p. 816) and
especially the Pianico Leds of the I:::;eo valley (p. 830) as other instances
of interglacial deposits. Die Alpen in" Eis:..eitfllter, Leivzig, H)OU.
The universality of genial episodes is disputed by some; thus on a
re,'iew of the evidence Lamplugh is convinced that not more than one of
these episodes occurred in the British area, and is inclined to think that
the evidence for e\"en this is doubtful. G. \V. Lamplugh, Presidential
Address to the British Association, Section C., York, lU06, pp. 532-558.

OI-TAPTER II

THE ANTIQUITY OF
IAN

THE da,vn of the human race is supposed to belong to
a past 11101'e remote than the beginning of the Great
Ice age; yet of the existence of Ulan antecedent to that
epoch not a vestige of evidence, forcible enough to
conlpel universal helief, has up to the present time
been discovered. Even Pithecanthropus, that singular
ape-like fornl, ,vhich Inakes the nearest approach to
the genus Honlo, although referred by its discoverer to
the Pliocene,1 has sin
e been aS8cl'ted on good authority2
to belong 1110re probably to the (
uaternary epu
h.3
Thus a prohlenl prescnts itself at the vcry outset of
our investigation, and as a first stcp to,vards its dis-
cussion ,ve may conlnlence ,vith au account of the
j ust- mcn tioncd Pi thccan thropus.
1 Eugène Dubois, "Einige van Nederlandschen l{ant verkregen
uitkomsten met hetrekking tot de keunis del' I\endeng-Fauna (Fauna
van rrrinil)," 1"ijdschrift v, h. K. Np([prl ....lanlnjL (JP1WOt, 1907, sere 2,
vol. xxiv. p. 449.
2 \V. V olz, "Das geo]ogÜ;chc Alter del' Pithecanthropus-
chichten bei
Trinil, Ost Java," NeH
s Jahrlmch f. iWi1U'I'al., etc., Festl)(tn,d ZIU' Fe'ie'#'
([ps 100 Juhriyen Bestt;hert.'
, Stuttgart, 1907, p. 25G ; Branca, "V orIäufiger
Bericht," etc., Sitzver. d. k. PI'eussi:.when Ak. d. TV is::;. jJprlin, IH08, p.
2()1 ; !{. l"Im'tin, "Das .Alter del' Schichten \'on Sonde un<l Trinil auf
Java," K.Ak. v. IVeti'n:\rhaftcn te A 1tt:.ter([wn, 1908, p. 7.
3 The age of Pithecanthropus is not yet decided. .J. Elhert thinks it
lies between the Cppcr Pliocene and Lowel' Pleistocene (Duhois, "Alter-
bestimmung del' I{endengschichtcn, eÍn "r ort del' Entgegnung,7 1 Central-
úlatt fiir 1U;n. Gpul. and Pal., 1U09, No. 17, p. 513). Investigations are
still in progress; for the present we lllay adopt Elhert's view.
29

3 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Pithec((/nthrojJus eT'ect
ts.-On the south flank of the
Kendengs, a range of low hills \vhich traverse the
eastern extremity of Java (Fig. 14), lies a gently
undulating series of fresh\vater and volcanic deposits
forn1ed of consolidated clay, sand, and volcanic
lapilli, altogether cOllsiderahly over 1,000 feet in thick-
ness. They rest on a 111arille Led of coral lilnestone

a

FIG. 14.-a, Outline of Java; the position of
rrinil is indicated by a cross.
b, The region around Trinil shown on a larger scale. The dotted area
represent8 Tertiary deposits.

about 7 ft. thick, and belo\v this is a bed of clay
containing n1arine shells, all of which are preserved
with their valves closed, a sign of sudJen death,
resulting probalJly fron1 a volcanic eruption. Such
an eruption luight have heralded the birth of Lavu-
Kukusan, a great t\vin volcano, more than 10,000 feet

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

3 1

in height, and not yet conlpletely extinct, which rises,
south of the I{endengs, out of the gently undulating
freshwater series.
The river Benga \van, \v hich flo\vs round a great part
of the volcano, has cut its \vay <1o\vn into the freslnvater
deposits to a depth of 50 ft., exposing a fine section
just at the point \vhere the river touches the J(endeng
hills, near the village of Trinil (Fig. 15). A bea of
lapilli at the base is especially rich in
lallllnalian
relnains. Vast quantities of bones have been exhuined,

,&

c.

FIG. 15.-1, Argillaceous marl (marine); 2, coral limestone; 3, argillaceous
marl aDd sandstone; 4, conglomerate; 5, clay; 6, chief bone- bearing
bed; 7, tuff and conglomerate; 8, tuff; 9, tuff of lighter colour tint than
8; 10, white tuff; 11 J tuff and conglomerate. a, River bed; b, bluish-
black clay; c, confused mass of beds. The remains of l'ithecanthropus
were found in the bone-bearing layer (6), where it begins to disappeal"
below bed 7 on the right of the little anticline. (After Branca.)

affording liS, now that their affinities have been deter-
mined (E. Dubois, loCo clt.), a vivid picture of the life of
the time. Various kinds of deer are richly represented:
they include the "San1bar," still living in r nllia, the
"ICidang," still living in Java, and a lle\V species,
Cervlls lyrioceros. There is also an antelope, Tetrctceros
Kroesenii, allied to an existing Indian forin. Next
come buffaloes ( two species), rhinoceros (t\VO species),
a tapir, sin1ilar to a living SU111atran fornl, pigs (two
species), hippopotanlus, the extinct Stegodon, and a
true elephant.
Among the Carnivora, the lllost interesting species
is Felis G?"oeneveldtii, said to C01l1hine ill it
clf the
characters of the lion aUll the tiger.

3 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

There 'v"ere monkeys, such as Semnopithecus and
Macacus.
The Edentata ,vere represented by a large Pangolin,
,vhich attained a length of 8 ft.
In addition to the
Iammalia, some birds have been
found, such as parrots and marabouts; reptiles also,
crocodiles, gavials, and fresh,vater tortoises; a nUlllber
of fresh,vater fish, all belonging to existing species;
and a shark, Ca1"cha1'1ias grtngeticus, ,vhich points to
the proxinlity of the sea.
An1idst these remains, Dr. Eugène Dubois, ,vho had
left Jlol1and for Java \vith the avo,ved intention of find-
ing the "missing link," discovered in Septelllher 1891
a nlolar tooth (n1g right side), the ,visclom tooth of
PithecanthrolJus erect'us; a nlonth later, bet,veen three
and four feet a,vay fron1 the tooth, the cranial vault or
the skull-cap was found lying in the same bed, and on
the same horizon (Fig. 16). 'V ork ,vas then suspended
on account of the rainy season, but was l'eSUnleù in
1\1ay of the follo\ving year, and in August the thigh-
bone of the left leg ,vas found lying 50 ft. a,vay fronl
the spot ,vhere the first tooth ,vas obtained, but still on
the sa111e horizon, and finally, in October, another nlolar
tooth (m 2 left 8ide), lying 10 ft. a,vay fronl the skull-cap.
After raising a 1110nument to the rnenlory of thi8
supposed ancestral nlan/ Dr. Duhois returned to Europe,
lJringing his spoils with hinl.
The Dutch Governn1ent continued the excayatiolls at
'frinil after Dr. Dubois' departure, but heyond an
additional grinding tooth (p.m.) nothing of importance
was found. Recently, ho,veyer, the district has been
visited by several investigators. Prof. I{Jaatsch ex-

1 It stands on the edge of a clifl', overlooking the last resting-spot of
Pithecanthropus (previous to his removal), and has served as a useful
guide to subsequent investigators.

II

1"'HE .A.NTIQUITY OF MAN

33

plored the neighbourhootl ill Heareh of Ï1npJeulents such
as might haye been made by Pithecanthropus, but he
,vas unable to exalnine the bed fron1 ,vhich it had been
ohtained, as this ,vas subnlerged to a tlepth of 3 ft.
by the sVlollen ,vaters of the Benga\van. Prof. 'T o]z uf
Bres]au (loc. cit.) has lna(le a special geologica] stlHly
of the diRtrict. But the n10st Ï1npol'tant of recent expe.-
ditions is that con.lueted hy .:\Iadanle Selenka, ,vhich
left Berlin in 190G. 1 The naturalist ,vho assisted her,
1\1. Carthaus, is said to have foun(l that nlany of the
bones of the aninlals already Incntioned Itaye been
split longitudina]]y, as though to extract the lUarl'O\V;
some have been polished and fashioned into 'veapOllS,
and others, as ,veIl as fraglllents of ,vood, have 1,cen
burnt hy fire. Indeed, it is asserted that a hearth hall
been discovered, ,vith ashes, and fritted fraglllcn 1
of
clay and Sall(l. 2
A conlplete description of the relnains of P
the-
canthropus has been puhlished by Dr. Duhois/! and

1 "Die Selenka-Expedition nach Trinil,:' Globw;;, vol. xciii. p. 58, IHUR
.J. Elbert, "Ueber prähistorische Funde aus dem l{endengschichten
Ostjavas," Jlilth. lÚJlTe."p.-Blatt D()llt..wh. GeR. f. Ant/It.. 1908, xxxix.
p. 12() -1:30; 1\1. Blanckenhol'l1, "Y orlage eines fossilen IHenschenzahll
von den Selenka -Trinil- Expedition," Zeit::;. f. Ethn. 1BIO, xlii. p. ;{:17.
For an interesting sUllllual'Y see" The Age of Pitheca.nthropus," hy J.
DenikeI', L'Anthropoloyie, IH08, tom. xix. p. 2()O.
2 Elhert, who is responsible for these statements, now admits that he
was mistaken-the black colour of certain hones and sediments is not due,
as'was sU[Jposed, to charcoal, hut to manganese and iron oxides; the bones
were not broken hy men, and the hearths are depressions hollowed out
by whirling water. J. Elbert, "Pl'ähistorische Fl1ude aus clem l{endeng-
schichten Ustjavas," l1Iitth. KfHTesp.-lllHtt. DeHt..wh. Ges. f. Anfhl', 1HOB,
xl. p. :
:t
3 E. Dubois, "Pithecrodhrop1l:5 p1"edll.." eine menscheniihnliclh
Febel'-
gangsform aus .Java," Batavia, 1H!J-t, 4to, p. 44; and "Pitheca.Hfh,.o1HlS
erectH.
, transitional fornl between lUan and the
\ pes," Bc'i. Tra ns. R.
D,t1Þlin Soc. 18HR, vol. vi. pp. 1-18. See also G. Rchwalbe, "Stmlien
Ühel' P itheranthmpw; el'edlls," Z('its. f. JfOl'ph. 1'. A nthrop. UmB, \TO!. i.
pp. 1U -240, and 1\1.
chlossel', "Die neuste Literatur über die ausgest-
orbenen AllthropOUlol'phen," Zool. A nzpiyf' 1', l<<tOO, xxjii. p. 2RH. '\n
account of the literature is given hy H. Klaatsch, Zuol Vent f(llhl" tt. 1 HnB,
vi. p. 217.

JJ

34

Aì
CIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

they have been studied by almost all the leading
anaton1ists in Europe. All are agreed that they indicate
an animal hearing a close resemblance to men and apes,
but beyond this opinions are no longer in harmony:
some regard Pithecanthropus as an ape ,vith certain
human characters, others as a man ,vith evident sin1ian
characters; others again, and in particular Dr. Duhois
himself, regard it as a connecting-link, standing IniJ-
way bet,veen l11a11 and the higher apes. The sugges-
tion has even been lnade that the ren1ains are those
of a microcephalic idiot, or again of a monster begotten
of human and simian parents.
Disregarding those opinions which have little of prob-
ability to recommend them, let us revie\v the question
in hroad outline.
T hat ,vhich distin g uish
s man from all the beasts
of the fiel d is the p ower and cOl11 plexity of his n1ind,1
and whether the brain be a drean;-Qf t he min d -or
the n1ind a dream of the brain, the two are certainly
associated in a manner as close as it is inexplicable.
Thus the chief interest in the Trinil fossil attaches to the
skull-cap or brain-pan (Fig. 16). As regards both its
general form, and all those niceties of nlodelling ,vhieh
require the trained eye of an anaton1ist for their appre-
c.iation, this is certainly nlore simian than hU111an. Prof.
J. D. Cunningham recognises n1any fea.tures ,vhich
remind hinl of the gibbon ; Prof. Sch,valbe sees nlor

reRenlhlance to the chimpanzee; and, though neither of
these authorities is inclined to push his conlparisons too
far, yet they are both agreed in asserting that the
affinities indicated by the forIn of the skull-cap are on

1 In these days of tl'iUluphant athleticism this sounds like a startling
paradox: even in our Universities the power to kick a football through n
goal or to row a. boat to victory would almost certainly be considered a
criterion of at least equal value.

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

35

the side of the anthropoid ape rather than lllan. The
forehead of Pithecanthropus is even more receding than
that of the chimpanzee, the occiput scarcely less so, and
the altitudinal index, i.e. the ratio of the height of tbe
skull-cap to its length, is aln10st the san1e in both. The
value of this index in Pithecanthropus is 34.2: in the

d
e

I"

I
I'

f
,I

, I
"I
"

I,

9

I:!

I I.

"
II
I \

}?IG. 16.-Pithecallth-ro}J1l8 erectll
, Dubois. a. The skull cap seen from aho\re ;
b, in profile; c, in sagittal section; d, e, the first found molal' tooth, seen
from the side amI from ahC>ve ; f, !I, the fpmuI', seen from in front awl ill
profile. (After Dubois, x t, except d, ", which are x
.)

lowest known human... c raniU111 it riK e
t
40.}, \v hil c_ill
tlwaverage European it is no Jess thtyl 52 . 1
OwiÜgto t he a lJ;-;èllce of th(\ anaton1Ïcal features
,,-hich serve as fixed points of reference in the COlll-

1 Less irnportance is now to be attached to these numbers, since it has
heen shown that the hase-line frum which the measurements are made
is not trustwOIthy. See Hollas "On the Cranial and Facial Characters
of the N eandertal Race," Phil. 'l'rwn.<;. 1907, RCl'. B, vol. lUB, p. 2H4.
D 2

3 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

parati ve study of skulls, it is impossible to aSRign the
calotte of Pithecanthropus to its precise position in the
organic scale, but a rough approxin1ation, sufficient for
all important purposes, can he n1ade, such as is sho\vn
in the accolnpanying diagran1 (Fig. 17). This represents
the skull of a chill1panzee (cranial capacity about
500 c.c.), of a lo\v type of .L\ustralian (cranial capacity
1,190 c.c.) ana an average European (cranial capacity

:,

""\,
\
\
\
:-c
I
,
,,'

-

" ,
" / '---.-.
:/
.,-t
- . --------- ----.-'
'.'

FIG. 17.-The skull of a chimpanzee (c, broken line), an Australian (a, broken
and dotted line), a .European (e, thin, continuous line), and of Pithecan-
thropus (p, thick, continuous line) compared in profile ( x!).

1,425 c.c.) dra\vll in profile and supel'pose<1 on n
common hase dra\vll fronl the root of the no
e to the
front of the occipital foranlen; the profile of the }'ithe-
canthropus calotte i8 inserted ill
vhat is suppo
ea to be
the n10st p1'ohahle po
;Ïtion.
The matrix '\vith which the skull-cap \vas filled \vhen
it was first brought over to Europe has since been care-
fully ren10ved, so as to expose the interior, thus render-
ing it possible to obtain a plaster cast ,vhich represents
approximately the form of the brain.
N ext to mind, sp eecl
is the _distinctive faculty of
luan; some thinkers have even given this the first place.

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

37

But the po,ver of speech resides in a particular fold
of the brain, the lo,yer frontal lobe, occupying the region
kno,yn as Broca's area. Fortunately this region can be
identified in the case just alluded to; its area has been
lneasured, and is said to be t,vice as great as in the
anthropoid apes, hut only half as large as in nla.n. t Thu

in this one respect Pithecanthropus 111ay lJe truly
regarded aH a n1iddle tern1. If further ,ye are justified
in arguing froll1 organ to function, then "'"e may fairly
conclude that this prin1Ïtive precursor of the hU111an race
had already acquired the rudinlents of vocal speech.
"T e have left the nlost inlportant character to the
last: t hi s is the sizLof Jhe _sku ll-cap, or rather its
c
pacity for containin g hraill R. According to the latest
nleaSUrell1ents of Dr. l>ubois the cranial cavity has a
volunle of 850 cubic celltinletres. "T e lllust not onlit,
to point out, ho,vever, that this can only he taken as an
approximate estiu1ate: the skull i
far too illcomplet(\
for exact measurenlent.
rrhe cranial capacity of the higher apes is not known
to exceed 600 c,c., and that of a healthy hUlnan being
never falls, so far as existing observations extend: belo\v
880 c.c. ; 2 the 111ean of these t,vo lluillbers is 740, and
this should he the eapacit,y in cubic centinletres of a
forni standing n1Ïc1 ,yay bet"reell the lO\\Te
t UlaH and the
highest ape; hut, as \ve havc seeB, this lill1Ìt is alrpady
exceeded ill l)itheeanthropu:-;, eYCB to the extent of
1 LO c.c., antI thu
, judged by a character \rhich is
generally regarded as of the highest Ì1l1portance, Pithe-
canthropus UiUst be included \yithin the lÏInits of the

I E. Duhoi8, " Remarks on the Brain-cast of Pifhr-canthropll..; eredlls,"
Jon Tn. A nat. and Ph!!..;. 18HH, vol. xxxiii. pp. 27:
-(j.
2 Out of n04 1'yrolese skulls one was found with this minimum
capacity. It is aHHerted to he perfectly normal in other respects.- F.
Tappeiner, Zeits. f. Ethnulogie, lHU9, xx}.i. p. 304.

3 8

ANCIENT HlTNTERS

CHAP.

human fan1ily. In the long anèestral series "rhich extends
upwards fronl the apes to man he has mounted far nlore
than half-\yay, and only a few steps of the long ascent
remain to separate him from the species Homo salJiens,
essen tial luan.
The facts may be most clearly sho\vn by a diagranl
(Fig. 18). The curve for the Tyrolese skulls, chosen to

I I
--

- _
_I-
1-

{
_ -l_ r
=

--+--
I
I
I

--
!

,

I I
. I : I
j --;- !
I i

r

'
II(I

On

FIG. IR

represent. the highest existing races, 18 a fairly gool}
one, Leing based on 557 eXèunples. 1 It is remarkaLle
for the ,vide range of capacity ,vhich it displays,
- extcndill
fronl a ÍllinÏInulll of 900 c,c. to a luaxinluln
u
of 1,900 c.c. The curve for the Australian skulls is
lJased on all the published n1aterial available; this is
conlparatively snlall, though large compared ,vith that
relating to the gorilla, \vhich is altogether inadequate.
If Pithecanthropus is an average example of its kind
it nlust ha \Te lJeen acconlpanied by associates of greater

1 F. Tappeiner, luc. cit.

I I

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

39

and less ca paci ty, and by assuming a range of variation
internlediate bet\veen that presented hy the .A.ustraliall
native \VOlllen and the gorilla, ,ve obtain the curve given
in the diagranl. It overlaps the curves for all the
hUlllan skulls, but is separatell fronl that for the
gorilla by a considerable hiatus (100 c.c.).
"7 e have now passed in brief revie\v the chief features
of the skull-cap: as to the molar teeth, they are large
and coarse, such as are appropriate to the skull; the
premolar has not yet been described.
Especial interest attaches to the fenlur or thigh bone
(Fig. 16): it is distinctly hunlan/ and belongs \vithout
doubt to an animal \vhich \valked erect. But \vith the
erect attitude is correlated the differentiation of th e 'v
extrenlities into h a nds and feet, on e of the 1110st Ü n

por tan tOf h Ulnan characteristics. '
.As ,ve have seen, the femur and skull-cap ,vere not
found close together, but separated hy an interval of
50 feet; there is thus no absolute proof that they
helongeù to the same animal, though in vie,v of the
extraordinary rarity Loth of hUll1an and sinlian fossil
renlains it ,,
ould be very astonishing if they had not.
This is very generally admitted, and thus the an
lnal
they represent has been fittingly designated Pitheean-
th1'Op1ÆS prectus-the ape-man, \vho ,valkcd erect.
Attelnpt
have heen 111ade to portray hilll in the flesh,
but these exercises of the imagination are of no scientific
value. Judging frolll the length of the f
lllur (-:155 111111.)
his stature is supposed to have been 1700 n1nl., or about
the same as that of an average Englishn1an.
IIorr
o heidelbe?'!Jensis.-Only last year, 1909, fifteen

1 Yet it prcHents some cha.racterH which rccall the gihhon; see
J. BmnÜller, l(urre"
punden:.. Hlatt DClIt::wh. ... t nth1'op. Ges. lK!)9, ÅÅÅ.
p. 137, and II. }{laatsch, Vcrh, d. ...bud. Gcs, BUJìH, l!)Ul, p. 1
1.

4 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

years after the puhlication of Dr. Dubois' 111el11oir on
Pithecanthropus, a fresh discovery \vas n1ade \vhich
adds another link to the chain of hunlan descent.
"T e o\ve this to Dr. Schoetensack, l \\'ho found at

Iauer, 10 kilo111ctres south-east of HeirlelLerg, the
beautifully-preserved lo\ver ja\v of a priInitive nlan,
representing, according to its discoy-erer, a ne\v speeies,
\vhich he has IHtllled II011tO heÙlclúcr.r;cnsz's. It \vas
extracted fronl a bed of tiuyiatile sand (l\lauer sands),
exposed in a sand-pit, at a depth of 24 nletres (say
about 80 feet) fronl the surface (Fig. 19), and it is
evidently of great antilJuity.
OverJying the l\lauer sanrl
are beds of younger anll
older löss, 2 as sho\vn in the follo\ving taLle ;-

5.7 4 metres (oyer 18 feet).
5.18 " (about 17 ,,).
15.62 " (" 50,,).
'fhe ja\v of the 1 [eidelberg 11lan is not the only f03sil
\vhich has been dug out of the l\Jauer sands; a nunl bel'
of others has been obtained, sufficient to give us a fair
idea of the conten1porary life, and to buggest, \vith
S0111e approach to the truth, the geological age of the
deposit.
The fauna includes an elephant (Itlephcts a'htiquus),
belonging to a species \vhich \vas 1110re closely allied
to the existing African thau to the existing India11
forill. It roanlecl the plains of Europe in llun1erous
herds, and continued to exist into tÏ1nes considerably
later than the l\lauer sands. There \vas a rhiuoceros,
R. etrusc1ls, a species \vhich is found else\vhere in

Younger löss .
Older "
l\lauer sands

1 o. Schoetensack, "Der Unterkiefer des Homo Heidelbergensis aus
dem Sanden yon IVlaucr, bci Heidelberg," Leipzig, 1908. 4to.
2 For an account of the löss see chapter v.

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

4 1

Upper Pliocene deposits, as ill the Val d'Arno, Italy,
the Forest bed at Crolner, and the 8i,yalik hills of
India. T\yo species of hears are represented (U'l
S1lS
ctrz:e1'nchsis, Croizet, and [T. rlcningfJ}'i, Ileichenau);

'-.

1

,\

-:.;;:."

'e.
\:
...
-.
, .
........

....=,__ __ r --.. .... ......._

_._--,"'"

-....

-...... -

.....

---
"

""

'

1

...

......---
.:_-----
-
....

e"1f.1f:'

"'.....

\

,.

"

..

t

:FH
. 19.-Position in which the nmndiLlc was found, Maucr, Ileal'
Heidelberg.

the lion, Fclis leo val', .'iiJelea, a species not distinct
fron1 the existing ....\.Jrican lion, \yhich 8ul'vived up to
histo\
ic tinies in Southern J
urope; a dog (Canis
ucscherscn.sis, Croizet) ,vhich is ahnost identical \vith
the existing ,volf of the l)yrences; a hoar (8us sCl'vja,

4 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

cf. l)l'isca); several deer (CC'l'VUS latifrons, C. elaphus,
val'. C. cap1'eolus); a bison; the beaver (Castor fiber) ;
and the horse. The horse is represented by a nUll1ber
of teeth, \vhich are said not to be identical \vith those
of the existing species (Equus caballus), hut inter-
mediate bet\veen it and the Pliocene Equus stenonis.
Some of the species of this fauna suggest an Upper
Palæolithic horizon, but ElelJhas ctntiquus ,vould seenl
to take us back at least to the Lo\ver Palæolithic, while
Ursus aTrernensis and Ilh inoeeros etl'useus suggest a
still earlier date. III the opinion of geologists \vho are
hest acquainted \vith the district, the sands of l\Iauer
\vere deposited during one of the genial episodes of the
Great Ice Age; and the Inost recent investigations have
he en suppo
ed to sho\v that they nluRt he referred to
the first of these episodes. l Considering, ho\vevel', that
\ve kno,v very little about the fauna of the second
genial epi:-;ode, there seen1S sonle reason for a suspension
of judgelnent, more especially as the earlier observers
,vere of opinion that it \yas to this, and not the first,
episode that the l\Iauer san(ls should be assigned.
1\1. Rutot had no hesitation in including then1 in his
1\Iaftiian period, \vhich is early Pleistocene. 2
Let us now turn to the ja\v itself (Fig. 20). It presents
a cOlnbination of characters ,vhich are truly ren1arkable.
The dentition is con1pletely hunlau, the teeth forn1ing a.
close, regular series uninterrupted lJY a gap (diastenHt),
\vith the cro,vns, so far as ,ve can j uùge from their \VOrll

1 'v. v. Reichenau, Beitrage z. Kenntnis del' Carnivora aus den Sanden
von Mauer und 1\Iossbach ; Abh. d. Gr. Hess. fJeo7. Landesa-ru5talt, vol. i,".
1906. A. Sauer, Exkursion in die Mauer Sande, &c., Bet'. ii. d. Versamlll-
bllIflen des Oberrheinischen geoloyischen Vereins, .14 Ap
'il, 1H09, pp.
25-32. 'V. Freiedenbcrg, Parallel-Austlug ins Quartär von 'Veinheim
a. ù. Bergstr.
2 A. Rutot, "N ute 8ur la. l\lachoire humainc de 1\lauer," Bull. Soc. de
Géolu[lie Eelge, 1909, t. 22, l-'P. 117 -6g, in particular p. 129. .

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

+3

condition, all rising to a conlnlon level; the canines are
no more projecting than the other teeth, and ,ve may
add, as an equally important fact, that the incisors are
of a con1paratively small size, no larger than the

'" /
"'t
;. tit
!
"

"."
"r
{

A.

.

J
,

. \ "
,..

.

..

..
" .

..... -

B.

}'LG. 2U.-A, ,Mandible seen from the side; B, manùible se{'n from abm"e.

aycragc of existing IHcn. In the _\nthropoid apes
thesc tccth are distinguished by their relatiycly large
dÏ1ncllsions. The dentitiu'l}; is in some respects le
s
simian than thctt 1.vhich '{nay be sO'1neti'ììleS observed in
existing Pl.imitice races, such, for ill
tan
è, as the
Australians (Fig. 21).

4+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The front teeth are not" projecting," but set squarely
in the ja,v; they are curved, ho,vever, especially the
roots, in aecordance ,vith the generally rounded contour
of the front end of the ja\v--precisely recalling, in this
respect, the curvature of the teeth in the upper ja,v of
the Neandertal raee as represented Ly the Gih:r;altar
skull to ,yhich \ve Hhall refer later. rrhey sho,v
considerahle
ngns of ,veal", nluch Inore so than the

Fw. 21.-Lowcr jaw of an Australian man to Rhow the projecting canine.
(xl) .

Lack teeth (1110lars and pl'enlolal's); an<1 since the
dentition is conlplete, the ,visdoIll teeth having lJeen
" cut," this ShOVlS that the front teeth probalJly played
an even nlore Ï1nportant lJart than in the prill1itive
h un ting races of our own times.
An additional inference 111ay be dra,vn fron1 this fact.
In the apes the third molal' is cut Lefore the perlnanent
canine, or at latest sinlultaneously "Tith it: hence, as
Dr. F. Siffre 1 points out, if the ja,v had belonged to an
ape the third n10lar should have been as much worn as
the canine; the fact that it is not furnishes, therefore,

1 F. Siffre, ".A propos de 1<\ lllandibule II01110 IIeidclbergensis," Bull.
Soc. Anthrop., Paris, 1909, ser. 5, vol. x. p. 89.

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

45

additional confirnlation of the hunulll character of the
dentition.
If the characters of the dentition are purely hUlllan,
the Harne cannot he said of the ja\v itself, \vhich offers
a startling contrast. Dr. Schætensack scarcely exag-
gcrates \vhen he rell1arks that, if th(l ja\v had heen
found \\Tithout the teeth it 111Ïght. haye bccn assigned,
l)y sonle anaton1Îsts at least, to an apc. Its nlassiye
1 )Oay ana broad ascending branches at once distinguish
it, even to the uninstructed eye, fronl that of existing
111en; it stands, indced, ahnost nÚd\vay bet\Veell that of
llama sal)ien
and that of an anthropoid ape, such as
the chinlpanzee.
The differences bet\veen a hun1an and a sinlÏan jrny
are most salient at the antcrior extremity. In existing
ll1Cl1 the profile of this part of the lo\ver ja\v is usually,
though not ahvays, a more or less sigll10idal curve,
concave above, just belo\v the teeth, and COll\TCX belo\v
\vhere it follo\vs the chin (Fig. 22). The chin is a
characteristic hunlan feature. A line dra\vn fronl the
upper to the lo\ver... extremity of the curve is 11101'e or
lCHs YCl'tical, varying a fe\v degrees on one side or
othcr of a pcrpeIHlicular lct fall frolH the upper ex-
tren1Ïty \VhCll the gcneral alveolar surface of the ja\v is
placell
horÜ
ol1 tally.
I n the nlalldihle of the apes there is no inflexion helo\\'"
the incisors and there is no chin ; the profile is a sinlple
rapidly retreating curve.
I t has long heen kno\vn, fronl olJ
ervations on the
ja\\Ts of Spy and r
rapina, that the chin \\Ta
yery 11luch
l'educeJ or even altogether ahsent in the :N calltlcrtal
race; in the IIeidclbcrg ja\v, ho\\-ever, not only is this
thc casc, l)ut the profile has retaincd the siulple
rouIHlc(1 outlillc \vhich is 11lct ,,"it.h ill the npCH, dittering

4 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

chiefly by its nlore gradually retreating slope
(Fig. 22).
The inner face of the anterior extren1ity of the ja,v
also presents several interesting peculiarities. In
n10dern races this surface slopes steeply downwards
from the back of the incisors and exhibits no marked
subdivision into different regions. In the anthropoids
its slope is far less steep, and the upper portion corre-

Fill. 22.-Projections of the
lauer jaw (thick continuous line), the jaw of an
Australian aborigine (thin continuous line), and the jaw of a chimpanzee
(broken line), superposed on the alveolar line. (x j about.)

sponding to the lingual basin can generally be dis-
tinguished from the remainder, either by its gentler
inclination or by presenting a concave instead of a con-
vex outline in profile. In regard to this character also
the Tleidelberg ja"r occupies an interrnediate position, a
sonlewhat sudden increase in inclination nlarking the
termination of the lingual region (Fig. 23). The interval
bet,veen the higher races and the Heidelberg ja,v in
respect to this character is filled, ho\vever, by an almost
infinite series of gradations.

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

47

A second important peculiarity is presented by the
lo\ver part of the inner surface, about t\vo-thirds of the
\vay do\vn. In existing races of nlen t\VO pairs of nluscles
are attached in this region, the genio-glossal above and the
genio- hyoid belo\v; each nluscle of the pair is sY111nletri-
call y placed on each side of the 111illdle line and close to
it; in Ronle caRes the place of a ttachnlCll t is nlarked by
a l'oughenell oval area, but usually, ill lllodern races, by

...,
'\
\
\
\
"....,
"
'\
)

FIt
. 23.-
agittal section through the symphysis of the lower jaw of .Mauer
(thick line), an Australian aborigine (thin line), and a chimpanzee (broken
line). (Natural Rize.)

a spine (spina n
entalis intel'net), or spines. Great
importanec was given to this spine hy de
[ol'tillet, who
regarded it as essential to speech, a vie\v \vhich, though
it has heen refuted hy Topinard, frequently reCUl'H in
the \vorl\:s of later \vriters. It is not infrequently
ahsent frorn the ja\y of the Buslnnen, a people no \\Thit
less talkative than the rest of Inankill<l, and capable of
eOllversing in English or other languages \viùely different
fronl their o\vn.
In the apes this spine is ahsüllt, and in its place \\Te
fiu< l a depre
sion ur pit. rrhis Riu1Ïan character is no\\.
adlnitted, after l1luch controversy, to occur in several

4 8

ANCIENT HlJNTERS

CHAP.

prinlitive lo,ver ja,vs of ancient date, hut in none of
them is it so conspicuous as in the Heidelberg exanlple
(Fig. 23).
Thus \ve perceiye that in all the characters ,vhich
distinguish the anterior extren1Îty of the lo,ver ja\v,
IIomo heidelbergensis stands l1lid \vay bet\veen 111an and
the anthropoid apeR.
In its robustness and gcncral characters it is equally
primitive. The extraordinary breadth of the ascending
ramus is a renlarkable feature, illlplying great 11luscular
developnlent and a large zygornatic arch.
The ja\v as seen frolll belo\v is represented in outline
in Fig. 24, and sinlilar outlines of the lo\ver ja\v of an
Australian na.tive and of an orang, as ,veIl as of a young
gorilla, are added for comparison. The ja\v of the
young gorilla is espccially interesting, since it possesses
a rudimentary chin, \vhich it loses \vith gro\vth.
BrieRy sumnlarising our results, we find that the
earliest kno\vn renlains of hUlllan or semi-hulllan
heings occur in t,vo deposits-the Trinil beds of Java
and the l\lauer Sands of Heidelberg-\\TlJich are possibly
of not very different age, and not far renloye<l fronl the
da,vn of the Pleistocene epoch.
Of Pithecanthropus \ve have the fragnlcntary skull-
cap, but no ja\v, of the IIeidelberg nlan \ve have
only the lo\ver ja\v. Direct conlparison is thercfore
inlpossihle; the upper \visdonl tooth of Pithecanthropus
presents sonle very renlarkable characters; and it is
considerahly larger than the corresponding tooth in the
lu\ver ja\v of Horno heidelbe1'gens1
s.
Even if these t\\TO relics should prove to occupy
almost the san1e position in time, they are Rtill \vitlely
separated in space; nearly half the circumference of the
glohc illterycncs 1 )et\veen thenl. In geolugy, tin1e is

11

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

49

:FIt:. 2.J..-Thc
Jauer jaw, the jaw of an orang, of an Australian ahorigine,
and of a young gorilla (taken in or(1er from abo,.c downwards) seen from
below, the alveolar plane heing in all cases horizontal. ( x
about.)

equivalent to space, being represented in the strati-
graphical series hy a ycrtical line, ana in geographical
E

*

50

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

distribution hy a horizontal line, the distance \yhich
intervenes bet\veen renlote races nleasuring the time
req uired for their differentiation fronl a conlnlon stock
or their migration fronl a conlnlon centre. It is \vorth
noticing that the lo\ver fornl (Pithecanthropus) occurs
in that hemisphere ,vhere the 1110st prinlitive of kno\vn
races of men (the Australians and Tasnlanians) con-
tinued to hold exclusive possession of a large isolated
territory into conlparati,.ely recent times, \vhile the
higher fornl, IIorno heidelbcrgensis, lived in Europe,
,vhich has nurtured for a very long period the most
highly endo,yed races of the ,vorld.
But this Heidelberg nlan, the oldest known European,
belongs to none of the existing races of l11ankind, and
differs so much froln them all, that he is rightly referi'ed
to a different species. In most of the characters by
\v hich this species differs fronL modern nlen, i t approaches
the higher apes, and it marks perhaps the highest level
reached by human evolution in early Pleistocene days.
No doubt it was precedeù by still more prill1itive an-
cestral fornls, and one of these, surviving in Java after
its fello\vs had becol11e extinct elsewhere, is possibly
represented by Pithecanthropus erectus. 'Vith this
,ve step outside the genus llomo and enter a \vorld of
creatures so ambiguous that the nlost distinguished
naturalists ,vhen presented ,vith the fragmentary rClllains
of one of them cannot agree whether it should he classed
,vi th apes or nl en.
From this it would appear possible that nlan, not
only in the narro\ver specific sense but also in the hroader
generic sense-Rolno-is a product of the Pleistocene
epoch-the latest child of tinle, l)orn and cradled
amongst those great revolutions of clinlate which have
again and again so profoundly disturbed the eq uilihrium

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

Sf

of the organic ,vorld. Some thinkers deeply impressed
with this reflection have gone so far as to suggest that
these changes of the environment provided not only the
opportunity but also the cause of his appearance.
Let us now turn to the apes. As n1an \vhen traced
back\vards into the past approaches these anin1als, so
they, when traced forwards towards the present, might
be expecteà to show some signs of approach to man.
Indications of a progressive evolution aIllong the apes
themselves have no doubt been discovered.
The earliest known n1embers of the PrÍ1uates, the
great order to which both man and apes belong, are
lo\vly forms possessing some affinities ,vith the Len1urs,
and they occur in the early Eocene deposits. l Later on
true apes, both of the old ,vorld and the new world
type, make their appearance in the Upper Oligocene
heds of the Fa yûm, i.e. in siu1ilar deposits to those ill
\vhich Dr. Andrew discovered the pygmy ancestor of
the elephants. The renlains of these apes, chiefly teeth,
have been briefly. described by Dr. Schlosser 2; they
include three specie
, one of then1, a little nlonkey
nalned I)ropliopithecus, is said to be a precursor of
Pliopithecus, and therefore of the hunlan apes.
Still later, in the l\Iiddle
liocene of Europe, apcs are
again met with, and t\VO of theIll, Dryopithecus, allt1 the

1 The succession of the later systems of stratified rocks now recognised
is as followR :-

Recent
Quaternary or Pleistocene
{ Pliocene
IVliocene
Tertiary ()ligoccne
Eocene

For recent literature sce :-1\1. SchlosRcr, "Die neuste Literatur Üher
die ausgesturben Anthropomorphen," Zool. ...1 n
. IHOO, x
iii. p.
HH, and
'V. J. 8011a8, Quurt. Journ. Uf'ul. Soc. l
nO, lxvi. p. Ii\'.
2 1\1. Schlosser, Zuol.
1 nz. l\lal'ch 1, l
nO, p. 5UO.

E 2

52

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

l)liopithecus just nlentioned, are rather primitive fornls
of true .A-
nthropoids.
Fron1 a femur found at one locality and a hun1erus at
another, Schlosser concludes that the arn1 of Dryopithecus
was shorter than the leg, and that the excessive length
of the arnl which now distinguishes the higher apes
fron1 n1an had not at this stage been acquired. It is
a recent character, not dàting further back than the
Pliocene epoch. Pliopithecus in some of its characters
recalls the gibbon; it is regarded by Schlosser as a
gigantic descendant of Propliopithecus.
The Pliocene has furnished the ren1ains of a chinl-
panzee and other man-like apes, but not of nlan, ,vho,
as we have seen, is first met ,vith in Pleistocene
deposits.
The positive evidence afforded by fossils thus reveals
the successive appearance in time, first of the lelnurs,
then of the lo\ver apes, next of the higher or nlan-like
apes, and finally of n1an hinlself. 'fhis is precisely the
order ,,"hich on other and independent grounds ,ve
might expect: it is the order of affiliation by descent,
as inferred from the facts of enl1)ryology and anaton1Y.
Since the evidence is thus harnlonious, it n1ight seem
unnecessary to proceed furt}Jer; hut it may be urged,
and indeed justly urged, that the assumed non-existence
of man in times preceding the Pleistocene depends in
the main on negative evidence, and that this evidence
is ,,'ithout convincing force. To render it valid \ve
should be able to prove that if n1an had existed in
Pliocene tÏ1nes, sonle traces of his remains ,vouId cer-
taInl y have been found in corresponding deposits, and
this is beyond our po\ver; \ve 111USt indeed frankly
adnlit that the preservation of such renlains, presup-
posing their existence, and their discovery also, ,vould

II

THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN

53

be purely a matter of accident. Thus the \vay is left
open for those who assert that Europe was inhabited by
sonle species of lnan ill tinles long antecedent to the
Pleistocene, far back indeed in the 'fertiary era.
The evideuce on which this belief is based will be
considered in the next chapter.

CI-IAPTE1
III

EOLITHS

LET us no\v turn our attention to another class of
facts. The operations of the mind no doubt find their
noblest expression in the language of speech, yet they
are also eloquent in the achievements of the hand.
The \vorks of n1an's hands are his embodied thought,
t.hey endure after his bodily fran1ework has passed into
decay, and thus thro\v a welcome light on the earliest
stages of his un\yritten history.
It ,vas, indeed, by the discovery of stone irnpleluents
in the valley of the Son1me, nlore than fifty years ago,
that Boucher de Perthes was able to announce for the
first tinle that a race of nlen using rudely chipped
flint ,veapons existed in Europe at a tÏ1ne \vhen
the extinct nlanllDoth and the reindeer roanled ìts
plains.
Stinlulated by this diBcovery and a number of others
equally surprising ,vhich followed in its train, many
investigators have since endeavoured to find traces of
man's handi\vork in still n10re ren10te periods. Some
have thought they have succeeded in this quest, and
there are nlany ,vho at the present day share their
vie,vs, regarding as deliberately shaped tools certain

CH. III

EOLITHS

55

objects-so-called "eoliths "1-vvhich to other observers
appear to be nothing nlore than naturally lJroken bits of
flint.
"r e \vill cast a brief glance over the history of these
supposed discoveries.
Thpncty.- The first investigator in this field \vas the
1-\bl,é Bourgeois,2 ,vho in 1867 discovered a nunlber of
hroken flints in Leds of Upper Oligocene age near
rrhenay, a village situated south of Orleans in the
llel)artment of Loir-et-Cher.
I. Bourgeois \vas of
opinion that they had been shaped by man, an(l he
observed a peculiar crackling of the surface ,vhich he
attributed to the action of fire. Distinguished in-
vestigators, ll'On1alius, d'IIalloy, de Quatrefages, and
G. de
Iortillet, not to mention others, shared the
opinion that they sho\yed evidence of intelligent
design; e(lually distinguished authorities, Vircho\v,
Desor, and Fraas, nlailltained the contrary. De
l\Iortillet helieved that, they luul been luade not by
nUlll hilnself, but by a l5en1Ï-huluan precursor \vhieh
he IH1111ed IJ o1núsirni1ts bourgeoisii.
Otttl.-Fragillents of quartzite and flint \vere next
found by Carlo Riheiro 3 in lacustrine heds of Upper

1 This name was proposed hy J. Allen Brown for supposed imple-
ments which he defined as follows :-Roughly hewn pehhles or nodules
and naturally broken stones, showing work, with thick ochreous patina,
found on the plateau of the Uhalk of }(cnt and other districts, in bods
unconnected with the present valley drainage, JUllrn. Anthmp. IH,..;l. 189:!,
vol. xxii. Pl'. Hn !J7, ill particular U;
-U4. Its m;e has been extended to

imilar objects of any age earlier than the Palæolithic.
2 Bourgeois, "Sur les Silex considérés comme portant les marques
d'un travail humaill dt"couyerts dans Ie terrain l\liol'ène de Thenay,"
OunfJf. r/'A nihl'. 13rux. lR';:!, PI'. 81 -H2. Ch. Bouchet, "Lcs Rilcx de
Thcnay," Hoc.
1 J'I'h,,'ol. till rew!ulIwi,., IH8;
. G. de l\Iortillet, U 8ile
de
Thenay," Hllll. ,,'-'(lc. d'Antlu.. Pari,,,, IHH;
, p. H;)2. g. d'Acy,
. De la.
p
eudo-taillé Silex de Th
llay, Rull. SOl'. cl'
nthl'. l'((ri.
, ISH;), p. 17;t
3 C. Riheiro, "Descril'
ão de algullo
ile'\. a quartzites lascádoH enc()tl-
trados nas ca.llladas dos tel'rcnOH terciario e quateruario," Lisuoa, It-ì';1.
Cungt'. el'LÍnthr. Bruxelles, 18';
, p. U3, plates 3-5.

56

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

l\:Iiocene age at Otta, a village not far fronl
Iadril1.
These have been attributed by G. de
Iortillet to
another species of H0l110sinlius: H. RibeÏ1'i.
Puy Cou1'"ny.--The Upper l\liocene of Puy Courny,
near d'Aurillac, in the departillent of Cantal, Auvergne,
has also furnished nUlnerous flints of suppo
ed human
,vorklllauship. They \vere discovered by J. B. R
tJnes 1
in 1877, and fronl that tilHe to this the locality has

FIG. 25.-An "eolith" from Puy Courny. (After .Mayet, L'Anthr., nat. size.)

proved a battle-field for contending opinions, the
r,onlbatants on each side being equally confident in
the strength of their cause. In this case there is no
doubt as to the palæontological horizon fronl \vhich
the Hints have been obtained: it is unquestionably
Upper 1\1 iocelle, and has furnished renutÏlls of extinct
11lanllnals, such as Dinutheriu1r/; gigctnteurn, l(aup;
J.l1astodon lonyirostris, l(aup; Rhinocerus Schleie'i"-
JnaCheT1', l(aup; IlilJ1Jarion !Jracile, l(aup. The so]e
point in dispute is \vhether the flints have or have not
been fashioned by man or a precursor of man. The
accolnpallying illustration (Fig. 25) represents one of
these suppose<1 artefact
.
1 J. B. Rames, "Geologie du Puy CourllY," in .11Iaterianx pour l'histoire
'/l,cth,relle et prÙnitiæ de.l'holnute, 1884, pp. 3UU-40;
,

III

EOLITHS

57

The veteran anthropologist de Quatrefages asserts
that if these forms had been met ,yith in Pleistocene
deposits no one would have doubted their artificial
nature. Prof. Verworn/ after a close exalnination of
the flints obtained in his excavations, concludes that
24 per cent. show" indubitable signs" of \VOrknlanship,
and in the adjacent locality of Puy de Boudieu even
30 per cent. ; about half are classed as "doubtful," and
only 15 to 20 per cent. as of inorganic origin. Like
Prof. At. Rutot, ,vho thinks he can recognise the special
purposes for ,vhich these fragnlents ,vere used, classify-
ing then1 into han1mers, anvils, scrapers, burins, 111issiles,
Prof. Ver\vorn regards then} as proof of a fairly ,veIl
differentiated culture, and he concludes that at the
close of the l\liocene epoch the valleys of the Cantal
\vere peopled by beings \vho were already fan1Ïliar ,vith
" the art of splitting flints Ly blo\vs and the forInation
of implements by con1paratively fine n1argina] chipping
under the action of skilfully produced rebounds."
G. de
lortillet, \vhile agreeing as to the artificial
character of these foru1s, attributes them to the
hypothetical IIonlosin1ius, and distinguishes a ne\v
species- Fl. llaJnesii.
On the other hand, llL l\larcellill Boule is unable to
perceive any signs of intelligent ,vorlnllttUship, and the
latest investigator of l)uy Courny, Dr. Luciel] :i\Iayet/
cOl1clu<les that natural agents, such as yariations of
tenlperature, torrential rushes of ,vater, tiubsi(lcuce of
the deposits, and no llou l)t uthers uf \vhich ,vc arc
ignorant, have played the principal part in the fOl'Ulatioll
of the " eoliths" of Cantal.

1 1\lax Yerworn, "Die arch:uolithische Kultl1r in den lIil'pal'iou,,;
schichtc vou .\urillae, Cantal," ....1 bh. d. K. Ges. d. H
is::;. (}üttinycn, IHO
),
:IS . F., vol. i v. no. 4, 5G pagcs, 5 pIs.
2 L. l\Iayet, "La Question de l'hommc TCl'tial'e," L'...1 Hthl'. 1 UOö,
vol. xvii. pp. 641-öö8.

58

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

BnTma..-In 1894 1\lr. Fritz Noetling 1 recorded the
occurrence of curiously shaped flints in beds of Lo\ver
Pliocene age near Yenang-yung in Burrna: he suggested
that they lnay have been chipped into shape by n1an.
Prof. T. Rupert Jones,2 after an exan1ination of the
only speein1en which has yet been figured, asserts that
"there can be no doubt as to the artificial dressing
of this flake." 1\11'. R. D. Oldharr1 3 has shown, hO'\Tcver,
that the flakes \vere found lying on an expose<1 surface,
antI that it is very doubtful, therefore, \vhether they are
of the age attributed to then1.
East Ru'nton.-In the late Pliocene or early Pleisto-
cene deposit, knov\Tn as the Forest Bed of Norfolk, son1e
flints ,yere found by 1\lr. \V. J. L. Abbott 4 in 1897, and
;fi

.
(4) // t
;: ,
1,\" (3)
Ifçr :"t. \,,>'
, \\l\"tl\..
. . -

-'
\r.
l
.' f/
i:tti>:fa
.')!J(

\'

'\

\.1, 1 '.i..[.
't .( J
;t
.,-
\
. .'. .' )
I
#

:: :
":. ';A . :#
.
k- .

h;;. .r
'
hVf111l l 'j, 1';'\ " ....' t
r ''1

",.;",. 't 'm l (. .
\

' .-. ,,'.,
..".' ...r.:"
,
r
,\" J r r ,

l: '.' '::',:'

FIG. 26.-Asserted implements from Cromer Forest Bed.
(After Abbott. xi.)

these present n1any features suggestive of hunlan ,vork-
nutu::;hi}! (
--'ig.
6). Sir John Evans, after exan1Íniug"
then1, expressed hÍ1nself ,vith great reserve. 'The specÍIucll
"No.4" he '''Tote, "lnay or luay not be artifieial, aua
1 F. Noetling, "On the Occurrence of Chipped (1) Flints in the Upper
1\1iocelle of Burma," Bee. Geol. Snrv. India, 18!J4, xxvii. pp. 101-3, pI.
2 T. Rupert Jones, "JVIiocene lUan in India," Nat. Sei. 18U4, v. p.
345.
3 R. D. Oldham, "The Allebcd 1\Iiocene l\Ian in Burma," Ned. Sci.,
1895, vii. p. 20l.
4 'V. J. Ij. Ahhott, ""Torked Flints from the Cromer Forest Bed,"
Nat. Sci. 18U7, x. p. 8U.

III

EOLITHS

59

the same may be said of No.3, ,vith even more
probability of its having been n1ade by n1an."
Boncelles.- Last of all, 1\1. E. de l\lunck 1 and
l\1. Â. Rutot 2 have discovered abundant chipped flint
flakes (Fig. 27), ,vhich they regard as representing an

' l-'

..i
'
\
('
:,.
.
ð

r
FIG. "27.-" Eoliths" from the Oligocene of Boncelles. a,a', scraper ,,,'ith
well-marked notch; b, awl with oblique point; e,c', flake with hulb of
percussion and a point between two notches retouched over the same
face. (After Rutot. x about i.)

" eolithic industry," in pebble beds of supposed
Iidtlle
o ligocen e age.
The interest aroused hy the facts as described hy
1\1. Rutot has led nutny excellent observers to visit the
locality, and lately a party consisting of
L Bonnet,
1\1. Bracht, and Prof. Ver,vorn, have deyoted
eYeral
days to it
investigation. rrhe result of their ilHluiry
is puhlished hy Prof. V er\vorn, 3 \vho, although hitllself
1 E. ùe l\lunck, " Los alluvions à éolithe:::; ùe la terrace supérieure de la.
valIéedol'Ourthc," Bull. SO('. Belgedefléol. xxi.lH07. Pr.-verb.
2 Â. Rutot, "Un grave Problème," Bull. Soc. Bl'lge de géol. xx. IHU7.
Mem., also '
Une inùustrie éolithique antéricuro:t l'Oligocène I'mpéricurc
on aqnitanien," Gongl'. préhi.';[uriquc de Frftw'e, 1BO
, 4c ses:::;. Chamhéry,
pp. un -104, lUlU.
3 l\Iax Yerworn, ...ll'('hiv f. Anlhl"., .lV. F., xi. f{(}rre..
p()Jldl'Jlz-Blatt
Dpllt...rh. !J".... .A utht.. p. :1f). 19 LO. See alsc It. BOllnct and G. Stcinmann,
"Die · Eolithcn' de:::; oligozäns in Helgicn," S. R. J\'iccZr'rrhein !II'.... f.
Natul'.-u. Ileilkllmle zlt Hnnn, Nallll'w. JIilth. lnOB. This mCllloir
contains a short bibliography on the suhjcct of colith:::;.

60

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

an ardent champion of the human origin of eoliths in
general, is persuaded that in this instance all the
characters \vhich have been supposed to indicate inten-
tional flaking can be better eXplained by the action of
pressure due to the ,,,eight of super-incumbent strata.
This conclusion is in complete harlIlony ,vith that
,yhich is suggested by general considerations and
especially by \vhat \ve kuo\\'" of the general course of
animal eyolution. Thus the ancestral horse of this
epoch (
liddle Oligocene) ,vas the three-toed l\Iesohippus,
a sl1lall anÏ111al only eighteen inches in height; the
aucestral elephant ,vas the pygmy l\Iæritheriulll, about
the size of a pig and n10re closely approaching that
anilnal in son1e points of its anaton1Y than its highly
specialised descendant; and the highest kno,vn ape ,vas
the little Propliopithecus of Schlosser. .
The \vhole tríbe of man1n1als, pushing out new forms
in all directions, ad vancing in a steady stream of
evolution, had still far to go before they attained their
existing characters, and there is no reason to suppose
that the human line of descent ,vas in advance of the
rest. It would be indeed strange if man alone of
existing nlanllnals had at this early date already come
into existence; as ,ve look back \ve lose sight of hin1
at a period even less rernote than the close of the
Pliocene, and discover instead first Ilo1no IIeidelberg-
enses and then Pit.hecanthropus; but the l\Iic1c1le Oligo-
cene is seven or eight tÏ1ues still further ren10ved froln
us in tilne and might fairly Le expected to yield
on1e
primitive form such as Propliopithecus, but not man.
That the comnlon ancestor of the higher apes and man
\vas a tool-using anÏ111al seelns scarcely probable.
"T e have 110\V reached the end of thi
SUl11nlary, anù
cannot clain1 to have discovered any decisive evidence

tII

EOLITHS

6r

for the existence of man in times previous to the Great
Ice age.
The subject abounds in difficulties naturally inherent
to it. The finished Hint in1plenlent, ,vhich we shall
lneet,vith later in Pleistocene deposits (Fig. 47), is a \vork
of art-every touch tells of intelligent design; but it
\vas not achieved, ,ye may feel sure, hy a sudden
inspiration: if we adopt the uniformitarian tenets
of the day ,ve shall be led to suppose that it was
a product of slo,v gro\vth, the issue of a long series
of preceding stages. The first implements to be used
Ly a creature of da,vl1Ïng intellect ,vould be those that
lie ready to hand; a pebble seems specially designed
for a n1issile, yet it ,vill also serve admirably for a
hammer, and a broken flint is by no means a bad
knife.
But broken flints are not always to be found when
wanted; in that case they may be made at \vill by the 1
silnple process of striking one against another; and
\vhen this momentous experin1ent has been lllade the

equally n10111entous discovery follows that the resulting \
fragments possess an edge of almost unrivalled keenness.
The first step has now been taken, the stin1ulus of
discovery soon leads to others; directly the tyro takes
to ham111ering flints he begins to perceive \vith ,vhat
tractahle n1aterial he has to deal, he learns its habits
and tricks of fracturing, and so passes on to shape it
into forms which he has already framed in his nlind. as
suitablc to meet his ends. These \vill Lear C\Tery
evidence of design; the pebble which he flung froI11 his
hand preserves no record of its flight; hut bet\Veell
these t\VO lie 111finy in termediatc stages ,yhich nlÌght
puzzle the wisest to decide ,vhether they have been
formed hy accidcnt or intent. Nature graduates nit:{1ly

62

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

-

into art, and we have no criterion at present to tell us
where one ends and the other begins.
That some implements belonging to the n10re
advanced of the internlediate stages might bear clear
evidence of design is obvious enough, and it is these
which some observers think they have discovered in
Tertiary deposits. Others, ho,vever, regartl the sup-
posed implements a8 mere simulacra such as Nature
seems not seldonl to provide for the trial of her
adnlirers. The one school regards the existence of
man in the Tertiary era as a necessary postulate of
the evolutional hypothesis, the other regards it as in
the highest degree inlprobable on this or any other
hypothesis.
Hence it happens that anthropologists-are divided
into t,vo opposing, almost hostile camps.
Let us now pass in brief review the argunlents \vhich
have been used on each side.
T t nla y be remarked at the outset that those ,vho
advocate the human origin of many "eolithic" fornls
too often seern to confuse the possibility \vith the prob-
ability that a particular stone may have been used by
man. For instance, the Andaman islanders obtain sharply
pointed fragments of flint by heating the stone in a
fire and then plunging it into ,vater; they make use of
these fragments for drilling holes in bits of shell which
then serve as a sort of beads; the drills are soon blunted
by use, and are then thro,vn on to the kitchen 11lidden,
,vhere along with other refuse they aceumulate in
thousands. 1 This fact is cited as evidence of the human
workmanship of the flints of Thenay.2

1 Man, "On the Aboriginal Inhabitants of the Andaman Islands,"
Journ, Anthrop. Inst. ] 877, vol. vii. p. 244; 1882, xii. p. 3RO.
2 Engerralld, "Six Aeons de Préhistoire," Bruxelles, 1905, p. 50.

lIt

EOLITHS

63

But the Hints of the Andaman islanders carry very
little proof of their origin in thelnselves; our kno\vledge
of thenl is founded partly on direct observation of the
process by \vhich they \vere made, Hnd part]y on their
association \vith other signs of human occupation in the
rubbish heaps of the village. If they occurred ,,
ithout
this collateral evidence, stre\vn through a mass of in-
organically-shaped flints, \ve should in all probability
be unable to establish their true nature. But it is a
curious perversion of reasoning \vhich \vould argue that
since certain fragnlen ts of stone, devoid of any sign by
\vhich they could be recognisecl as of human \VOrkll1an-
ship, have nevertheless been nlade and used by nlan,
therefore certain other fragments, equally <1evoil1 of
such signs, nlust also have been used by nlêtll.
.A second exanlple of the saIne kind of argun1ent is
afforded by Prof. Engerrand,I who \vrites: "One of the
most striking confirmations of the theory advocated by
.ßI. Rutot is the discovery of prinlitive tribes \vhich are
still in the stage of sin1p]y using stones. Such are the
Seri Indians, inhabitants of the islands of Tiburon and
Sonora, described by l\IcGee.
"The arms of the Seri are stones collectet1 frolll the
beach, and serve \vithout preparation as the ha.nllllCrS
\vhich they use in everyday life. They carry thesc
stones in their fights and employ theln ill conlhats Ulan
to man."
It is true that SOllie of these
toncs after long use as
hanlnlers do become bruised in a very suggcsti ye
nlanner, hut it is extrenlcly doubtful \vhether the
luarks they acquire \vonld be sufficient to it1cntify thelll
if they \vere found isolated an10ng the pebbles of

1 Ton,," cit., p. U7, and 'V. J. l\IcUee, "The
eri l11diam;;,"
YVII
.AnnuHl Report Bw"elf/it .AmericHn Ethno!fI'Hphy, pp" n-
HH"

64

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

ancient deposits. Certainly no Tertiary" eoliths " have
yet been found \vhich bear indisputable n1arks of such
usage.
It nlay also be pointed out that this interesting
people, though evidently degenerate, are not so primi-
ti ve as is as
erted. They are in possession of no less
advanced a \veapon than the bo\v and arro\v, and their
arl'O\VS, though now sometimes tipped \vith iron ohtained
from the ,vhite mall, were occasionally provided in past
tin1es \vith stone points, notched on both sides and
flaked, &0 that a tyro would have no difficulty in
recognising them as genuine arrow heads.
Another argun1ent, frefluently en1ployed by the
advocates. of the" eolith" school, is that \ve kno\v of no
other \vay of accounting for the forn1s of these flints;
but this is al \vays a very dangerous logic: we are not
yet so intinlately familiar \vith all the processes of
nature as to be able to proceed by a Inethod of
exclusion.
Indeed, it n1ay be alleged that forms very sinlilar to
those in dispute are alrnost certainly produced by river
anù torrent action, as ,veIl as by pressure beneath the
soil or by the action of the frost.
It is possible to pick out of almost any gravel pit
containing angular material any nUInber of chipped
forms, and among them some \vhich are difficult to
distinguish from supposed "coliths": but these nlake
very little in1pression ou' the true believer, for he has
always two resources open to hÏ1n-either the natural
form lna y be distinguished froin the artificial by some
slight difference in detail, \vhich is only perceptible to a
gifted eye, or it may be holdly claimed as a true
artefact.
But \ve can go farther, since the last few years have

III

EOLITHS

65

afforded us direct evidence of the chance production of
eolithie forIl1
.

rhe observations of l\fr. "T arren nlay be first cited. 1
These sho\v that the flints ùf a ne\vly nlelH1ed road are I
often broken by cart\vheels into fornls \vhich closely
reseluhle "eoliths." A sluall pehble lying against a
larger fraglnent deterll1ines the forll1ation of an incision
or not.ch, and the surface of this is broken up into facets
\vhich recall secondary tlaking; in this \vay the
Ünul-
acrunl of a hollo\v scraper is produced. 1\vo adjaccnt
pelJhlcs luay produce a douhle notch \vith an intervening
projection looking like a boring point. The pressure of
the cart\vheel is represented in nature hy superinculn-
bent heels, glaciers, or soil creep. That" eoliths " have
lJeen formed in this \vay is also asserted l)y 1\1. COlnnlont,
\vho figures exanlples which have been produced by the
natural pressure of the soil. 2
})rof. \T er\vorn, \vhile applying a sin1Ílar explanat.ion
to the" eoliths" of the Oligocene of Boncelles, nlake

an exception in favour of the ....\Iiocene "eoliths" of
rtuyergne, because, as he asserts, III an y of these no\y
occur in isolation enlbedded in volcanic tuft: \Ve do
not kno\v, ho\vever, their previous history; they do Hot
o('cupy the place \vhere they \vere first forilled and Inn}'"
lULye 1 )een transportell l)y natural agencies frotn their
original hOine.
\\T e lllay next turn to SaIne observations l1lade \vithin
the last fe\v years at Guervillc. 3 .At this spot, sonle t\VO
kilonletres south-east of l\Iantes, on the right hank of
1 H. Jlazzledine 'Varren, " On the Origin uf Eulithic Flints by Na.tural
Causes, &c.," J01J rn. AJlfh'i". Insf. IHOõ, vul. xxxv. .K.8. \Tiii. pp, :
:
7 -3fi-t,
I>late. See also
Iax Yerworn, lo('. cif.

1\1. Commont,
, A propos d'
:olithes," C01l11'. préhi,'it }1'itllW de F,.. IBf tn,
p. 7!..
3 1\1. Boule, .
L'urigine des Eulithes," L'
lHfhr., IUD;), x,'i. Pl'. 2;)7 -
H7 ;
II. ()}>ermaier, ,. Zur Enlithon frage,"
lrt'h. f. .A nlh,'. 1!.OH, xxxii. Pl'.
7Z)-HH.

F

66

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the Seine, is a celnent ,,,"orks froin ,vhich every form of
" eolith " is said to be produced in great nunlbers daily
as a by-product. The cenlent is lllade by intimately
luixing chalk and clay; but the chalk contains a nUlnber
of flint nodules, sonle of ,vhich find their \vay into the
n1ÏII. This is a circular basin in \v hich the chalk ana
clay are stirred together along \vith \vater by a revolving
rake, five nletres in dian1eter, nloving \vith a velocity at
its outer edge of four llletres per second, or the salue
velocity as the Rhône in flood.
rhe flints are thus
exposed to a succession of violent inlpacts during a
space of t\venty-six hours, the time required to secure
adequate nlixture. 'Vhen the operation is ended the
luud is dra\vn off, and the flints ren1ain at the botton1
of the vat. Sonle have been converted into true pebl-Ies ;
others, according to 1\1. l\lal'cellin Boule, present an the
characteristic features of " eoliths "-the sanle bullJS of
percussion, pointed euds, curvilinear notches, and edges
broken by "retouches." They are "of extraordinary
perfection, and appear to be the result of fine \vorlnnan-
ship." Sonle of the specinlens in 1\1. Boule's conection,
\vhich he ,vas kind enough to sho\v lne, are even nlore
deceptively sÌ1nilar to true artefacts than \yould be
judged froin the published illustrations.
I t has been objected that it is the iron-rake \vhich is
chiefly responsible for these forms; but this seenlS to
be special pleading; in torrent action pebbles \vould
ohviously play the part of the rake.
The leading exponent of the vie\v \vhich attributes
" eoliths" to hUIuan ag
ncy is 1\1. Rutot, \vho, stead-
fastly pursuing the conlparative nlP-thod, endeavours to
trace the reselnblances bet\veen these doubtful fu1'111s
alHl those \vhich are generally adn1Ïtted to IJc of
paheolithic \V01'klnansbip.

III

EOLITHS

67

I t is in1pos
ihle llot to adlnire the eouragc and
perspieacity \vhich 1\1. Rutot brings to his task, but
proof ll1ust depend on the degree of sin1ilari ty \vhieh
he is able to c1iscoyer, and further, a likeness \yhich \vill
prod uce con viction in one Inind ,viII fail to do so in
another. I an1 111yself deeply indebted t.o 1\1. Rutot
for the kindness and patience \vith ,vhich he unfolded
his evidence before 111e in several length y deu10nstrations.
These had at least the effect of dispelling all douht
fron1 ll1Y ll1ind as to t
le serious nature of tlJe pl'ohlenl
p1'opo::;ed for solution.
"T e are no,v in a position to Blake an inlpartiaJ
survey of the facts. "T e have 8een that the order qf
successio11 in tÏ1ue of fossil 1'0111alns of the .àIanllnalia
and especially of apes and l11en ;5uggests that luan, in
the ðtrictest sense, IIorno sajJiens, is a creature of
Pleistocene tin1e; that other hUlllan species n1Ïght
perhaps have already con1e into existencc in the Pliocene,
hut :-;carcely in the
[iocelle, anù still less in the Oligo-
cene epoch.
No direct evi<1ence has yet Leen obtained to in \Talidate
this Ruggcstioll. Tertiary" eoliths " jUllged entirely on
their Inerits, apart fro111 all considerations of theory, do
not exhibit sueh unequivocal n1arks of design as to
cOlnpel universal belief in their artefact origin; ,yhile
recent ohservations have :-3l10\Vll that they lllay he readily
pro(luced by natural foreeg, such as earth pressure or
torrent action.

lVote Lidded in the Pl'es.':.

This chapter '\"as \vrittcn as a diK{lui:-;ition into the
nature of " eoliths " at a tinlc ,vhen it ,vas possible tu
tlcfen<l the vie\v of tho:-;e \\Tho interpreted theul a

F

68

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

artefacts. [llvestigation has since ad van
ell so rapillly
that [ fear it n1ust no\v 1e regarded as the story of an
exploded hypothesis. It \vas found possilJle to in-
corporate the observations of Prof. Ver\vorn and others
on Boncelles in the body of the text, but at the last
1110111ent, as these pages are heing passed for press, a
fresh discovery of "eoliths" is announced. These
\vere founel by the .A.hhé Breuil 1 in Lo\ver Eocene sands
(Thanétien) at Belle-Assize, Clern1011t (Gise). 1\1. Breuil
-;

---.
_.
..--;

Ø'/;\ ___ ....
t
:
,' ;;
{J . /'{(..('/ '
----- ...' - . ..
I
!( 1"/ .
'
. .' "'-.......- _ ..' .ty,:.;
..t"'ø:-

I - --:- '----: ) ';- f. .' .:; e
.- .
. - ,,' ' .

'{ " I, .., - ... '.. . d" 't
'I,' f f
I J 0"..1 -
--- -.- " .... 'þ
' -:t;"!'. >,.
.
, f 'A<"'''
1 ,)

-::.. ---
"f-

li:f
/; J í" .
't;

--

/,/

== -_.:..:---:.

'.< ". '\, . --
-.......
'I (
. " . , -
');.
:"!:... .,'" ...

" . /., ,,
I
\ \
\ "
-

\
.. -

_...

. --- - ....-,,-

\..

-:., ,

.....
::;.. -._
' . _. """'"::....
............-
-.....-
...;

.

.....
fo
/

Fw. 28. -Associated fragments of flints from the Thanet sands of TIelle-Assize
(Oise) produced by flaking in ðitzt. (After llreuil. x about
,)

sho\vs in the ll10St convincing manner that they all o\ve
their forn1ation to one and the sanlC process, i.e. to
movements of the strata \vhile settling under presBure
of the soil. The flint nodules cro\vded together in a
single layer are thus squeezed forcihly one against the
other, and flaking is the inevitable result. As this
process has been active during a very long period so the
eo]iths have been produced at very different dates,
S0111e are ancient and these are distinguished by a dense
patina, others are recent and the fractured surfaces of
1 L'Ahhé H. Breuil, "Sur la présence d'éolithes à la ha'3e de l'Éocène
Parisien," L'Anthr. uno, xxi. pp. :
8r,-408.

III

EOLITHS

69

these are perfe
tly fresh, \vithout even incipient patina-
tiOll. In Inany cases the flakes are still to be found in
connexion \vith the parent nodule, lying apposed to tlH

surface froln \vhich they have been detached (Fig. 27).
They display just the san1e for111s as other Tertiary
"eoliths/' ranging fron1 the obviously purposeless to
th()
e \vhich simulate design and bear bulbs of per-
cussion and n1al'gillal retouches. .Ânlong the lnost arti-
ficial looking arc a fe\v \vhich present an astoni
hing
degree of resen11Jlance to special forn1s of genuine

, ,
, ...
" -

4

..'-.:' "- /"
. .
""
,,\,
'" - "-

,-

,-r-
t,

a a' lJ ù'
Fn-:, :!9.-Naturally-formed flint-flakes simulating artefacts from the Thanet
sanù
of, Belle-Assize. aa' rescmb]es Azilio- Tardenoisian flakes; bb'
resembles the small burins of Les Eyzies. (After llreuil, L' Authr.
N at, size.)

Íluplenlent::;; attention luay be llirected to t\yO in
particular, \vhich arc cOlupared hy the .L\blJé Breuil, the
Olle (a, lfig. 29) to ....\zilio- Tarclcnoisian flakes, ana t.he
othcr (ù, Fig. 29) to the slllaU hUl'ins of J---4eB Eyzies; in
their l'esen1Llance to artificial fornlH these sÍlnuJacra far
trallHcellcl any "coliths" \vhich ha vc been found 011
other horizons of the Tertiary series. 011 the Ï1npol'tant
q nestioll of lU:1n' s fir
t arri \Tal 011 this planet \ve lnay for
the present po

e:-;
our lllÍllds in peace, not a trace of
uuq ucstiollal)le evillence uf his existcnce ha \Tillg hecn
found in strata adillittedly older than the l)leisto
l'llc.

CHAPTER I'T

EXTINCT HUNTERS. THE TA
l\IANIANS

To eOlll1nellee a chapter on Plei
tocelle l11all l)y all
aceount of a re
ent raee nlight ,vell seeUl a \vilful
anachroni
nn; the Taslnanians, hO\\Teyer, though reecllt,
,vere at the sanle tilne a Palæolithic or even, it has heen
asserted, an "eolithic" race; and they thus afford us
an opportunity of interpreting the past by the prcsent
-a saving procedure in a suhject "There fanta:-;y is only
too likely to playa leading part. \Ve 'v ill ..therefore
first direct our attention to the habits and lllûde of
life of this isolated people, the nlo
t unprogressi\
e in
the ,vorld, \vhich in the n1Ïclclle of the nineteenth century
\vas still living in the da \vn of the Palæolithic epoeh.
As regards clothing, the Tasnlanians dispensed \vith
it. They habitually \vent about in a state of llaketlness,
except in \vinter, \vhen the skins of kangaroos \vere
SOllletimes ,vorn. To protect thenlsel ves fronl rain they
daubed thenlselves over ,vith a Inixture of grease and
ochre. Yet they ,vere not ,vithout their refinclllents:
the 'VOlllen aJornecl thel11selves \vith chaplets of fiu\ver

or bright berries, and \vith fillets of \vallahy or kangaroo
skin, ,vorn sOlnetinles uncler the knee, sOlnetillles around
the ,vrist or ankle; the nlen, especially ,vhen young,
,vere al::;o careful of their personal appearance-a fully
clres
ed young Ulan ,yore a necklace of spiral shells
7 0

CH. IV

THE TASMANIANS

7 1

and a nunIber of kangaroos' teeth fastened in his ,voolly
hair.
They paid great attention to their hair; it ,vas cut a
lock at a tilne ,vith the aid of t\VO stones, one placed
uudel'neath as a chopping-hlock, the other being u:::ied
a
a chopper. A
ort of pOluatunl llHtde of fat and
ochre ,vas u
ed as a dre::;::;Ïng.
The Taslnanian8 hall no house
, nul' any fixed abode;
they \vandered perpetually frOln place to pla
e in search
of food, and their only protection fronl \vind and \veather,

'--l -

-..-

FIG. 30.- \Vind Screen of the Tasmanians. (After H. Ling Roth,)

in a cliulate sonletinles bitingly cold, ,vas a rucle öCl'CCll
lllade by fixing up strips of hark against ,yoorlen stakes. 1
Their iInpieulents ""ere fe,y and silnpIe, nHule of ,vooll
or stone; their ,vcapons, \vhet her for the chnse 01' ,val',
,vere of \v
. Of these tl
spear ,vas the lllOst iUl-
portant; it \vas fashioned out of the shoots of the " ti "
tree, \vhieh are distinguished for their ::;traightncsB. rro
convert one of these into a spear ,vas an ol)eration
(lellutnc1ing considerable skill aud care: the stick ,vas
first \val'111ed oyer a fire to render it lÏ1nbcr, aucl if not

1 There is reason to suppose that they sometimes made use of cave
shelters. See II. Ling Roth, "Cave Shelters and the _\hurigincs of
Tmmmuia," N(ff ltre, lSBH, LX. p. 545.

7 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

quite straight was corrected by bending ,vith Loth
hands ,vhile held firnl1 y het,veen the teeth.
Th us tl1ß
hUlnan 'a\v \vas the earliest" arrov{-straiahtene \" r-rhe
end ,vas hardened by charrln o . 1 t Ie fire, and sharpened
by scraping \vith a notched flake of stone. "Tith a
sÏ1nilar impleinent the bark was reluoved and the surface
rendereÇl round and smooth. "Then finished it \vas a
forluiclable \veapon; a good spear balanced in the hand
as llicely as a fishing-rod; it could lJe hurled for a
distance of sixty yards ,vith sufficient force to pass
through the body of a Ulan. The ainl of the Taslllallian
,vas good up to forty yards. To keep the spears in
good condition, \vhen not in use, they ,vere tied up
against the trunk of a tree, selected for its straightness.
ThB o1ÙJ!-.9ther weapon ,vas tlH
(1111 b QT' lY.ê&ldy, abou t
t\VO feet in length, notched or roughened at one end
t o give a grip, ancl sonletimA
kn o1ffle<.l_ll t
e other ;
the s lill ft \vas scraped smooth in the sanle n1anner as
the spear. Its range ,vas over forty yards.
The stone inlplenlents, ,vhich served a variety of
purposes, \vere made by striking off chips froln one
flake \vith another: in this occupation a luan ,vould
sit absorbed for hours at a tin1e. Flint is not kno\vn
in Tasnlania, and a fine-grained sandstone or "phthanite"
served as a substitute; it is not so tractable as flint,
ho\vever, and this may partly account for the inferior
finish of nluch of the Taslnanian \vorkinanship.
A double interest attaches to the notched stan e
(Fig. 31, 2 and 3) or "spoke-shave," used for scraping
the spear. The spear itBelf is perishable, for \VOOa soon
decays, ancl no \vooden illlplenlcnts are knowll to have
surviyed the IJalæolithic period; hut the stone spoke-

have, \vhich Ï1nplies the spear, and in its sillaller
forins the arro,v, nlay endure for an indefinite tirHe.

JV

THE TASMANIANS

73

..J

.t ..\.
f//Þ,.

;:?-
-:'
, . 111 1 /l1 1
'
,}. ";// . ./,
,,;..
d ,/

2a

f-..c:

/ 1'JI"1{'''

f'<V
!

5

5a

FIn. 31.-
ollle Tasmanian stone implements. 1, la, a bouchcr, somewhat
resembling a l..evallois flake ;
, 2ft, a notched scraper;
{, another form
of notch cd scrapcr; 4-, 5, !)((, simple Rcrapers. (Drawn from specimens in
thc collection of l'rof. Tylor. (x
, except 1, l(t, which if> x t.)

l\Iany excellcnt exanlplcs of such ilnplclllcnts are
kllO\Vn undcr thc nanlC of hollo\v scrapcrs or " nu-Ioil's
en cochcs" both froln Palæoli thic allll N coli thie dcpu:-;i t:-;.
it large rough tool, dcl usi vel y sill1Ïlar to thc heatl

7+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

of an axe, ,vas nlade by striking off ,vith a single blo\v
a thiek flake fronl a larger block of stone, and dressing
the side opposite the surface of fracture by several
blo,vs directed n10re or less parallel to its length (Fig.
31, 1). This is not unlike the ancient Palæolithie ÏIn-
plenlent \vhich the French call a " coup de poing" and
the Germans a "Beil" (axe) or "Faust l(eil" (fist
\vellge). In English it ha
no n
tlne, thuugh it \vas
at one tinle very inappropriately spoken of as a celt,
a ternl never uBed no\v in this sense. ..Anthropologists
are generally agreed that the Palæolithie "coup de
poillg" ,vas not provided \vith a haft, Lut \vas hol<1
directly in the hand; and that it ,vas not used
sÏ1nply as a "chopper": it is extrelllely gratifying
therefore to fin <1 that the r-raslnanians had no
notion of hafting their hOlllologue, or rather analogue,
of the c, eoup de paing," and that it served a variety
of purposeB, anlung others as an aid in clÏ1llLing trees.
It ,vas the ,vonlen ,,,,ho \vere the great cl.ill1bel's:
provided ,vith a grass rope, ,vhich ,vas looped round
t he tree and held firmly in the left hand, they ,vould
cut a notch ,vith the chipped stone 1 anrl hitch the
great toe into it; then adjusting the rope they ,vonld
cut another notch as high, it is said, as they could
reach; again hitch then13e]ves up, and so on till they
attained the requisite height-soll1etinles as Hluch as
200 feet.. III this \vay they pursued the "opossun
"
up the sl1looth trunk of the gUlll-treé. )Iany stories
are told of their expertness: 011 one oceasion a party
of lively girls chased by sailorR ulade u sud<1en and
nlysterious disappearance; 011 looking roun<1 a nUll1Ler
of laughing faces \vere descried anlong the branches of
1 Prof. Tylor describes this as a quoit-like stOllC, 4 to G in. across, and
chipped about two-thirds rounù the edge: Junrn. Anthr. I1IJðt. 18Ð3, vol.
xxiii. p. 142.

IV

THE TASMANIANS

75

the trce
, into \vhich the gir1
had
\Vrn'lllcd III the
t\viukling of all eye.

rhcre is great inconvenience in having no special
n
une for this kind of Ï1nplcn1en t-grcater perhap
than
attaches to the introduction of a lle,v \vord; [ propo
e
therefore to use " boucheI' '' as an equivalent of the
"coup de poing," thus honouring the lnelnory of
Boucher c1e Pel'thes, \vho \vas the first to conlpcl the
attention of the ßcientific \vorltl to these relics .of the
pa
t. This kiutl of nOlnenclature has alreatly Lecn
introtlucea 1 Þy phY8icists, as for ill
tance iu the ternl::;
volt, joule, \vatt, anll othcr
. Its great recollllnßntlatiou
lies in its conlplete independence of all hypothesii::;.
.L--\nother Ï1nplenlen t ,vas an anvi], fornlctl of a plate
of stone chippetl all round into a circle, ühout 7 in.
in dianlcter 1'5 ill. thick in the nliddle, and 1 in. thick
at the cage. On this the \VOrnell broke the bones left
after a lneal to extract the nlarrO\V, using another stone,
about G in. in dÜulletel', as a han11ner. 1\1. TIutot has
(leßcribed several such anvils (encl'ltJncs), but of a
ruder lnake, fronl early Palæolithic tleposits.
One of the COllllllonest tools \vas the scraper, a Bake
of about 2 inche
in tlianleter, caJ:'efully aressell hy
chipping Oll one side only to a sOlne\vhat hlunt cc1ge
(Fig. 31, 4 and 5). The edge \vas not serrated, aud great
skill \vas re(luircd to keep the line of flaking btraight :
it \\
as u;-;ed for flaying anin1a18 calight in the cha
c,
and as \ycll, no dùubt, for other purpot)es. To tcst it

po\vel's l
rof. Tylol' scnt a spccinlen to the 8laughter-
house l'e(luestillg the butcher to try his skill ill flaying
\\Tith it. The notion \yaf; rather scornfully l'ccciycd,
hut Oll trial the flake ,vas found to be alhllil'ahly adapted
to the taßk, rcnloving the skin ,,-ithout <laluagillg it hy
aCLidental cuts.

7 6

AN CIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The country seenlS to have afforded the Tasll1anians
a fair anlount of ganle. I(angaroos, \vallahy,
opossunls, bandicoots, the kangaroo rat, and the
\VOlllbat \vere all excellent eating, especially a
cooked
Ly the natives. The aninlals \vere roasted \vhole in the
skin and cut up \vith stone knives; the ashes of the
\vood fire \vere sOllletimes used as a seasoning in default
of salt. Cooking by boiling \vas unkno\yn to this primi-
tive people, and when introduced to their notice they
expressed their disapproval of a lllethod ,vhieh producetl
such unpalatable results.
They hunted several kinds of birds, such as the enlU,
no\v extinct in Tasnlania, black s,vans, nlutton bird8,
autl penguins. The eggs of birds ,vere collected hy the
\VOnlen and children. Snakes and lizards ,vere put
under contribution, as \vell as grubs extracted frOlll
hollo,v trees, and said by Europeans to be dainty ulorsels,
\",ith a nutty flavour reminiscent of alnlonds.
Fish the Tasll1anians did not eat, simply because they
\vere ignorant of the art of fishing, nets and fish-hooks
heing unkno,vn to thenl; but cray-fish and shell-fish
\vere an inlportaut article of diet. The ,vonlen obtained
the shell-fish by diving, using a ,vooden chisel, matle
snlooth by scraping \vith a shell, to displace those, such
as the lilllpets, \vhich live adherent to the rocks.
'rhe shell-fish \vere roasted; and the enlpty shells,
thro\vn a,vay near the hearths, gre\v into enornlOUS
mounds or kitchen-n1Ïddens, \'Thich still afford interesting
nlaterial to the anthropologist. .ßlost of the shells
found in these belong to genera \vhich are ulliyersally
eaten by lllankind, such. as oysters, nlussels, cockles,
lÏ1npets, peri,vinkles (Turbo and Purpnra), and ear-shells
(Haliotis). The peri\vinkles \vere broken by a stone
hallllller on a stone anvil, and these iOlplenlents, as ,veIl

IV

THE TASMANIANS

77

as stone knives, are also found in the kitchen n1Ïd-
(lens.
Several kinr1s of plants furnished thenl \vith vegetable
food-the young shoots of ferns, roots of hulrush, the
ripe fruit of the kangaroo apple {So[anun
[((ciniatu1n),
a fungus \vith a truffle-like gro\yth, anrl t)ea-\\
rack.
These ,yere cooked by broiling.
"Tater \vas their usual hut not their only drink, for
they \vell uIHlerstood the virtues of fernlon tell liquor.
1\ species of gUllI-tree (EncalY1Jtus resiniferct) yields
\vhen tapped a slightly s\veet juice, resenlhling treacle;
this they allo\yed to collect in a hole at the l)ottonl
of the trunk, \vhere it uncler\vent a natural ferlnentation,
and fUl'nishe(l a kind of coarse \vine.
Fire \vas obtained either by the sin1ple plan of ruhhing
the pointed end oÏ a stick to and fro in a groove cut
in another piece of \vooel or by the drill method, i.e. by
rotating one stick in a hole sunk in another. 1 Each
fan1Ïly kindled its o\vn fire at its o\vn hearth, the hearths
being separate(l by intervals of fourteen to t\venty yards.
l'he follo\ving stateluent of Backhouse is of interest
in connexion \vith the c1iscovery of luarkc< 1 stones in
.
HOlne ]
uropean caves. lIe \vrites: "One day \ve
1l0tice(1 a \\
On1an arranging stone:-;; they \vere flat,
oval, ahout t\VO inches ,viele, and Inarked in yarious
directions \vith l)lack and red lineR. r:rhcse \\
e learnc<l
rcpresentcd absent. friends, and onc larger than the rcst
a corpulcnt \VOIUan on Flinders Island, kno\vn as
rother
Bro\vn." 1'bi
clescl'iption recalls the painted stoncs
found by E. Piette 2 in the cave of .J[as <1' r\.zil, l\..rit
ge,

.

1 rflmt the Ta.smaniauH were ac(pminted with the firc-drill is open tu
douht.-Il. Ling Roth, "Tasmanian Fil'csticks," N(duI'f>, IRD!-, LLX,
1'. <<;0(;.
2 E. Piette, "LCF; Galets coloriés du .1\las- d'.A%i1," L'_1I1fhl'. Hmü,
tom. vi. ] Ip. 27(; and 1
U7, tOlll. vii. :
8;).

7 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

on an horizon (.L
zilian) ,vhich is supposeLl to Inal'k the
transition fronl the Palæolithic to the Neolithic age.
These also are" fiat, oval, and ahout t,vo inches ,vide,"
and "they are marked in various directions V\ 7 ith
red and black lines," or rather bands (Fig. 32), but 011
not a fe\v of them n10re cOlnplex characters occur
\vhich in a fe\v instances sinlulate some of the capital
letters of the ROlnan alphabet. The resen1blance is

(J)

1.\
, .,

(IIID"I;

( ')
C!'"

--.,

FH:. 32,

m

(J)

JJ

indeed so startling that on the une hand <louhts haye
he en expressed of their genuinene
s (.Lt. de l\lortillet),
and on the other theories have been propoul1tle(l
attributing to thenl son1e connexion \vith Phæniciall
script (E. Piette). There can be no doubt aR to their
genuineness. 1\1. Cartailhac 1 has confirlnecl the original
ohser\Tations of Piette, and 1\1. Boule ana ]
. Capitan
have found additional exanlples in another locality; but
their nleaning rell1ains ohscure, )1. 110ernes relnarkR
that they offer one uf the Llarkest problen1s of prehistoric
tinles. I anI tenlpted to think that
Olne light is thro"Tl1
on this prohlem by the Tasnlanian st0l1CS,2 bnt here ,ye
] L'A,dhr. 1801, ii. p. 147.
2 Science Prugress, Jan., 1909, p. 504. M. Salomon Rcinach has since
made a similar suggestion, L'Anthr. 1U09, xx. p. (,OG. Mr. A. 13. Cook has
compa.red the painted pebbles of l\las-ti'Azil with the _lustralian
"churinga," L' Allthr. IHO;;, xiv. ür.5. The
raslllanian stones lWLY al
o
have been "churinga," hut in Australia. such ohjects are "taboo" to the
WOluen.

IV

THE l 1 ASMANIANS

79

have to lalllent one of our Hlany lost opportunities, the
Taslllanians have c.1isappeared, and these stones ,,
ith
thenl; not a single specÎlnen t not even a dra \\
illg, is
pre:-.;erved in Hny of our HluseunlS.
It is saic.1 that rude attelllpts \yere sonlctinles nuule
to represent natural ohjects hy dra\yings. ,r ery poor
sketches of cattle, kangaroo, and de Þgs done in charcoal
are mentioned; hut eattle and doO's SUUo'cst the
o Ot"l
possilJility of European influence. The fact that large
pieces of bark have been found \vith cruc.1ely rnarked

FIG. 3
.-Tasll1anian "raft." (After H. Ling Roth, x ahout :lü.)

eharacters like the ga:-.;he
the Jlative
cut in thpir al'nl

is of nlore Î1llportance. These are not uulilü"\ :-;0111e of
the nlarks inci
ed on Palæolithiû arro,,
he:l(ls.
The rrasnuL11Îans are said to have heen unacquaintec.1
\vith boats or canoes, but they possessec.1 a useful
ub-
stitute, half-float, half-boat, \vhich recalls in a striking
11lanner the " balsa" of California or the rafts llHLc.1è of
papyrus or of the leaf stalks of the anlhatch trce \yhi
h
are still to he nlet \vith on the Nile and Lake Nyallza.
SÎInilar l'afts are saicl to have l)(
en used hy SOBle
l\[elane
ian i
lallllcrH.
'rhe 'raSll1allian raft (I1'ig. 33) \vas nla< Ie of tho I )ltrk
of nlore than oue kind of troo, but usually it \\'ouhI
soein sonlO species of Eucalyptus. 'rho bark haying
been l'elllOVed \vas rolled up into sennethillg like a

80

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP. _

colossal cigar, pointed at each end. Three such rolls
were required, a larger one to forln the bottom and
t\VO smaller ones to forn1 the sides of the raft. They
,vere firnlly lashed together, side by side; a tough
coarse grass serving for cord. The con1pleted raft ,vas
not unlike in general form a shallo\v boat, being
broadest in the n1iddle and tapering a\vay to a pointed
extreulity at each end. It
vas of considerahle size,
attaining s0111etimes a length of between 9 and 10 feet,
,vith a hrea<lth of about 3 feet, a height of It foot, and
a <lepth inside of 8 to 9 inch
s. It wouhl carry conl-
fortahly three or four personH, ana at a pinch as nlany
as five or six. In shallo\v \vater it ,vas punted \vith
poles, and the san1e poles, devoid of any blade-like
expansion at the end, \\
ere used as paddles on the open
sea. Nevertheless the TasInanians ,vere able to nlake
their rafts trayel at a fair pace through the ,vater, " as
fast as an ordinary English ,vha]e-boat " ; it n1ust have
been hard work, and they seen1 to have thought so,
"after every stroke they uttered a deep 'ugh' like a
I.Jondon pa viour." Â fire, carried on a hearth of earth or
ashes, \vas kept burning at one end of the raft.
IIo,v far the TaS111anians ventured out to sea in these
frail craft is unkno\vn; they certainly visited !laat-
suyker island, " ,vhich lies 3 nliles from the nlainlaud
in the stornlY ,vaters of the South Sea," and they ,vere
o hserved to make freq uen t crossings to l\Iaria Island off
the east coast during cahn weather. The rafts hàve
been known to live in very rough seas, and an old
whaler asserted that he had seen one of thenl go across
to "Titch Island, near Port Davey, in the nlidst of a
storn1. The natives on the north coast of TaS111ania are
said not to have made use of rafts. 1

1 IT. I.Jing Roth, The Aborigines vf TW51ìUlltia, Halifax, England, IbUU.

IV

THE TASMANIANS

81

'fhe " balsa" of the Seri Indians (Fig. 3J) in Sonora
( California) closely resern bles the Taslnanian raft, differ-
ing mainly in the substitution of bundles of reeds for
rolls of bark; but it attained a much greater size, being
sometimes as much as 30 feet in length. 'Vith only 011e
passenger aboard it rose too high out of the "Tater,
" rode better \vith t\VO, carried three ,vithout difficulty,
even in a fairly heavy sea, and \vould safely Lear four
adults. . . . in n10derate ,vat
r." European observers
\vho have been this craft afloat have adn1ired " its grace-

_
c."
'

- --

-=

-=:
=="
- -

FIG. 3-l.-Raft or "balsa" of Sed Indians. (After l\IcGee.)

ful 1110vell1cnts and itR perfect adaptation to variable
seas and loads" curving" to fit the ,veight . . . . and
to Ineet the Ï1upact of s\vells and breakers."
The Seri Iudians are in tbe habit of crossing in their
lxtlsa fronl the llutÎnlalld to the outlying islauas, ana
occasionally eve}) c01l1plete the passage across the gulf
to the opposite shore of Lo\ver California. l
rIhe facts ,ye have thus hriefly sun1marised include
ahnost all that I can discover bearing directly on our
subject. For the sake of cOlllpleteness it Illay be as \vell
to give
on1e account of the bodily characters of this
interesting people, and a fe\v ,vords as to their history.
The 'Tasnu111ians were of lllediu1l1 stature, the average
height of the n1ell being 1661 11Ull., \vith a range of
fro1l1 1548 to 1732 11un.; the average height of the
\V01l1en ,vas 1503 Inn1., ,vith a range of froln 1
95 to
1G30 uun. '_rhe culour of the skin ""as alnlost l)lack,

1 \v. J. )IcGcc, The Seri Indirltts, np. rite pp. 213-221.
n

82

ANCIENT HUN1
ERS

CHAP.

inclining to bro\vn. The eyes ,vere slnall and deep-set,
beneath strong overhanging hro\vs; the nose short antI
broad, \\Tith ,vide I y di
tendell nOHtrils; the n10uth big;
an<1 the téeth larger, it is saia, than those of any other
existing race.
The hair ,vas black and grew in r lose corkscre,v
ringlets. The men had hair on their face-\vhiskers,
n10uståche, and heard, and on the borders of the
\vhiskers it assun}ed the form of tufted pellets like
peppercorns. (Plate 1.)
I t is a con1n10nplace an10ngst biologists that characters
of apparently the nlost trivial significance are precisely
those ,vhich are of the greatest value as a means to
classification, and it is on the degree of curliness or
t\vist in the hair that the Inost fundanlental subdivision
of the hun1an race is based. "T e thus recognise three
groups: one in ,vhich the hair is ,vithout any t\vist-
that is, perfectly straight-the Lissotrichi; another in
which it is t\visted to an extreme, as in the Negro or
Buslllnan-the Ulotrichi; and a third in ,vhich the hair
is only t\visted enough to he ,vnvy, a:-; in 111any
Europeans-the Cynlotrichi. The 'fasnlanÎan is
ulotrichous, like the Negro and nlost other races ,vith
ycry (lark skins.
The hony franle\vork, being more resistant to <.lecay
tha.n the rest of the hody, is more likely to be prcservecl
in the fossil state, and has therefore a certain alTIOunt
of Ílnportance in our study. "T e shall restrict our
description, ho\vever, to the skull, as n10re is to be
learnt fron1 this than frolu any other portion of the
skeleton.
The skull of the TaS111anian is of a characteristic form,
so that a practised eye can readily distinguish it
fro 111 that of other races. l
ookcd upon directly frolH

IV

THE TASMANIANS

83

ahoye (Fig. 35), its outline is oval or 1110re or less
pentagonal; its greatest breadth lies considerahly hehind
the 111illdle line. The cro\vn rises into a lo\v keel,
bordered l)y a groove-like depre

ion on ea
h sitle; the
sides of the skuH are rounded and s"
ell into large
parietal bo
ses (Fig. 36).
It is neither long nor short (nlesaticephalic), and the
ratio of its breadth to its length (cephalic in<lex) i
73'9,
aR deternlinet1 fronl 111CaS-
nrenlent of t\venty-six
examples. The cranial
capacity is the lo\vest yet
met \vith anlo11g recent
races, 11leasurillg on the
average 119g C.c.; in the
nlen the average rises to
1306 c.c., in the WOIHen it
fall
to 1093 c.c.
The face is renlarkably
short, and presents a pecu-
liarly brutal appearance;
the hro\v-ridges and gla-
bella are stron!rl y nlarked,
'---' FIG. 3!). - Tasmanian skull, seen frOIIl
n ll<l there is a deep ahovc. (x aho ut
. After H, Ling
Roth. )
notch at the root of the
nose. 'rhe jaws project, Lut not to the extl'Cnle dcgree
\vhieh j
eharacterÜ;tic of thc Negro, nor even so lunch
as in S0111e A nstralian
. The lo\ver ja\v is
nla}],
disproportionately so \vhen conlpared \vith the tceth,
\vhich, as already ohseryec1, are very large. In
consequence of this n1Ïsfit the natives suffcred grievously
frolll aLHlol'lnalities of dentition.
III eUlleavouring to tliscnyer the people to \VhU111 the
Ta
nnallialls \verc lllost closely l'elatc(l, \ve
hallllaturally
u 2

84

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

rcstrict our inquiries to the lTlotrichi, for, as ,,"e have
seen, the Tasmanians belonged to this group.. IIuxley

; . ,

.
.

.". -"t ....'\.-

. ..,",

,

, >.
J

..

...

- .......
..".
"

i \.

"
..

..

FiG. 36.-Tasmanian skull" en face" ana in profile,
(x about A. After H. Ling Roth.)

thought they sho\vec1 sonle resclnbance to the illhahitants
of N e\v Caledonia and the Andanuul Islands, but Flo\ycr

IV

THE TASMANIANS

\vas disposed to bring thell1 into closer connexion \vith
the Papuans or l\Ielanesians. The leading anthro-
pologists in France do not accept either of these yie\vs.
Topinard states that there is no close alliance between
the N e\v Caledonians and the Tasluanians, \vhile
Quatrefages and IIanlY remark that "fronl whatever
point of vie\v \ve look at it, the Tasmanian race presents
special characters, so that it is quite illlPossible to
discover Hny \yell-defined affinities \vith any other
existing race," and this probably represents the prevailing
opinion of the present day. 1
The Taslnanians appear to have been an autochthonous
people, native to the soil, the surviving descendants of
a primitive race, elsewhere extinct or luerged into a
preponderant alien population. Frequenting the coast,
and yet destitute of sea-going craft capable of luaking
long voyages, it is scarcely likely that they reached
Tasnlania frolll any of the relllote Pacific islands; and
it is far lllore probable, as our forell10st authorities no\v
Inaintain, that they crossed over fronl Australia.
'The prin1Ítive anecstors of the race lllay have been.
\vi{lely distrihuted over the Old "T orld: displaced ahnost
every\vhere l
y superior races, they at Jength becalne
cunfined to ...l.ustralia and rr
unllania, and fronl
\..ustralia
they \vere finally driven and partly perhaps absorbed or
extern1Ïnated hy the existing ahorigines of that conti-
nent, \vho were prevented froln follo\ving thenl into
1\tslnal1ia, because l,y that tiule Bass Strait \vas \\Tide
cnough to offer au illsuperal,le harrier to their clll Yance.
.1.\. notion exists that the natives entere(l ..L\.ustralia and
Tasnul11Ïa l)y dry land, at a tilHe alltecc(lent to the
forlllatiüll of 'forres Strait and J3aSt; Strait. but the \yell-

I
ir \\ lU. 1\u'uer, "The A bOl'igincs of Tasmania," 1'1"mt..,. RO!I. Suc.
Edill. IH08, vol. xlvi. pt. 2, p. 3()ü, ill particular Pl'. 3SG-:
!H, IHIO, vol.
xlvii" pt. 3, p. 411.

85

86

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

kno\vn distinction bet\veen the Australian and Oriental
faunas presents SaIne difficulty to this view. It ,vonId
appear that 111an lllUSt have possessell some special
Ineans by \vhich he could enter .4-\ustralia ulla
conlpanieLl
by other anÏ1nal
. The rafts of the Taslnanians thus
acquire an unexpeeted Ï1nportance; they ,vere capahle,
as \ve have seen, of nUlking voyages across channels at
least 3 llliles in \vidth. It is true that 111u
h \vider
channels than this no\v break up the roa.d fron1 N e\v
Guinea to Tasmania; but there seenlS to have beeu a
tÏIne, proLalJly geologically recent, ,vhen these chaunels
did not exist and the Australian cordillera stretchcLl as
a continuous nlountaill chain frolll the one great i
land
to the other. It ,vas only by repeated subsidence that
it becan1e broken down, in the region of Torres Strait on
the north and Bass Strait on the south. Subsidence
has also probably enlargeLl the
eas bet,vecl1 the islands
of the East Indies. Thus at
onle pa
t epoch the
channels ,vhich after\val'ds Gonfincd the j
nstralians and
the Tasnlallians tu their respective lanlls 1uay have lJccn
sufficiently narro,v to have been crossed by rafts and
yet \vide enough to bar the way to the rest of the
Oriental fauna. J
"Then the 1nore civilised nations of the north had
succeeded in subjugating the sea to their enterprise,
even the Ocean itself failed in its protection to the Ull-
fortunate Tasn1anians, and \\Tith the arrival of English
colonists their doonl ,vas sealed. Ùllly ill rare instances
can a race of hunters cuntrive to co-exist ,vith an
agricultural people. "Theu. the hunting ground of a
tribe is restricted o,ying to its partial occupation l)y the
ne\varriyals, the tril)e affectell is c0111pelled to infl'iuge
on the houndaries of its neighhours: this is to hreak
the n1o
t sacred "la,v of the Jungle," and inevitably

IV

THE TASMANIANS

87

leads to ,val': the pressure on one boundary is pro-
pagated to the next, the ancient state of equilibriunl
is profoundly disturhed, and inter-tribal feuds beconle
increasingly frequent. _\. bitter feeling is naturally
aroused against the original offenders, the alien colon-
ists: nlisunderstandillgs of all kinds inevitably ari
e,
leading too often to blooc1shell, and ending in a general
conflict Let\veen natives and colonists, in \vhich the
forIner, already \veakenell by disagreenlellts alllong
thelllselves, 111Ust soon
UCCUlllb. So it ,vas in 'fasnutnia.
The estiinates ,vhich have 1Jeen giyell of the nUl1l1Jer
of the population at the time Europeans first becaine
acquainted \vith the country differ ,videly: the highest
is 20,000, but this is probably far in excess of tbe truth.
After the ,val' uf 1825 to 1831 there relllaincd scarcely
200. These \vretched survivors ,vere gathered together
into a settlenlent, and frolll 183-1: oll\vards every effort
,vas 11lac1e for their w'elfare, lJut "the \vhite luau's
{'ivilisation proved scarcely less fatal than the \\Thite
nlan's bullet," and in 1877, \vith the llcath of Trugallini,
the last survivor, the race })eCanle extinct.
It is a saù story, and ,ve can only hope that the
replacelllcnt-of a people ,vith a cranial capacity of ouly
ahout 1200 c.c. hy one ,vith a capacity one-third greater
lllay prove ultinlately of allvantage in the evolution of
nutnkilld.
The \vorld certainly needs all the hrain
it Cíln get:
at the salnc tiUIC it is not very flattering to our O\Vll
ro\ver
of intelligence to fillÙ that \ve allo\\Tcd this
supreulely interesting peOl)le, the la
t reprcscntatiycs of
one of the earliest stages of hunlHI1 culture, to pcri:.;h
\yithout haying Inade any serious effort to a
certain all
that couhl be kno\vn al)out it. \Yhat ,ve do kno,v is
very little indeed: a 1Juok of about three hundred

\
()

88

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

pages contains ahnost every scrap of trust\vorthy
infornlation. 1
If any other nation than our oV\'"n had sho\vn the san1e
disregard for a human doculnent of such priceless value,
\ve should be very outspoken in our censure. Even no\v,
in this t
1"entieth century, it cannot be said that the
British Governnlent takes such an intelligent interest
in the nunlerous prin1itive peoples ,vhich it has taken
into its charge as ,ve have a right to expect, at least
fron1 a State having any regard for the advancement
of learning.
The first to call attention to the resenIblance bet\veen
the stone in1plenIents of the Taslnanians and those of
Palæolithic nIan ,vas Prof. E. B. Tylor. 2 SuLse(luent]y
1\11'. R. 1\1. Johnston 3 compared then1 with the" eoliths"
figured by Ribiero already alluded to. Prof. 1'ylor 4 has
repeatedly r
turned to the subject; and in 1905 when
he exhibited specimens before the Archæologiual Insti-
tute, he made the follo\ying statelnent: "I anl 110\\-
able to select and exhibit to the Institute fronl aillong
the flint implen1ents and flakes from the uave of Le
l\loustier, in Dordogne, specimens corresponding in
nlake ,vith such curious exactness to those of the rras-
nIanian natives, that ,vere it Hot for the different stone
they are chipped fron1, it ,vould be hardly possilJle to
distinguish then1." 5
Since then Prof. Tylor has been led to believe that an
1 H. Ling Roth, The Aborifline,
of Ta,,,m(tnÙt, Halifax, England, lRD9.
2 E. B. rrylor, The Enrly lListory of ]Iankind, London, 1865, p. 1!J5.
3 R. 1\1. Johnston, Systematic Account of the Geolugy of 1 f wwwniu, 1888,
p, 334.
4 E. B. Tylor in Preface to H. Ling Roth, The Almriflines of Tmnnania,
1st Edition, 1890 ; 2nd Edition 18UU. On the Tasmanians as Representa-
tives of Palæolithic 1\Ian, J(),/lrn. Anthr. lnst. 18U:), xxiii. Pl'. 141-152,
2 pIs. On the Survival of Palæolithic Conditions in Australia and
Tasmania, Jo1t'J"n. A nthr. Inst. 18U8, xxviii. p.lHR On Stone Implements
from rrasmania, J01lrn. Anthr. Inst. 1900, xxx. p. 2õ7.
5 Jonrn. Anthr. Inst. 1895, vol. xxiv. p. 336.

IV

THE TASMANIANS

89

even closcr resenllJlance can be traced bet\veen the so-
called plateau Ï1nplelnents and the Tasma.nian. ..A. sÏ1nilar
vie\v has also recolnlllended itself to 1\1. Rutot and
Dr. II. I(laatsch. 1 . If this could be estalJlished it ,vould
invest the Tasnlanian inlplelllents ,vith peculiar interest.
The plateau" implenlents " are so called because they
are found in gravels capping the high plateaux of !(ent
and else,v here. They ,vere first discovered by 1\11'. B.
Harrison, of Ighthaln, ,vho brought thelll before the
notice of Sir Joseph Prest\vich; and this observer,
faluous for the caution and sagacity of his judgelncnt,
expressed in unqualified ternlS his conviction that they
sho\ved signs of the handi\vork of ulan. 2 Sir John Evans,
a fellow-\vorker \vith Prest\vieh, and equally distinguished
for his acunlen and insight, was unable, ho\vever, to
share this opinion, and at present the question is iu-
volved in the raging vortex of the" eolith " controversy.
The plateau gravels are no doubt very ancient; they
lic at a higher lcvel than any of the existing riyel'
terraces, and cannot be referred to any of the existing
river systenls. Prest,vich spoke of thenl as glacial or
pre-glacial; Jl. l
utot assigns thenl to the Plioccnc.
'rIte question as rcgards the "Îluplelllents" is all
extrenlely difficult one. A great nunll)er of the Tas-
lnanian forllls arc so rude and uncouth that., taken alone,
\VC should hayc little reason to suspect that they had
bcen chipped hy nUll1; sonIC, on the other haud, sho\v
signs of skilful \yorkillg, and leave us in no doubt. It
is 011 these la
t that our j udgelllent ;-;hould be based ill a

1 A. nutot, .. Ùl, Fin de la Qucstion des }::olithes," J:llll. Sue. Géol. HI'ly.
1uo7, xxi. p. 211; II. l{laatsch, Z('its. f. Rlhuu{oyip, IHU7,
2 J. Prestwich, (.!Il(ll't. JOllrl/,. (Jeol. SOl'. 18W}, xlv. pp.
70-2!}-I-. pIs. ;
HmO, xlvi. p. 1GO, 1
91, xlvii. Pl'. l
n 1 ()'), pIs. ; JOIlI'U. ...1 11thI'. J w.t.
188H, xxi. Pl'. 24()-270, 1'1.; see also \r. J. Lewi
.Ahhutt,
rúf. Sci.
lRH4, hr. 1>P' 23U-:WO, and T. Rupert June::;, Nat. Sci. H
n4, v. lip.

üU-
7 3.

9 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

stud y of the Tasmanian art. As to the rest, "noscitu1'1
a sociis.
' They are distinguished by t\VO very definite
characters. In the first place their fundanlen tal fornl
is that of a flake which has been split off from a larger
fragnlcnt. They never commcnce their existence as
fraglncnts already. existing in a natural state. And
next, tho finer dressing of the stone is ahvays confined
to OBe face; if a
oucher, there is one face obtained hy
a single blo\v \vhich detached it fronl the parent nutss,
ana an opposite face \vith SeCOllaary flaking; if a scraper,
the nlargil1al dressing is produced lJY the renloval of
chips al\vays struck off in the sanle direction, as in
sonle
eolithic scrapers.
If ,ve judge the Tasnutuiall Ï1nplenlents lJY the best
exalnples, ,ve should in fairness extend the saIne treat:
lllont to the plateau "ÏInplcnlellts." The best of these
do indeed sho,v sonle superficial resen1 blance to the
'raslnallian , especially in general fornl, and this is
particularly true of the hullo,v scrapers. In con-
ncxioll ,vith the:)e ,ve 111ay cite the follo\ving statelnel1t
nlade by Prest\vich ,vhel1 Bpeaking of the plateau inl-
plelllel1ts. lIe Bays: " ..L\ very conl1l10B fornl is a scraper
in the shape of a
rook, sonletiules Binglc, sOlnetillles
<1ouLle, such as nlight have been used fOT" sCJYtj,ing
rrouucl sU1faccs like bones or sticÀ:s." The part ,ve have
placed in italics sho,vs remarkable il1sight.
But the conlparison is scarcely sustainelL ,vhell ,ve
el1tcr into a lllillute investigation. To lJegill ,vith,
the fundanlental forlH of the plateau "ÏInplenlent" is
rarel Y-RO far as I kllO'V, never-artificial. On the
hypothesis that these fragnl en ts ,vere used by nlan, ,ve
Blust suppose that, to hegin ,vith, he sÍ111ply sclected
such bits of flints, lying Bcattered ahout, as he thought
,vould serve his ends, and then nlerel y iUlproved their

IV

THE TASMANIANS

9 1

existing edges by additional chipping. This supposed
chipping, though often confined to one side of the
fragn1ent, has not the closeness nor regularity that
distinguishes the best Tasnlaniall scrapers, ,vhich, as
already rell1arked, sOluetÏ1nes suggest Neolithic rather
than l)alæolithic 'VOl'knlallship. The confused and
CIUl11SY chipping of the plateau
'hollow-scraper" does
not produce an efficient e(lge, and it seen1S hard to
believe that a being ,vith ::;ufficient intelligence to con-
ceive the idea of a spoke-shave should not have
succeeded in nlaking a better one.
1\11'. Hcnry Balfour, one of the first to study 'fas-
luanian Ï1nplcnlents and to recognise their Pa]æolitlác
affinities, regards thenl as representing a separate in-
dustry.
'\..t the sanle tÜue he is \villing to achnit that,
in the douhtful event of the plateau Hints proving to
he true Í111plenlents, it is to thc
e rather than to
l)alreolithic types that he wouhl refer theln. "Thile
agreeing ,vith 1\11'. Balfour on the existence of speciaJ
features characteri::;tic of the Taslnallian inlplenlents--
pos
ibly due to the peculiar character of the stolle frolH
\v hich they ,vere mac1e- I an1 still inclined to think that
Dr. rrylor made a closer approach to the truth in his
earlier than in his later conlparisons. SOlne resenlhlance
to
Iousterian inlplclnents Inay indeed he recognised,
lJut scarcely any to the irregularly broken flints of the
leeut plateau.
rfhe real value of \vhat little \ve kno\v alJout the
Tasllu1nians lies in the analogies it pl'o'Tideð aurl the
glli(lance it aftords in our study of the earliest relics uf
1 >alæolithic ll1an.

CIIAI>TER V

THE !\IOST A
CIENT HUNTERS

IF, suddeul y transported to the beginning of the
l}alæolithic epoch, \ve could survey the face of the
earth as it then appeared, \ve nlight be surprised at
first hy its strange and unfanliliar aspect; Lut on
closer inspection, as \ve traced one by one its leading
features and identified the several continents and seas,
,ve should perceive that the general plan relnained the
sanle and that the details alone \vere changed.
These details, ho\vever, ,vere neither fevv nor un-
in1port ant . The \vhole continent of Europe had
enlarged its bounds, and the Atlantic broke against a
shore lying far to the west of the British Isles, along a
line \vhel'e soundings no\v show a depth uf 100 fathonls.
It looks as though the ocean had sunk 600 feet.
The Irish Sea, the English Channel, and the Gerlnan
Ocean, thus deserted, forlned \vide valley plains, \vatered
by 111any noLle rivers (Fig. 37). The Rhine, \yith its
tri1Jutaries the Elbe and the Thailles, s\vept in ,vide
lueanders to the north till it opened into the sea not far
south of the Faeroe Isles; the Seine, gathering the
,vater:-; of the south of England alJd north of Franee
in its fio\v, continued its course through the fertile
plains of the English Channel till it entered the .L\tlantic
Ð2

CH.V

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

91

""-"" . DO .
"'11"

. ."

\.

oC\

a

(

1J

('

J
(\
\
) J-j

-- - c: y--" P\

I --

..

,

\.

Fw. :J7.-The Pleistocene Ueography of Europe. (t. durill
the period of
grl':\te
t elevation; II. {t,t the close of the third glacial episode; (', at the
cloRe of the fourth glacial cpiKo(ll'. The diagrams h awl (' represent
)I. Rutot's ,-Ïews. (After Rlltut.)

94

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

a hundrcLl n1Ïles \vest of the farthest point of Brittany
or Corn\vall; and the lleepest parts of the Irish Sea
forllled great fresh-\vater lakes stocked \vith ancestral
salnHHl.
In the south \ve lllight look in vain for the Adriatic,
and in place of the
Iediterranean we should discover
t\VO restricted inland seas, separated by a broad isthtl1us,
,vhich extended fronl Northern .L\frica, through Sicily,
into Southern Europe.
On the extrenle east, Asia ,vas probably united \vith
Anlerica, across Bering Strait, by a tract of land \vhich
extended an unkno\vn distance to the south, perhaps
cOlnpleting the arc of the Aleutian Islands, no,v
represented on the nlap by a luere dotted
ine.
On the extrenle ,vest and north an ancient bridge,
after\vards to break up into Iceland and the Faeroes,
,vas possibly still standing, and ulliteù Europe \vith
Greenland and the east of N orth L
nlerica; but this is
an open question, to ,vhich \ve shall refer later.
In some places, on the other hand, the sea pcnetrated
farther into the lanel, as \vhere the Axctic Ocean covered
all the region of the gulf of the Ohio
.r\ traveller starting in this ancient ,vorld fronl the
hanks of the Thalnes could have made his \vay oyer
the \vatershed forlncd by the Straits of Dover into
France, and so through Italy and across Sicily into
Africa, \vhich \vould have then lain opcn to hÏ1n fro In
end to enLl. If instead of entering Africa he hall
turned to the left, he could have reach ell InLlia 1,y
devious paths; the :\Ialay peninsula, anll thc East
Indies, united here and there Ly land-col1nexjol1s,
\vould have taken him, \vith the help of a frail canoc,
into ..A.ustralia, \vhcnce he n1Ïght hayc \vanllcrcd illto
l ' .
aSnla.llla.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

95

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Fw. 38.-Elephants and Hippopotami at a Tropical 'Yatering-pla.cc (Africa).
(After "... oU, )

If he had ,yishcc1 to visit 10rth ...\lllerira he ,,"'oulrl hayc
ha<1, perhaps, a choice of routes, either l)y the leelalldic
hl'i<1ge or the _ \laskau isthnlus.
Even l)cful'e leaving England he \vou](l
ee
tl'allge

9 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

sights by the \vay: great herds of elephants of an
ancient kind (ElejJhcts antiquus), the mightier prede-
cessors, perhaps ancestors, of the lllighty African
elephant ,vould perhaps come tranlpling across his
path; he might witness, not without awe, the in-
furiated rush of the soft-nosed rhinoceros (Rhinoce1'"os
.111eJ'ckii), \vhich bore a horn sOllletinles as much as

\

}-"H
. 39.-The SaLre-toothed Tiger, ltlftchnirodu.'5 '11eogæns. Attention may be
called to the widely open mouth. In adaptation to the great length of
the tl.1;sks, and to permit it to get out of their way, the lower jaw was
provided with a peculiar articulation, so that it could move backwards
through nearly a right angle. (From Osborn, after C. R. Knight,)

three feet in length; disporting itself in the rivers
was that shy hehenloth the hippopotalllus (Fig. 38),
the lllother anilllal S\Vi111111ing ,vith her young upon her
lJack; sOllletimes he might catch sight of the great
salJre-toothed tiger, l\Iachairodus (J.1'ig. 39), 11laking its
stealthy spring, or hanging, with its great overgro\vn
canines, on to the flanks of a strayed elephant. If he
\vaited by the ,vater places he ,voulcl be able to \vatch
herds of bison, ,vild horses, and various kinds of deer,
the Irish elk alllong thenl, as they came to drink.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

97

A delightfully \Varnl clinlate nlight telnpt the traveller
to n1ake his bed in the open, but, in any case, he \vould
do well to he,vare before accepting the shel tel' of a
cavern, for there he nlight encounter the terrible cave-
hear, larger than any existing specics, or an anilnal
even still 1110re terrihle, no other than Ulan hinlself.
Unfortunately, \ve have no tinle-nlachine Ly \vhich
to revisit these scenes; we must content ourselves
by laborious] ÿ piecing together the evidence, still
1110re laboriously obtained, ,vhich lies sparsely scat-
tered in the gravel of river terraces or in the débris
of ancient caves, \vhich is fragmentary at the best and
consequently too often full of apparent contradictions.
lIe \vho attenlpts to construct a consistent story \vill
sometÏInes \vonder \vhether he lllay not be \veaving a
rope of sand. Classifica tions are made only to be
unlnade, and as finer and finer subdivisions are pro-
po:-,ed, so our difficulties seem only to increase. This
is the darkness \vhich precedes the da\vn. Already
indeed minute attention to details, not omittirig
the apparently n10st insignifieant, is producing its
effect: the darkness begins to break, and anlidst nluch
that is confused, ccrtain facts stand out in broad outline.
1\lan a
\ve first llleet \vith hin) is a hunter, not by
choice hut frol11 neeess i t \vinnin o ' a )l'ecarious exi
tcllcC
ron1 t Ie chase of \vild beasts and tl H
r,o 11 c ctiol1 of ,9; ru 1 )8,
e--0' 0'8, and other edible )1'ot1 uets os eciall tho
e affordetl
ûb
1) \vilel p ants. Nature as he kne\v her \vas a'
. untalnec, thoug 1 Ie ha alreatly \yrestetl t\VO grea t
po\vers from the inanin1ate \vorld, the first that of
t ransfornling encrgy into firc, and the llext tha L-af
con ccntrating its po\vcr by nletlnS of an ctl
i Vß.ll to fi
stõIi e.
.-l\lallY thuusant1s of years, attended only by a gradual
II

9 8

ANCIENT HTJNTERS

CHh.P.

advance, \vere to elapse before he achieved any epoch-
n1aking victory \vhich could conlpare \vith these, and
then he nlade t\VO great strides, which lea hÏ111 to the
lllastery of the organic \vorJd. lIe diseovered that
\vild plants could he gro\vn at \vill, and that herds of
\vil<l anin1als could be tan1ed and kept in a state of
captivity. Fron1 hunter he became shepherd and
farn1er, abandoned his roalning hand-to-n10uth n10de of
life, and, assured of alnple means of subsistence, becalne
attached to the soil; settled conln1unities thus arose,
organised societies becanle possible, and all the ad van-
tages \vhich accrue fron1 the subdivision of lahour.
This triun1ph preceded by a long interval the tlis-
covery of n1etals, and sonle of the stone Ï1nplell1cnts of
the prilnitive agricultural stage are ill no respect
superior to their prellecessors. On the other hand,
nlany attain a perfection \vhich leaves no roonl for
Ï1nprovelnent. A con1plete Inastery over stone IUHl
Leen acquired; it \vas ehipped by an [t(.hniraLle tech-
nique into inlpleluents \vhich are distinguished as nluch
by their artistic lJeauty as by their perfect adaptation
to the ends for whieh they \yere designed. Such inl-
plelnents \vere \vell \vð'rthy of the additional labour
\vhich \vas often besto\ved upon thenl, as \vhen they
\vere
nnoothed by grinding on sanllstonc and finally
polished so as to give increased hardness as \vell tiS
beauty to the surface.
It is these polishell inlPlements \vhieh have affordc<l
a distinctive Inark to the period, :-;0 that it is often
spoken of as the polished stone age; ëlnd the 8tone
Age as a \vhole Í8 di vided, not according to its nlost
fundan1ental differences into a hunting and an agricul-
tural stage, but according to the nature of its \vcapons
into the earlier Baked and the later polishe<l stone

ges.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

99

l'he lle\Ver and oltler stone agcs thus recognisetl
have heen conveniently nalned by
ir .John Lubbock
(no\v Lord
\ veLury) 1 the Palæolithic aud the Neolithic
periods.
The presence of polished stone illlplenlents, though
distinctive of the
eolithic period, is not e
:-;ential.
\Vhen stone Î1nplelnents are discoyered their place in
our classification is deterlnined on a variety of evidence,
first and foren10st on their position in the stratified
series, next on the species of anÏ1nals associated \vith
then1, and finally nn the nature and fashion of the
in1p]elnents thenlse]ves.
Our kno\vledge of the Ancient HunterR 01' Palæolithic
lllen has 111ade extraordinary progress eluring the past
two decades, especially in France, ,vhich has afforded a
fertile field of discovery to a brilliant bane 1 of investi-
gators. The reluains of successive hunting races are
found in the deposits of caves, river gravels alH1 other
secliments, \vhich are spoken of collectively as the
Palæolithic series.
The Palæolithic series nlay be pro\TisionaHy divided
into three groups-au upper, a lui<.ltlle, an<.l a lo\yer.
This proceeding \vill at all evcnts pro\rje 1c u
\\'ith
useful general terlns. These groups luay he furt her
sul )<.li vie1ed into stage
a
fol]O\\TS :
f 1Iag(lalcnian Htage
Upper Paheolithic l
oh
trian. "
.L\urlgnaruul "
:l\Iitl(lle "
I()u:-;tel'iall.,
...\eheulean "
Chelleau "
Stl'Cpyall "
:\le:-î villia II "

I.Jo\ver

"

1
ir John Luhlltlck. P,.,hi...dOl'Ù' 'l'illle,'i, Londoll, It-ifj;). p. no.
n 2

100

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

After our first glil1lpses of Pleistocene Inan, as repre-
sented by the lo\vcr ja\v of IIomo HcÙlelúc}'gcnsis,
a long interval supervenes, during \vhich ,ye lose sight
not only of nlan, hut of the organic \vorhl, and \vhen
once 1110re \yc <liscoycr signs of his existcnce, thcse are
exclusiyely thc \vorks of his hand. Our kno\vlec1ge
1 0f man during thc \yhole of the J
o\ver Palæolithic
epoch is based entirely on chippcd stone inlplements.
The or<1er in \vhich the Lo\ver Palæolithic stages succeec1
each other in time has Leen detern1ined hy a variety of
observatio11s extencling over a long period, but 1110St
fully by the study of the sections at St. Acheul on the
Sonl11le and of that at Helin near Spicnnes in
Belgi unl.
The valley of the SOlnnle is classic ground, it \vas
there that Boucher de Perthes 1 made his fanlous dis-
coveries, and that Gaudry, rrest\vich 2 and Evans 3 found
confirmation of the truth of those discoveries; G. de
1\Iortillet has investigated it, and most recently it has
been studied, particularly at St. Acheul, by 1\1. Commont.
St. Ächeulno\v takes precedence of all other localities
and ,ve will therefore COl11mence our account \vith it,
nlaking a special use of the infornlatio11 affordcd by
:àL Conl1nont. 4
The river S0l111ne fio\vs through a broad valley \vhich
it has eroded in the Chalk. Thr rate of erosion \vas

1 Boucher ùe Perthes, .. De l'industrie des antiquités Celtiques et Anti-
diluviennes," Paris, 1847.
2 J. Prestwich, ,. On the Occurrence of Flint-implements, associated
with remains of
\..nimals of Extinct
pecies in Beds of a Late Geological
Period in France at Amiens and Abbeville, and in England at Horne,"
Phil. Trans. 18ßO, pp. 277-317. (This contains a note by Sir John
Evans, p. 2H8.)
3 John Evans, .. Un the Flint-Implements in the Drift, being an
Account of their Discoyery on the Continent and in England,"Arrhæo-
lO!lia" 1.8UO, XXXY III. pp. 28U-307.
4 Y. Com mont, "Les Indust.ries de l'ancien Saint-Acheul," L'A nthr.
Y 01. XIX. pp. 527-572, 1908,

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

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1

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not unifurln, lnlt necelrrated at three snc(,c
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intervals,
o that the ::;iclcs of the valley do not present

.

102

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

a unifornl slope, but are cut out in three Buccessive steps,
an upper, n1Ïddle and 10\ver (Fig. 40).
Deposits of gravel, sand, and other sediment rest on
these steps, forlHing terraces, \vhich are far less accen-
tuated than the steps tIley conceal; they contribute
comparatively little to the relief of the land.

uperficial soil
Brick earth = weathered
ergeron

Neolithic
Upper Palæolithic

Ergeron = Recent löss

l\lousteriau ?

Grayel
Ergeron
(
ravel
Limon fendillé = altered
ancient löss
Pockets of gravel

OC>O'-'

oOOC>C>e>O

1\Iousterian

Upper Acheu lean

Lower Acheulean

-. -. . . .. ..
-- .. .'.
Rahle aigre _.:=:=-..
. "_-::..::-:-=--

- .
-.-:-._.-::;
G rayel (J 00 0 '" 0 0 ð 0

...2
o
!.

Chellean
Strepyan

FIG. 41.-Palæolithic deposits at ::5t.. Acheul.

The existence of the steps and the structure of the
terraces have lJeell revealcd by numerous artificial
excavations, hriek pit:-;, draiuage \vorks, and so forth.
It is in the depo:-;its of thc n1Ïddle tcrrace that the
l.io\vcr Palæolithic Ï111plclllcnts occur. ...\. generalised
section based on oLservations ill llUll1erOUS cxcavations
is given in Fig. 41. At the Lase lies a gravel containing
relics of the Strepyan industry, it is succeeded hy
coarse fluviatile sands (sable aigre) ,vith Chellcan
inlplenlents, then conles a sandy 111arl (terre-à-pipe or
sahles gras) alldllext coarse gravcls (shotter) lying in

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

10 3

poekets ana containing early fornls of ..:\cheulean \vork-
lllanship; over this is a red sandy clay (lil1lon fenclillé)
\vith later Acheulean fornls, and occasionally intercalated
near its hase is a loose sana \vith concretions like " lüss
pÜppchel1 " \yhich is supposed to reprel-)cnt the older löss,
a layer of gravel again succeeds and contains l\lousterian
flint8, then clayey sanel ana once lTIOre a layer of gravel;
this is covered by yello\v sandy clay (ergeron) \vhich
represents perhaps the younger löss and cont
tins
Aurignacian Ílllpleillents. The "ergeron " passes
up\varås into brick earth, \vhich is probably a product
of its alteration by \veathering, and then con1es the
vegetahle soil, \vith :8 eolithic implel1lents, which com-
pletes the series.
A. cOlllplete interpretation of the features of the
vaHey is not easy.
The explanåtion previously given of the terraces of
the Eastern Alps is exclueled in this case, because the
hasin of the SOlunle lies conlpletely outside the regions
covered hy the great ice-sheets, and consequently \vas
not directly affected by the \Vaxillg and \vaning of the
ice. \Ye return, therefore, to a very old-fashioned view,
dating almost fronl the tillle \vhen river terraces first
hegan to he studied, \vhich attributes the periodic
acceleration of the rivers anll the con::;e(lUellt erosion of
the valley steps to Ruceessive elevations of the land.
rIhe land cOlltilluea to ril-)e till the valley had becB
excavated to its luaxinHul1 Jepth. rrhis lllay IHt\Te hecB
attained during the Chellean age or even earlicr, for
CheHenn ilnpleJllentH are found in dcposits underlying
the alluvium of the existing river. It is pos
ihle t.hat
these are rClnauié, i.e., deri vecl frolH the n1Îchlle tcrraee ;
but
L COllllllont assures lllC that they are not.
Fron1 the steps \ve pa
s to the terraces. l
ngliRh

10+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

geologists, following Prestwich, generally regard the
gravel of each terrace as scarcely separable in origin
fron1 the step on \vhich it lies. It is supposed indeed
that the gravel at the base of each terrace 111ay be the
re111ains of the very san1e gravel as that \vhich the river
enlployed in eroding the step, and the overlying layers
are attributed to floods, which occurred before the river
had cut its \vay Inuch deeper do\vl1. As a general
explanation this is probably on the wl10le correct, but
\vhen Ï1nplenlents belonging to the sanle age are found
in deposits belo\v the existing level of the river and at
the san1e time in those of the 111iddle terrace, 20 nletres
higher up, v;e are led to suspect that other causes 111ay
have interyelled, such, for inRtance, as a subsidence of
the land, and a consequent deposition of material oyer
areas previously subjected to denudation. .
'Ve \yillnot stay to discuss this question, as another
and n10re forlnidable a\vaits us. Ho\v, for instance,
are \ve to account for the layers of loanl kno\vl1 as
" ergeron" and "linlon felldillé," \vhich spread like a
l1lantle over the valley sides, extending from belo\\! the
level of the existing strean1 to heights of 100 metres or
even n10re above it.
There is no dearth of explanations; the difficulty is
to choose bet\veen then1. ___\1. Rutot supposes that 1
the water liberated by the Inelting of the great glaciers
could not find an inuuediate outlet to the sea, but \yas
ponded up to fornl an extensi ye lake \v hich covered to
a depth of over 100 111etres a great part of northern
Europe and the south of England. Each genial episode
\vas accon1panierl by its floods and its lake, and it is the
sedin1entR left behind hy the last t\VO of these episodes

1 A. ltutot, .. Les deux grandes Provinces Quaternaires de la. France,"
Bull. Sue. P réhist. de Fra nee, Le l\Ians, IDÜ8, 35 pp. sep. copy.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

10 5

,vhich no,v form the" ergeron" and the ,.; linlon fendillé."
rIhe northern harrier of the earlier lake ,vas fornled by
the southern Inargin of the Scandinayian ice, \vhieh
extended across the site of the North Sea (Fig. 37, b) ;
hut a barrier on the ,vest is also necessary and:\1. Rutot
supplies this by freezing up the nlouth of the lake;
evidently an inadequate device. The n10uth n1ust have
existed before it could be frozen up, and its existence
Ílllplies a barrier, such as could only be produced hy an
elevation of the lanit. I f the continental platfornl
,vhich supports the British isles (Fig. 27, Ct) \vere tilted
as it rose above the sea so as to reverse the slope of the
English .(
hannel a lake Inight very well he pro(lucell.
1
here is nothing theoretically inlPossiblc in this con-
ception. "T e kno,v that great n10velnents of the earth's
crust affect
d a great part of northern Europe during
the Pleistocene period, and ,ve have every feason to
believe that they 'vere not uniforn1.
The n10YCn1ents of Scandinavia haye been follo\vcd
step by step in a serieb of remarkable investigations, of
which the latest andillost inlportant are those by Baron
de Geer and Prof. Brogger. 1 It ,vould be beyond our
province to enter into these in detail, suffice it to say
that at the close of the InaxilllU111 extension of the ice
the peninsula rose to a nluch greater altitude than at
present, hut as the ice Illeltca a\vay it hegan to sink,
step by step, till at lcngth \vhcn the iCt"' had ahnost
cOlllpletcly llisappeal'cd it stood 2-10 nlctre
bclo\v it

presen t level. 2

1 G. de Geer. Om Skftnrlinnl'ien." Geoyrofi.'i];a Ufl.'(.cl..lillg ejfel' I
;fid( n, .
Stockholm, 189ô. p. 107. "T. C. Brogger. (hn dp sen!/ZaciaZe nfl posfglac;ale
nivdforandrillyaJ' i J\.ri.';tin.niojplfef, Christiania. 1900-1BOl, p. mH. .
2 It may he noticed in paHHing that the changes in climate. wInch
accumpanied the retreat of the icp have also been trace(l in detaIl; tht'
temperature ruse frum - H:) or - 9 U. at the commenccment to + 2) U. at
the close.

106

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Since the subsidence the peninsula has again risen, 80
that it no\v stands 2-10 n1etres higher than ,vhen it had
just been relieved of its hurdelJ of ice.
'The ,vest of Holland, on the other hand, sank
during the glacial epoch to a depth of 190 metres,
as is sho\vn by a boring at

n1sterdanl, ,vhich
proved the existence of glacial deposits do,yn to
that depth. Fron1 this depression Holland has never
recovered. 1 .
The British isles shared in the n10venlents of the
continental platforlll 2; at the close of the great glacia-
tion they rose to greater height:::; than at present and
apparently to a greater height on the \yest than the east,
a fact, if it Le so, in harnlony \vith 1\1. Rutot's hypo-
thesis. 'fhe great objection to this hypothesis, ho\v-
ever, is that it is not sufficiently supported by direct
evidence. No fresh \vater fossils, such as the sedilnents
of a lake
hould afford, are to be found in the" ergeron "
and" limon fendillé," though Inarsh-loving shells, such
as J.Succinea, are prescnt, and in no inconsiderable
nUlnhers.
The nlajority of geologists are led, therefore, to
explain the facts in a less heroic fashion; they regard
the "ergeron" and the "lin10n fendillé" as I Öss, and
this, as is generally a(hnitted, is of subaërial origin,
though different opinions are held as to the precise
manner of its fOl'n1ation. l\Iuch of it, as \\
as first
sho,vn hy Riehthofcn, is an a
olian deposit, laid do,vn
hy the ,vinds, but part is a pluvial deposit, \vashed l)y
the rain do,vn the valley slopes. A ccording to Gosselet,
De Lapparent and Comn10nt the löss of the Sonlme has

1 F ,V. Harmer, ,

Sketch of the Later Tertiary History of East
Anglia." Proc. a-eol. A.'i.'i()c. lU02, XVII. p. 444.
2 James Geikie, PrehisturÙ:- E'llJ'upe, London, 1

1, p. 2()ü et seq.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

10 7
been fOrIlled hy the rain,1 as indeed :\1. Rutot hilllself is
ready to H.(hnit, 2 though he still n1aintains the lacustrine
origin of the corresponding deposits in Belgiun1.
If, as the general trend of the evid ence See111S to
sho,v, ,ve 111ay accept a pluvial origin for the" ergeron "
and" lilllon fendillé," \ve n1ust at the saine tin1e adlnit
that they have l)cen forn1ed under exceptional clin1atic
conditions, characterised in particular by heavy rainfall.

SlU'anScorn/;,e Hill 770ft.
32oh.

__

--._______.:=-.".--- ---- .,...:----r:.J..--1f. .". ...>-..-

I
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-
I

õ. . . . >:-.::,:-::;-",

conrk
h,"U

1

SUM-n,.s(:Offr.Óe. Darl/'ørà N

Milton- 5

. f.!J6ft. _ _
100 f
. T

2
Flu. 4:2.-1. Section from Terry's Lodge (markecl 770 feet, but should be 700
feet) near Ightham across the valley of the Thames. Distance about 12
miles.
. Part of the above section on a larger scale. Distance about :{
miles. I. First terrace with Acheulean implements. II.
ecol)(l terrace,
also with Acheulean implements. III. Third terrace or Crayford hrick-
earths. IY. Fourth terrace extending below the burieù river channel In
both sections the vertical scale is six times the horizontal (after Hinton
and Kennarù.)
The sections at St. .Ltcheul carry us clo\vn as far as the
Strepyan stage only; to discover the relative position of
the l\[eðvinian ,ve n1ust visit the relnarkahle section at
I-Iclin, near Spicnncs, so ,ycll dcscriLed by 1\1. Rutot.
The gencral fcatureR are here 111uch the stunc as at
St. Acheul. rrhe TJYs flo\vs through a hroac1 valley,
1 GO lllctres deep, excavated ill five succe
:.;Ïve step8,
eaeh surlllouuted hy its terrace, H.ucl it is ill the fourth
terrace thaL the J
o\\'er l)ahcolithie stage
are prc:;;cr\ycd.
1 J. Gosselet, RSflui.-;.<;(: !I éu1o !lif}'le d1l 1.Yon[ dl' 1(( Fnuu'I', Lille, IHHO,
p. 381: .A. de Lapparent. 'l'J'oifl: de l-f-POZO!l;I>, Paris. 1B08, p. If)!I;1;
V. COlnmont. .. Les Industries de l'ancicn Saint-Acheul," L'Anfh1" IHOK
XIX. PI). 3
7 - ;-)7
,
2 A. Hutot, .. LCH d(
c()nvcl'tes de 1\1. Ie Prof. V. (\nnmont dans Ics
en\'irolls d'....\mienH," Bllll. SUI". J:clU" dl' (/"01. IHIO, XXIV. Pl'. l;
--;t
,
in particular p. ;{:
.

108

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The Hoar of the ancient valley lies belo,v the present
channel of the Lys and this to the extent of over 30

ISO

65

10

{,

FIG. 43.-
ection across the valley of the Lys, Belgium. I. :l\Iiocene; II. Pliocene;
III, Reutelian; IV. l\Iesvinian; V. Chellean; open vertical lines, brick
earth; close vertical lines, ergeron; a, 11, part of the section shown in greater
detail in Fig. 44. (After Rutot.)

111etres (Fig. 43). 'Ve Inay here recall the fact that
the sanlC is true of the ancient valley of the Than1cs,

Ergeroll -

Lower
\cheulean

:-;oil -
Urick earth

Gravel -
Li mOll fendillé -
nravel -
GlaiHe -
Gran>l -

Chellean

Ri yer sand
Gra,-el -

Htrepyan

Gravel -
Sand aml glaise -
Chalk -

1 csvinian

FJI:. 44.-
ection at Helin (a 11 f, Fig. 43) through the fourth terrace.

the bottom of ,yhich lies n10re than 23 Inetres helo,v
the surface of the existing riyer at Tilbury.
The section at IIelin (l1'ig. 44) is excavated ill the

v

l'HE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

10 9

n1iddle terrace. The Upper Åcheulean is not represented,
but the l.lo\ver Acheulean oecur
in its proper place
above the Chellean, the Strepyan similarly beneath it;
hut the section continue
helo,v the Strepyan, ,yhich is
underlain first by fluviatile sands and then by gravel, ill
,vhieh )Je.
vinian Ï1nplen1ents occur. Belo,,,," this, again, ,ve
have first a sandy clay (glaise) and then another bed of
gravel resting on the Chalk and containing fraglnents of
flint, ,vhich
I. Rutot regards as representing another
industrial stage, the .ßlaftiian. In other sections
another supposed industry, the Reutelian, is said to
occur. The l\Iaffiian and the Reutelian belong, ho\v-
ever, to the nebulous region of "eoliths/' and ,vill not
be further referred to.

l'he JIesvinian Stage.
'Vhen I visited Belgiunl some three or four years ago
the l\Iesvinian, no,v acceptell as the oldest of the Palæo-
lithic horizons, "as under a cloud; it ,vas associated \vith
eoliths and judged by its con1panions. I o\ve n1Y in-
troduction to it to nlY friene!
I. Rutot, ,vho carefully
guided me over the section at Helin and after\varlls
den10nstrated the characters of the supposed inlplen1ents
in his lahoratory. The logic of his Inethod and the
excellence of his exalnples ought even at that tin1e to
have convinced ll1e, Lut it \vas not till SOIne years later,
after] had lllade a closer study of the Ï1nplenlents, that
I becan1e fully persuaded of their artefact character.
I have no,v before me several Bakes, taken ,vith IHY O\\Tll
hand froll1 the l\[esvinian gravel, ,vhich all present
essentially the
ame shape and character;:;. ()ne Ri<le i

forIlled hy a singl
conchoidal surface, the othcr by t\VO
or three faces \yhich run parallel ,vith each other and

110

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

,vith the opposite face, in the dil'ectioH of the length of
the specilllen. If these flakes had been fOl'nled hy
ralldo1l1 h]o,vs, such as occur \Vhell pebbles are hurried
along by a river, ,ve should find cones of percussion
scattered at rando1l1 over the surface; hut, as a Inatter
of fact, no such cones are any\vhere to be seen, even \vith
the assistance of a strong lens, except at the butt eud.
There
Te perceiye indications of four, or SOllletinles fiye,
cones of percuBsion ; lone of thenl belongs to the bulb

1 \Vhen a flint is struck by the corner of a hammer a conical fracture
01' a system of such fractures surrounds the point of impact. rrhis is the
cone of percussion. \Vhen the blow is sufficiently hard, one of the
conical fractures develops into an undulating surface (conchoidal
fracture) and a flake springR off, carrying with it more or leRs of the
cone of percuRsiou. If the flake takes with it the greater part of the

<=>

/J.

----....

z

FIG. 4.").-l\Iode of fracture of flint. (1) Cone of l'ercllRsioll; (2) ('one of
I>ercussion, e11(1 vi
w at the base for flake; (
) co.ne of per
llssioll, lateral
view, amI lllldulatmg surface of fracture proceedmg from It; (4) bulh of
percussion surrounded by concentric ripples, which are crossed by radiate
striæ.

cone, its surface next the cone rises into a gently swelling prominence
[FiO'. 4õ (:
)]. ThiR, including the cone, is the "hulh" of percusRion.
If tile flake leaves the cone behind in the nwther flint, then the bulb
of percussion remains with the cone, and a correRpol1ding hollow occurs
on the flake. rrhis is what is Ineant by a negative bulb of percussion.
The mode of fracture of a flint is a yery interesting study. J\lany little
points of detail are worthy of attention besides those just mentioned.
Frequently the gentle undulations of the c
ncI.lOidal surfac
.are accOl.ll-
panied by numerous finer sharper concentrIC rIpple
. RectilInear
tI'læ
radiate from the centre of the cone, often exteJuhng a comparatively
long way from it : these appear to he torn out of the stone [:Fig. 4rJ (4)).

v

THE MOST ANCIENT IIUNTERS

I I I

of percussion, \vhich corresponds "\\Tith the single
conchoidal surface 011 one side, t\\'O \yith negative lJulbs
of percussion \vhich are associ at ell \vith the faces of the
opposite side. The relnainillg cones have not penetrated
very deeply into the stone,lJut they each record a blo\v,
\vhich n1ust have been struck in approxin1ately the san1e
direction as those \vhich resulted in flaking. But four
or five blo\vs delivered in the saIne direction over a very
restricted area of the flake and no\vhere else can scarcely
he attributed to chance; and \vhen \ve find the same
phenonienon repeated in a great nUll1ber of Hakes, all
having nluch the saIne fornI, \ve begin to feel it points
directly to intent. Such Hakes \vere shaped by an
intelligent being; they are the eal'lie
t kno\vn iinple-
ments used by Palæolithic nlan.
This is also the opinion of Dr. ULerlnaier,l one of the
nlost decided opponents of the "eolith" school, \yho
assigns the
Iesvinian to an horizon Ì111nIediately belo\v
the Chellean and speaks of it as "fruh-Chellean." In
the light of our present kno\vleclge tbis lloluenclature
can scarcely be Inaintailled; tbe Strepyan intervenes
l,et\yeell the Chellean and :\Iesvinian, the
[esvillian
iIl1plen1en ts are ruder than the Chellean, · and the
characteri
tic boucher is lacking. l'he artefact nature
of the 1\lesvinian Hints had l,een reluarkea UpOll even
earlier by ,;)1. Boule,2 \vho ,vas Ì1upressed by their rescn1-
blanco to the 11l01'e prin1Ïtive exaluplcs of l\loustcrian
Ì1u plenien ts.
Finally, Prof. Cartailhac, "Those juclge1l1cnt inspires
universal confiùence, infornlcd lne, \vhen he visited our

1 II. Ohcrmaier, "Die
teingel'äte des franzosichen
\Itpahiolith-
ikulHS," .L1Iitth. d. priih;sfo/';sch(Jn KOHL. d. K. Ale. JVi88. 11 rien, IH08, Dd,
ii. No.1, pp. 41-12;).
2 1\1. Duule, "La (
uatel'naire du Nord de Ia. France," L'
lllthr., 1
92,
tom. iii. Pl'. 4;H, 432.

I 12

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

collections at Oxford, that he regards the 1\fesviniall as
the earliest kno\vn stage of human industry.
The
lesvinian implements are nlostly sin1ple flakes
of flint or hro\vn chert, roughly shaped and irregularly
chipped at the Inargin. They are scrapers and rude
knives for the greater part; a fe\v are excavated 011 one
side by a round notch (notche<1 scrapers).
on1e larger
specin1ens seenl to have been anvils, and 1\1. l{utot
regards sonle as harrnner stones.
The absence of any forms \vhich coulll have served
as \veapons is \vorthy of note; \veapons of son1e kind
l\Iesvinian nlan lllust have possessed, \vhether for \var
or the chase. "T e are thus ren1inded of the 1'\tslnanians,
and n1ay fairly assume the exi
tence of \yooden spears,
and perhaps thro\ving sticks.

The Strepyan ^-';tuge.

The distinctive character of the Strepyan industry,
according to 1\1. Rutot, iR that all the Ï1nplen1ents retain
a considerable part of the original crust of the fEn t
nodule fron1 \vhieh they haye been fashioned. 'This,
ho\vever,.is only a question of degree, for lnany of the
Chellean and Acheulean houchers pres en t the sanle
peculiarity.
Coarse exan1ples of side scrapers (rac]oirs), end
scrapers (grattoirs), and notched scrapers (lalnes à
encocÏle), are nut uncon1mon, as \vell as prin1itive fornls
of the Loucher (Fig. 46).
SOlne very ren1arkahle forms, elosely resen1bling a
dagger, have been described by 1\1. Rutot. One of these
has been shaped out of an elongated flint nodule, such
as conllnonl y occurs in the neighbouring chalk; one
end has he en cleverly chipped into a rude l)lade, the

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS 113

othcr hns hecll left ull\\?orkc<1 to scrve as a haft. Thc
blaek Hint cxpose<l on the \vorked surfacc is in striking
contrast to opaque dead \vhite crust of the haft and
presents an astonishingly fresh appearance; \vithout any
sign of patination. In 80n1e cases a natural s\velling

. I
h
Lt
t
;;.

I

,,'
-;
Jj.-
----_-_ - - Ij' \ '" (
. _.

':---.:- ï."
" "'$::-
':' " ) -":j :,'V"
( : , "'h-\
'
=- ,;yI, \
\ í I
í "I. I;
I
,.,.
.;, t
..ì
:.' ,

:., ,',(1' '.
to; ............
. '.,.......
. /
, '. .' t, "l J " ,\
7, . r., ..

:#..
:-/;'" " .> " . r
,
.:f.i
.- ,;
'ijl if-:."'&, "
Wi.:tV::
',. '
",.', ":"I//;i.
:,!'!:
,;'...:'\,

,:,)\.'" 17 '" I ,"
'e' :.. (
"
'.:-lÞ:)' :.' '\
L; ,,
,:,;,
/.'i""'V.. '. .,;.;..'"ft;tf !of"
:-. " i:.
. " ',:' r' ,.:';.:
' _
.'
": "
. .(t", ',
,"',

:
,
, II \:
;;':, .:

,,;):':

; f
f; ,!

,'\ 'II' '\
::.flf/.;

'1Ì<o;":>':
;,
!"

..
:. ,.

2

Fl<:. t6.-
tnlpyan implement
. 1. A houcher; 2. A coarse knife, from the
Lower Ura\'cl of
t. Aeheul. (After C01ll1l10ut, L' A utltro]Joloyie. x i.)

of the nodule occurs just belo\v the hhu.le an<l has Leen
fancifully cÚlnparc(l to H gua.rd. By n1any inyestigatoJ'H
thesc daggers arc rcgarded as forgeries.

The Ohellectn Stoge.

The distinctive Chcllean Î1nplen1ent is the Loucher.
It is not unlike in size and forJTI t\VO hand:.; appot;ed
pahn to paInl (Fig. 47), but it n1ay attain a length of
ten iuches} 01', in rare exceptions, Inay not exceed t\yO 01'
three inches. l\[ost cOllllnollly it is sOlne,vhat ahnond-
I

114

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

shaped, son1etin1es it is lllore triangular, and rarely
oblong ,vith rounded euds. Not uncollnl1only it retains
a part of the surface of the original nodule or pebble
from \vhich it has been shaped.
It has heèn dret;sed by coarse flaking on both sides,
and the flaking of opposite sides Ineets along the edge
in a ,vavy line, so that this
edge, 'v h ich ,vas used for
cutting or scraping, is charac-
terised by its irregularity.
At St.
tcheul sonle of the
bouchers are distinguished hy
a thick butt end and a n1uch
thinner, elongated, distal end.
These are kno,vn to the ,vork-
n1en as "ficron
." Other
1110re ovate fornls are kno\vn
as " lilllandes" (Fig. 48).
As \ve have ah'ead y seen,
FIG. 47.-A Chellean houcher, the LoucheI' was used in all
seen "en face" and from the
sid
; fuund at Chelles. (After probability ,vithout the in-
Chouquet. x -1-.) tervention of a helve. At
the same time, too much stress should not Le laid on
its analogy with the 'Tasnutnian Î1nplelllent, for that
was used in a very different environn1ent, destitute of
ferocious carniyora and of colossal anilllais like the
elephant. It has been urged, ho\vever, that the
Chellean bouchel' ,vas too thick to be comfortably
hafted, and that when secured in its place, as we
must assume by cord or animal sine\vs, it would be
almost concealed in its \vrappings, and present a very
clun1sy appearance. It \vould have been a deadly
weapon all the same.
M. Commont, ho\vever, not only repudiates allllotion

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

lIS

of a haft, but RRserts that the boucheI' could not have
been used for striking heavy blo\vs. for if so it \vould
sho\v signs of violent use, but sueh is never the case;
the chipping ,vhich has been protluced hy ,veal' is on a
very small scale. That the boucheI' \vas intended to
fit the hanel is plainly sho\vn, a(
cording to the saIne
distinguishell ohserver, hy its \vorkn1anship; a flake has

Fw. 4K-(l) A Chellean boucher; (2) a "limande" seen from the side 3.nd in
front.

rom St. Achcul. (After Commont, L' A nthropoloyie. x;}.)

been struck off on one side to n1ake a plaçe for the
thumb and on the other for the fingers.
The finest examples of the boucheI' are nlade of Hint;
\vith less tractable Inatel'ial, such as quartzite, the result
is extrell1ely crude.
The houcher has Leen said to occur unacconlpanied by
other ÏInplen1ents; and according to G, de l\Iortillet
this is the case at the fanlous loeality of Chclles on the
banks of the Seine (Seinc-ct-
Ial'nc), \vhcre abundant
I 2

116

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

exalnples of the boucher have l,ceu fnulld without, it is
said, any adn1Ïxtul'e of other forins. lIeHce it has lJeen
supposed that the huucher \VaH the one and only inlple-
l11ent of Ohellean nlan. 1 This, ho\vever, Call no longer
he maintained; even at Ohelles itself rough fornls of
other implen1ents have been found, and at severa]
other loealities, notably at 8t. Acheul and in Belginn1,
,veIl-defined end-scrapers, thick side-scrapers (Fig. 49),

þ;
r

I'
I

}'IG. 49.-1. Chel1ean scraper; 2. the same, showing how it was heM in the
hand. From 81. Achenl. (After Connllont, 1./ A nfhropoloyie. x -It,)

and notched scrapers, littlc pointed forn1s for piercing,
and C0arse knives arc C0111nl0n associates of the houcher.
l\J. Rutot describes in addition a dagger (Fig. 50), rc-
calling that of Strepy, 1,ut dresscd all ovcr, haft aR
,yell as blade, and of superior 'YOl'kll1anship; he alsu
InentionR Hint lance-heads and arro,,," heads. 2

1 h L'outillage de l'homme Chelléan était bien simple, il ne composait
que d'un seul instrument en pierre, Ie coup de poing," G. de IVlol'tillet,
Bull. Sue. d'Anthl'. Paris, 1887, 3 sêr., X. p. 17;3.
2 A. Rutot, Le P,.éhist(Jrifjue dans l'Euì'ope Centrale, 1n04-, p. 157,
Engerrand, Six leçons de préhistoire, BrusHels, 1BOõ. II. Obcnnaier dis-
credits both these and the daggers: JJIitth. d. jJIÙhi:;toJ'isrhen l{OIlì. d. K.
All. fViss. fVien, Bd. ii. 1908 ; so does IVI. Déchelette, j\Imwel d' Archéo-
ZOf!'ie lJ)'éhi...toriqHe, 1H08, p. ÙJ. The late Sir John Evans and G. de
l\10rtillct alsu l'xpre
sed their dishclief in the genuineness of the daggers.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

117

The Chelleall ÏIllplelnents occur l1l0St conunonly in
river gra yels, though SOlne exanl pIes are kno\vn fronl
caves, as in the fanlous I{ent's hole, near Torquay,
\vhich has yielded rough houcher::; (Fig. 51) fronl
the lo\vest layer along with teeth of the. Ä
cëwe-bear. 1..
-'.\_
regards the geographical distriLution f:.f
' I
uf the Chellean industry, the character- RI' _,.,0'
i:stic bouchpr icl found in all. the c
ntinents
. " ,
of the ,vorld except ....tustraha. It IS spread ';..r. .;
over the \vhole of France, all that part of I'

,::,
Eno'land \\
hich la y south of the reo'ion of :P
"
b b I' I .'1/' ø .
nlost pel'si
tent glaciation, and it is found

in the riyer gravels of Belgilun (Fig. 52).
It \vas in England, as \ve nlay note in
passing, that the l)oucher first attracted
attention. Bagford and Hearne figure<1 a
houcher of Acheulean type in 1715.]
Frere 2 "Tote a Inenloir on tho::;e he had
c1i
covered at IIoxne in Suffolk, ,vhich i::;
remarkable for its in
ight and exactitude.
The Loucher is rare in the north of
Italy, but becollles abundant as \ve go
south.
t fe\v exanlples haye been found in Portugal,
and great llunlhers ill Spain, aR at San Isidro, near
l\Iadrid.
It has beell traced fronl end to end of ..\fl'ica, frolll
Egypt through the Congo, Rhodesia, and the
\.ansvaal
to the Cape; and fro III \vest to east of southerll .L\
ia,
frolll Åruhia, Palestine, the valleys of the Tigris and
Euphrates, to the Narhadda yalley in IIillaustan-

F[l
. .jO,-Flint
dagger from
Bindle, Bel-
gium (After
Rutot. x 1.)

1 L. Capit.an, "La. pl'cmière hache .Achculéenuc cOllnuc," ill'l'. Éc.
d'Allfh,'. Pari..;, ImÞ1, 1'.
lH.

John Frcre,
lr('h(f!t)lu!li((, 1800, Vol. XIII. p.
Uü.

I 18

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP

"
I
I ,j

II

' ";tjt
:

ø'>
' !.

1'1' 'ff7"".
J" ".,
:I
, ,. "
.

,'
\\\ì:'> . . ,
rI. I II' '.
,',I IIi j
, I II
I:,:.
' 1 '
J' I Í:,;.
T.. II'I!II
, "'; ;1111
I, 11
ll
.!. '.I t
:II\\ I I '
" li\.1,1':Lt

':L \
.L'I, I,'. . I ,
\ Inll, \ .

"

/' '\:..

,

" "'

, ',j ,,' ".

!\
I:.

\ .. J
.
'\ ,
,II' \ ,I ' .
.
\ .J . f ".': I'
. '.,; N. \ .
I ;:. 'I
".!

.

:

4

;-v.

"1

.
'\

1

T
-v_# '-
f "J-

.. ' . .:';-
\\\
, . }\

""" "" ''';'''

,"" ;:, '. " '

.
.,. I .. - it+
v" '. ;'"
. ,
I., '': . I ,,

ty..
4\
f
lIu '\."
.. : '( \,.

.,. · I
Ì\ ' .
"
'" . ; ,
,'

.:'.,. '1Î\,,7

.'

.: J
nn

\-
, :" .
,IJ'$!
..'
"

.

.,
.è, ,

\", \' '

.

,
...

':t:;Ìff
,.. IJ .'f,
, 0
i-7>,;.t'

- ,'.
:
,"'
-

, I

If

! -:" ... t

> ..

... "

'
:i ,
/ 2:

.

-;

2

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(;!._
>

!':::-
_
_,/:- ___;0'
J--"

FIG. 51. -Various flint implements from Kent's Hole. I. A boucheI'; 2. an
Acheulean "amande"; 3. a Solutrian-point; 4. a
ragdalenian flake.
(After Sir .Tohn Evans. x!, except (4), which is natural size.)

\vhere it is represented 1,y lluartzite Ï1nplelnents ,vhich
occur in COlnpallY \yith extinct species of elephant (E.
na1ì1,.ctclicus, which appears to be identical \vith

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

I 19

E. rtntiqn1tS, and S'tfJfJodon insi!Jnis) and t,vo species of
hippopotanlus--and, again, still nlore to the east in
Cochin China and l\lalaeea.
In North .A lllerica it oecUl'S in
on1e parts of Canada
and the U llited State
, ,vhere it is assoeiatetl \vith t,vo

G II1t.sko

LOWER PALÆOLITHIC
o
EUROPE

Fw. .32, -
Iap showing the distrihution of the Lower Palæolithic industry in
Europe.

speCIes of extinct elcphant
(E. Coht1nbi and E.
,frtcksoni) allictl to E. antiljuus, but apparently of
later date. It iR Haid to occur in South America also.
Thus, if ,vc exe('pt .L\ ustralia, Tw::;nHtnia, and Oceania,
the aistrilnltioll of the Chellcau ill(lustry ü
,yorlll-"ride.
I t i
llece

ary to proceed ,vith great eaution in
dra \Villg inferences fronl this fact.

120

ANCIENT HUNTEI{S

CHAP.

In the first place, the Ohellean industry cannot he
ident.ified with Ohellean nlan; that is, \ve have no
reason to assunle that even at thi
early date the
hunlan fan1ily ,vas honlogeneous, not yet tlifferelltiated
into divergent races. General
ullsicleratiulls \vould
indeed suggest the contrary.
In the next plaee, \ve cannot i<lentify the Ohcllea))
industry \vith a Chellean epoch. The Chellean industry
probaLly originated at SOlne particular centre and then
travelled in a slo\\Tly enlarging ,vave over the entire
.,vorld; it is even possiLle that fresh industrics had
already arisen w'hile this ,vave ,vas in progress, and that
these \\Tere sin1ilal'ly propagated, so that afte!' a sufficient
interval of tinlc all the various l>alæolithic industries
n1Ïght have existed sinlultaueously in different parts of
the earth.
It nlay be pointed out in illustration that at the tÏIne
we ,yere living in an age of iron l ,ve found the Fij ians
and many other races still using ÏInplelnellts of polishcll
stone, and the Taslnallians, Paheolithic, or still ruder
inlpl
rl1ents.
The duration of each of the several epochs n1ay be
defined on the one hand by its tfÌrst appearan
e, and on
the other by the first appearance of that next succeeding
it. Thus \vith the advent of the Acheulean in any
locality, the Chellean epoch Inay be regarded as closed;
nevertheless the Ohellean industry lllay have continued
to exist else\vhere, a fact \\Thich lllay be expressed lJY
the statement that the Ohellean industry survived into
Acheulean or even later tinlcs. Th us the industries
overlap the epo
hs.
The. Chellean FauJt,(t.-Thi
,viI] naturally Ita\- e
c1iffel'ed in different part
of the ,varld, and even III

1 rrhe pre::;ent age is sometimes distingui::;hed m; the Age of Steel.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

Europe geographical provinces may have been defined.
..:-tccording to French observers, the fauna which ac-
cOInpanies the bouchers at Ohelles is distinguished by
thp. presence of ElejJhas antiquus and the ah
ence of
the lllaIllnloth (E. j)J'Ï?ni!Jcnius). As au ahnost in-
separa1)le conlpunion of E. ctntiquus we find also the
soft-llosed rhinoceros (R. lJlercl
ii), and anlong other
di
tillctive anÏIllals \ve n1ay mention the hippo-
potanlus. 'rhese are all tìouthern fornls indicative of
a \VarIn cliIllate.
In Belgiunl anll England the ease appears to be
differcnt, since, in addition to the anÏlllals just
lllentioned, the fauna of the buceeeding .L\cheulean
stage, in particular the Inan1Inoth and the \voolly
rhinoceros (Il. tichol'hinus), also occur, their bones
lying interIningled,
In Italy, on the other hand, the fauna of the
Illanll110th is unkno\vn, at all events south of Piednlont,
but the fauna of E. ctntiquLts, on the other hanel, is
both richly rcpresen ted and very persistent, surviving
into the Mousterian stage.
In the northern countries \vhere both faunas occur it
has heen suggested that their intern1Ïxture luay be due
to "renlanien1ent," i.e. to the destruction of an earlier
depo:-;it ancl its redistribution, along \vith its contained
fos:-;il
, in a later deposit. Prof. Doyd Da\vkillS has
attrihuted it to seasonal n1Ïgrations.
.Attention l1lay be called to the fact that the horse
\vhieh is repre:-;ented at Chclles itself, is said to be allied
to b'ljuus sle llonis. I It \youl<l seeIll, therefore, tha t the
existcllee of [I 11or8(" allie<l to E.
tcnonis in the sands of
ßlaucr can no longer 1)e citc<l ill favour of the Pliocene
age of the Jlei(lelberg ja\v. _
1 ChOI I uet, "l\Iatél'iaux pour l'histoire de 1'1101lulle, " 1881, p. 3:31.

121

122

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The Aclzeulean l3tage.

Thc .L\cheulean industry is the direct descendant of
the Chellean, and the boncher is still the eharaeteristic
inlplen1ent, hut it is a different boucher, distinguishe<l
by its finer \vorkmanship and n10re elegant forn1. It
is llluch flatter, not so thick, and consequently lighter;
the flaking is not so coarse, and the edge has Leen
,yorked by repeated retouches into an even, regular
line, very different, \,"hen perfectly developed, froln the
jagged edge of the Chellean forIll (Fig. 53). It \VaH
thus rendered 1110re trenchant, so that the Acheulean
boucheI' is not only a better finished but a 1110re efficient
inlplement.
In the Lo\ver Acheulean of St. Âcheul the "ficI'ons"
of the Chellean have already disappeared. and their
place is taken by the ovate forn1 already lllentioned
kno,yn as a "linlande."
It may be observed that the edge of the Acheulean
boucher is frequently not straight, but slightly t\yisted
(Fig. 53); the t,vist, ,vhich affects in<leed the \\,.hole
Ílnplen1ent, BeeniS to have been produced intentionally.
N early a half of the total nun1her of houchers collected
at St. .L\cheul have it.
In the Upper rtcheuleall the boucheI' hns acquired
a fine lanceolate form, and is accon1panied lJY <l great
variety of sn1aller in1plen1ents.
Às ",ub-stages or local deyelopn1ents of the Upper
r\cheulean, Dr. Oberlnaier 1 includes:
(i) The industry of La :ThIicof}ue (Dol'tlogne).
(ii) Thc in(lu
try of Lcvallois (Lcvallois-l>el'ret, near
l)ariH).

1 H. Ohermaier, .. Die HteingerIite des fran
(jsischl'll
\Jtpaläulithikullls:'
]}Iitth. prahiðt. K01n. d. K. Ak. d. JViss. H'ïen, 1UÜ8, Brl. ii. pp, 41-123.

v

THE MOST ANCIENT IIUNrrERS

12 3

'The characteristic inlplen1ent of La .l\Iicoque is a
little laneeolate boucher \vith a hlade having one side

I
t
<1:"
,
". '\
'
\I !"d1'

:t\\I/
'
I.V,'f.,.
.

'

'
><,. , ,

. ,w'I
_ \'(f':.:
,;;

.
(.

t

L-1/
f

- '.
...
.:).: '- .;

... ....;-'. ..
gy.þ;;.
...
'1; h

'..:)'
.,: =:-tf \.:' (t' '
...

','

:: -
-

'
"'.;;'';';;
.!:'"
r',. . I.f '.

' .':.i

'
I/

, .\"" '..x..i"/,
I,'" " ".
-,r-'
. t : t
2 :",-' >9Þ--
'
, ,L, . . "

FI'
, .")3 -Lower Aehenlean implements from Rt. Aehenl 1. A typical houeher ;
2. an "amande" or ovate houeher; 3. a
eraper. (After Commont.
1/ A'1lfltropolofl ie . x A.)

steeper t.han the otIH'l'; thus ill th0 illustration (Fig.
54) the line of pal'tillg l,etween the t\yO sidcR evitlelltly
lie
tu the left of the ]niddlc lille, the left slope being

12 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the steeper. The houcher is accolllpanied by severa]
other kinds of inlplements.
The Levallois industry occurs at the top of the
.Acheulean in nU1Ilerous localities, and is characteristi-
cally developed at Levallois-Pel'ret. It is included
in the .l\cheuleall by Dr. OherInaier because it makes its
fir
t appearance in cOInpany \vith
\.cheulean bouchers,
but if we are to date the COIn-
n1encenlen t of an epoch fron1 the
first appearance of its characteristic
industry, then the Levallois should
be assignea, not to the Acheulean,
but to the l\Iousterian age. That
this is its true place has been
recently recognised by 1\1. COI11-
nlont. 1 "T e shall therefore exclude
the Levallols inaustry fron1 the
Acheulean, and refer to it later
under the 1\lousterian age.
The distinction bet\veen the ÌIn-
}
IG. 54.-Boucher of La plelnents of the various stages in

licoq ne. {x -?J. }
the Chelle an and Acheulean series
is not so great in fact as it appears on paper. It
,vould be inlPossible in 111any cases to say \vith
certainty \vhether a particular boucheI' caIne fronl a
Chellean or an Acheulean horizon. But ,vhen col-
lections of inlplements taken froln the various stages
are cU111pared together, the practised eye has little
difficulty in discerning the differences.
Each stage is transitional to the next, ana there
is a gradual passage froIH the Strepyan to the sunlInit
of the Acheulean.

1 Y. CUUlHlOut, ,. L'inàustrie l\Iuustéricllne dans Ie Régioll du Nord de
la France," Cuw,jJ'.lHéhist. de Ff(tnce, Paris, uno, Pl'. 115-157 (in particular,
pp. 130-132).

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

12 5

Fronl beginning to end of t.his eyolutional series
there is not, according to l\L COnl111011t, a single inlple-
111ent \vhich can be regard ell as a \veapon. Thus \ve
are once more ren1Ïn<led of the Tasmanians, \vith their
spears Inade exclusi vel y of \vood.
The Acheuleall fauna, even in France, is a nlixed
fauna; it includes both t.he southern forms charactcr-

j
I'

.

.;'

FH
. [),).-The :\Iammoth (Ehphft8 primi!!e1lill
). (From Osborn, after
C. R. Knight.)

ised by Elephas antiquus, and the northern, equally
characterised by the nUUllnloth E. l)f'Ùnigenius (Fig. 55).
The nuunnloth; as sho\vn Ly 1\11'. Lyclekker, \va

not larger than the existing species of elephant.
I ts tusks, large and. strongly recuryed, \yere sOlnetillles
as much as 2;1 ft. in length. Its \Varn1 coat of close fur
and long hair,1 \vhich \vas particularly long about the

1 8ee Report of nth International Zoologica.l CongreHs, p. 7G, for an
acconnt of :t frozen mammoth (lisco\Tert'd in Siheria in 1 nOl.

126

ANCIENT HUNTEI
S

CHAP.

neck, 'v here it fOI'lned a kind of lnanc, no doubt seryed
in the first place as a protection against the rigours
of a cold cliInate; a further protection ,vas afforded

FIC. 56.-The )Iammoth (Elephas p,"imiyenius). Last n....olar but UIle, lower
jaw, right side. (Afler Lyell. x t.)

Fw. 57,-Ehph(t/:j alllÙl 'tll t:5, Falconer. Last molar lJut oue, lower jaw, right
side. (After Lyell. x t.)

FIG. ü8.-Elepha.
rnerirlio1l(tlis, Nesti. Last molar but one, lower jaw, right
side, From the Upper Pliocene. (After LyelL x}.)

by a layer of fat 9 enl. in thickness beneath the skin.
The skin itself ,vas 3 em. in thickness, i.e. ahout t\vice
as thick as in the existing elephant. Its cars ,vere very
snlall and densely haired. Its teeth, lJY which it is

v

THE
MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

12 7

-; I
<<i ,. fjJ
Jf
./." .
f; .

,,,.,J
" .......4

::
f<

.. .
'

.,

,

\,[
,,
1 \
'.,J..
. ,
\\ . \
L
\.

:
JI' ,---l
.....,.. .

-,
....

,...

'.t

--U-.

.J ('

I

<;

... ..... _
_ t
1 ...\;

-

-
...- A.A..

FH
. :;g.-The Im1Ïun Elephant. (From Ec(ldal'(l, after
ir
allluel Baker.)

I

y..
. ,

., '.'t \ ,,'

'\J.
/'..
-.: ' ,
Tf
f

'"

,- ---
'-
\

,''''

t:
.
\
. \lt
1 þ ' ' .
I ....' ., i
, 1

"'
It. ,'[
,. '>\'. "
(
V'

' 1
; JJli1\;i ,

.' 11 " 't
I'" ,
I

"

..

.

\

-?

.
. -or

' ?I
,\ f '
'^
".
'\ l\\;t" .1' i.,j'Á:'1

..
' '!\' . '/""
;\
.::..

ì
%
jÝr:

..,;. t ... \ T.., . '-"
,.

'\
.

'
" ' ' I
"l
.
I

.
.;;:, -

-..:.::

. '\\
í1 \
.

.

.
)
.

\ "'I' '\ \

" ,c

(J

1
'IG. 60.-The African Elephant. (From Heddai'll, after
ir
amuel Baker.)

generally recognit;ed ill the fossil state, differ fi'Olll those
of E. antiquus hy their greater breadth and 1110re
nunlerou
trall
Vel'Se lalnelh-e; the lanlcllæ thcnlselves

128

ANCIENT HUNTEI{S

CHAP.

are narro\ver ana cro\vtled closcr toget.hcr; the cu:nuel
on their surface is less strongly foldetl (Fig. 5G). This
species was 1110re nearly allied to the Indian (Fig. 59)
than the .AJrican elephant (Fig. 60).
Its cOlTIpanion, the \yooll y rhinoceros (R. tichorhinus),
\vas also ,veIl protected fronl the \vea ther hy a coat of
fine ,vool and long hair (Fig. 61). The ,yO oIly rhinoceros

Fw, 61.-Rhinocero8 tichodânu8. (From Osborn, after C. R. Knight.)

\vas al'llled \\
ith t,YO large horns, \vhich stood one hehintl
the other over the nose; the larger sonletiulcs reached
a lcngth of three fect. To carry the \ycight of thiH the
septlUl1 het\vccn the nostrils \vas converted into hone,
and this nlore cOITIplete ossification of the llasal septunl
is one of the features \vhich distinguishes the \voolly
rhinoceros fronl Ilhinocc1'os lcptorhinus.
The inconling of this northern fauna points un-
InistakaLly to a change in clinlate. A fresh strain
\vas put upon the faculties of pl'ilnitive luan, \vho had

v

THE MOST ANCIENT HUNTERS

12 9

llO\V not only ,yilll heaRts to contend \vith, hut an
increasing seyerity of the seasons, especially in ,vinter.
Perhaps it ,vas for this rea:-;on that he lJegan to nlake
his home in cayerns.

.
{
. " '"

'-
\

\ '\.\

\.
\\fi
)\ " \\ J

\\ '\ \\. ( -
\ ," , ..
__\ ,. , Ii , . ,
" ::.. ì \ ,f','
)'à
. . - .
",; , >-
\ I J '\,
) , '. .
'.

-. . ..
.
,
'.r
'.- . 1. , > ' .
:\. .
,.

,
;J, ".'" j'J
':
.., If' . <i;- t<J
.",
......

,<,'" ',.

/ ,r"::-: - "\,
-..- ..........

,
..

.\ì, " l \
,
',
I
.
.."
" '\ K.

I"
-=:.__

r:

I I

...1 .
. . ,

\

....."'!:

.I

. a . ----=-
l' f " _ ,:, rÇÇ;:
\"
-
, _.

:
-,,; 1

.
W-

:. . _ I I

':i
i..
,">-

} i'i
.

--
;' .. :.p
-'. _ò'

'

_.-:-" -
;::p-
'. , --
iit
: u< -

'
."'JIIt... -;......
;,--_.- ,,
----:-

'.
'.;j. ,''>

_...

- ---""""P,
........::

- .:.c..

.,

'i!; .
L. \.....

.....

; I
_ l ...-.c w
-

-
-

Fw, 6
.-The two-horned
\f['ican Rhinoceros, for comparison with
R. tiehorhinul5. (After Flower amI Lyd(leker.)

K

CIIAPTER VI

l\iIDDLE P AL...EOLITHIC

MousteTian Aqe
So far vve have only been able to follovv the trail of
Palæolithic man, extracting ,vhat inforlnation ,ve could
froIll the implements dropped along the way; no,v, as
it ,vere, we enter a clearing, ,vhere ,ve make acquaint-
ance with the man hinlself, witness his feasts around
his hearth, and contenlplate the last cerenlonies "\\1'hich
attended hinl to the grave.
Let us first exanline his implements. A marked
improvenlent 111ay be observed in their design and
,vorkmanship. The boucher, ,vhich represents a natural
nodule of flint, reduced by flaking to the required shape
and size, has disa.ppeared, or only survives in the earliest
stages of the period. r ts place is taken by the Levallois
flake (Fig. 63, 3 and 4), the basis of vvhich ,vas not a
"\\Thole nodule, but a flake struck off froll1 it.
The nlethod of Illaking the Levallois flake has been
elucidated by 1\1. Commont,1 ,vho has fliscoyered the
very places where both the Acheulean and l\lousterian
hunters carried OIl their ,vork. 2 At these spots, littered
1 v. Commont, luc. cit. v. note on page 124.
2 Similar discoveries ha\ye been made in England hy 1\11'. Flaxman
Spurrell (A'l'ch. Junrn. 1880. xxxvii. p. 2
J4, pI. 1) and 1\11'. 'Vorthington
G. Smith (lUàn, the PI'i1lHte'val S(tVuye, Londun, 18U4, pp. 1:1õ-13ü).
130

CH. VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

13 1

about over a liulited area, lay the nodules of flint ,vhich
furlli
hed the ra,v 111ntel'ial, the cores ,vhich rC111ained
after the flakes ,vere struck off, the chips and splinters
detached in the process, ana -still in the rough-the
iUlplements thenlselves. It was found possible to piece
sonle of this nlaterial together, and ,vhen the original
nodule ,vas thus reconstituted the process of nlanufacture
becanle clear.
The Acheuleans sho,ved very little method in their
,vork; if they wished to obtain serviceable flakes they
selected a nodule of flint, and holding it in one hand
struck it Ly means of a haulmer-stone ,vith the other;
the blo\vs, delivered to right and to left, ,vere al\vays
directed obliquely, the nodule heing turned round again
and again as the ,yorker searched for an appropriate
face (}1-'ig. 63, 1). The flakes thus obtained are short,
thick and irregular in fornl; but that ,vhich chiefly
distinguishes them is their plane of fracture (Fig. 63, 5).
The bulb of percussion is snlall, and frequently several
occur near the saIne spot, sho\ying that 1nore than one
l)lo\v had been required to detach the flake. The Lase
of the flake is a plain surface, ,vithout any secondary
,vol'king. In making a boucher, flakes 'vere struck off
in the sanle manner Ly oblique blo\vs, one after another,
t.ill the nOllule ,vas 1'educe<l to the required shape and
size. The Hakes ohtained as Lye-products could also be
used, and little inlplenlents \vere made out of theul
,yhich sOlnetimes present a deceptive reseulblance. to
some
Ioustel'ian fornl
.
The )lousterians began by dressing the nodule in to
an appropriate shape; all the corners ,vere 1'en10ved
and one face ,vas flaked over its ,vhole extent: theu
,vith a single hlo,v, directed pel'penaiculal'ly (aj)lo'i1zù),
on one side a flake ,vas detaehcll l)y a fracture which
K 2

13 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP

./ ---

J i-rr 1. -
1 )
\
- - - y . .\

:.
:..

. I
.!.J C . ,/ .
I ,.. -
.//

r )... .
-' ,1\-
-
, .f '.P'" - I " -' J..':'::'" -... :::--::.",.....
:::::::' "..,
.." ..

,

1r )

I.
....._
.,'

.

_

.1'
,,
- " :

..........;: ........i
.
't _

--if .
1

./i .'\;

. ,\
'",

'\

(
\.<
' \
'.
'"
t"
'J
'

it
,
i}1

L.J
i l
) \-

...
"'" ..-)-
.
, f\l)

3

j
V I
\
J
I

0'1
1
" /'

,()
,
.(
-{\
,. ì. "
-
L
J/'j ,
\.-' \< .
y,,
\f Øi. "

A
- '6-
l:

' . ' i\ . r l
. _ fit
....
.
:;1

... J. l
t' 8

SA
r. 1

.
,

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.

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.) .
/
À> "\
t'.
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:, .....\..
+ è"-" .

." \ ..... -.
<1\

2.

t

-'"

.
.

1

.
..'

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6

.

4

.

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fr
.

-:1 .ð4

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...."...,;>--.... ...
_.
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.;

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>>,
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,,)'..... .:--
---

... .,;.--

.

,

,/
)-
':'-- 'y -d-
10

FIG. 62.-1. A flint core from which Acheulean flakes have been detached;
2. a nodule of flint prepared for obtaining a LevaJlois flake, which iH
struck off by a hlow deli\'ered at the point marked by a cross; 3, ;V anc}
4. Le\Tallois flakes; 5. an Acheulean flake; ß. a
lousterian point; 7. a
l\1onsterian lance-hcad; Sand 9. La Quina points; 10. a La (
uina
Rcm,per. (1-7 after Comlllont; 8-111 aftcr Ohcrlllaicr. All x
.)

9

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

133

traversed the prepared 1 )lock through its \vhole thick-
ness fron1 side to side CF
ig. 63, 2). The flake \vas theu
tl'iInn1ed, its base (the end opposite the point) \vas
roughly flaked into a polygonal outline, an(l son1etinles
further clressed by finer chipping, \yhi
h convertell the
polygonal into a rounded outline. Its thickness \vas
son1ctinleR reduced by flaking a \vay the upper surface or
hy relll0vil1g the bulb of pcrcussion, \yhich \yas ycry
protul)erltnt, frolH thc opposite surface. \,Thcreyel' the

FIG. ü-t-.-A LevalloiR flake from ""ohTcreote, Ileal' Oxford. The first figure
shows the flat face, that in the micldle the COllyeX face; the third figure
is a profile view (x t). 1'he original specimen is in the collection of
1\11'. A.
lontgomery Bell, :M.A., ]f,G.
.

ctlge \vas too thin, or likely to break \vhen used, it \VaB
retouched to render it less fragile.
SOlllC of these flakes attained considerable din1eluÚons ;
those dcscrihed by :\1. COllnl1ont fro1l1 the north of
}
l'allCC \vere sOluetiIlles as nl uch as 15 to 18 cnl. in
lellgth.
.At 'V olvercote, ncar Oxfonl, ill the n1Ïddlc tcrrace of
the Thanles, gigantic Levallois flakes oycr
o CIllo ill
length \vere found hy .1\ I 1'. l\Iontgolllery Bell in associa-
tion \vith r\.cheulcan houehers; they are very bcautifully
\vorkcd, auLl supcrior tu thu
c found in the north of
France (Fig. GJ).

13+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP..

The Levallois flake \vas an advance upon the boucher
in more \vays than one; its design effected a saving of
labour, since only one side required to be dressed, as
\yell as a reduction in \veight, and it produced also a
sharper cutting edge. At the sanle tinle the inlproye-
ment in design \vas accompanied by a greater mastery
over technique.
The l\Iousterian point is a finer kind of Levallois
flake, nlore synl111etrical in shape, sometimes leaf-like,
more usually triangular, and sn1allcr in size, rarely
exceeding 10 cnl. in length (Fig. 63, 6). Its edges are
carefully retouched and, like the pointecl extremity, very
sharp; it might have been used as a sort of universal
tool for piercing, cutting, scraping or sa\ving.
Another characteristic
Iousterian ilnplelnent is the
side scraper, \vhich \yas fashioned in a silnilar n1anncr
to the point, but \vith a different shape. I t is not
\vorked to a point, and the careful secondary flaking is
sometillles, but not al\vays, restricted to a single gently
curved edge (Fig. 63, 10). Such an implelllent \vould be
\yell adapted to scraping skins; it \you]d also make an
excellent sa \v , especially \vhel1 the edges, as often
happens, have been retouched by alternate chipping,
first on one side, then on the other. 1\1. COlllnlont has
put one of these scrapers to the test and says that it
took only a few monlents to sa\v through a branch of
green \vooLl, hut he does not give thc thickness of the
branch. The sanle instruillent nlight \vell be used 1uth
for cutting up an aniInal anll scraping its skin.
The usual asselnblage of enLl scrapers, Hotchell scrapers,
and a\vls is met \vith here, as on other palæolithic hori-
zons, hut \ve also encounter, and that for the first tilHe,
forms \vhich appear to l,e genuine \\Teapons, such as the
lance-heads described by
l. C01l11110nt. Oue of then1

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

135
(Fig. 63, 7) is notched near the base, apparently for a
ligature to secure it to a shaft.
T"\vo substages at least n1ay be distinguished in the
)Iousterian deposits, a lower in which the implements
are c0111paratively primitive, and an upper in ,vhich
they attain their greatest degree of perfection. The
upper is best represented at La Quina (Charente) ,vhere
son1e points (Fig. 63, 8 and 9) occur "\vhich by the

M

M
Mk
írd
'1 J

;l c
M M W,/

M 6'<;/ IJ-ó
R.sDTnlnp
;: .'

,..........
"po:;
-- . .: :'. --
Y:.,..';;" .... .-

.." .':' - a

CJlfl.llc

M

:FIG. 6.').-:Section across the valley of the
omme to show the horizonR on which
l\Iousterian implements are found. a, Lower gravels; b, c, rain-wash; d, limon
fendillé ; e, ergeron ; f, brick-earth; :1\1, l\lousterian horizons. This section may
be compared with that given in Fig. 40. (After Commont.)

beauty of their workn1anship almost antieipate the
Sol u trian.
The distribution of the deposits containing a l\iou-
sterian industry in the valley of the Somme has been
\vorked out in great detail by 1\1. C0111mont. The results
are represented in the above diagra111 (Fig. 65).
It ,vas in the l\lousterian age that man first nlade his
home in caves: the period takes its nallle indeed fronl
the cave of Le l\Ioustier in the valley of the Vézere,
DOl'<logne, \vhere its remains ,vere first carefully studied.
" IIon1e" perhaps is not altogether an appropriat.e
ternl; the hunter is by the very conditions of his exist-
ence a roan1ing anÏIllal,. never renlttÏning long in one

13 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

place, so that the caves n1Ïght haye Leen only ten1pOral'Y
shelters, prin1Ïtive hunting lodges. 1111plen1ents of earlier
date though not ul1kno\yn in cayes, are rare, \vhile the
)loustel'ian are COn111l0n; fortunately they also occur
in riyer drifts and other deposits of the open country,
so that \ve are 1l0'V able to extend the field of our
observations and to check the order of succession <leter-

FIG. 66.--Distrihution of l\Iousteriall stations in Europe.

mined fron1 the one class of evidence \yith that obtained
fronl the other.
The ren1aills of the l\Iousterian age are ,videl y dis-
trihuted in the old \\"orld south of the region then still
covered hy the ice (Fig. 66) ; they extend fron1 Britain
to the south of France, Italy, and northern .L\frica,
and fron1 the \vest of F\'ance through GCl'nUlny to

Ioravia (Sipka and Certova) au<l llussian l)oland

VI

l'HE MOUSTERIANS

137

C"Tierzcho\v) on the one hanll, and to Croatia (lCl'apina),
the Crilllea ana Asia l\Iinor on the other.
The assen11Jlage of anilllals \yhich inhahited Europe at
the saIne tin1e as
r ousterian lnan \vas sin1ilar to that of
the prece<1ing or
\cheulean period, \yith the Ï1nportant.
exception that the distinctiye species of the \yarIn fauna,
E. antÙjuus, If. JJlc f }'ckii, and II?l)l)Oputct'Jìì/u:-;, had no\v
\vholly disappeared or only survived in isolated locali-
ties; it "Tas the fauna of the Inanll11oth.
The fauna of the n1anllnoth is. often spoken of as the
collI fauna, in contl'a<1istinction to that of ElelJhas
ontÙj1lUS, or the \Varn1 fauna. It is generally difficult
to dra\v very precise inferences fron1 fauna to clin1ate:
the n1anllnoth itself \vas certainly \vell fitted to \vithstall<l
cold, but it roan1ed over a very \vi<1e area; its range \VaR
possiLly aeterlnined less hy tenlperature than the dis-
tl'i uu tion of the plan ts upon \v hich it fed. 'The ren1ain8
of plants found in the sto111ach of the frozen 111an11110th
discovered in 1901 included a species of Carex, Thymus
se'J1)yllu'JT
, Papct1}Cr allJin'll'ìÎ
, and Ilctnnnculus aCT is
var. borcalis, all seed-bearing species, still existing in
the Siberian tundra \\There the frozen ren1ains of the
Inamn10th are found. I The rhinoceros (R. tichorhinrus),
the C0111n10n con1pallion of the n1anln10th in l\lousteriall
deposits, is also occasionally founa preserved in a frozen
state in the tun<1l'tt; less is knov{n about its foolI, Lut
in one of these frozen specinlens pine needles are saitl
to have been found lJet\yeen the teeth. The hor
e has
Lecn suppofie<1 to illtlicate extensive prairie
, lJut l)l'ze-
valsky's \yiltl horse (Fig. G 7), \v hich existetl in Upper
l>aheolithic tin1es, no\\" inhal)its the great D
ullgal'ian

1
.\. Smith \Voodwal'd, .. The New l\IalUllloth at bt. Petershnrg."
NftfllJ'C, lUO;
, 58, p. 2!)7, and \\T. t;alellsky, Jlcm. Imp. .Jk. 8ci, St.
J>eter8vut'y, lUU3-5.

13 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

desert, bet\veen the Altai and Thian-Shan }\Tountains. l
It is said to prefer the saline districts, and to be able
to go a long time \vithout \vater. The bison \vas \yidely
distributed over Europe in early historical tin1es, and it
no\v survives in Lithuania; the American bison roan1ed
the prairies. But apart fronl these there \vere many
animals \vhich are llO\V found only in the colder regions
of the globe; one of the best kno\vn is the reindeer
( Rang ifer tarctnclus) (Fig. 68), \vhich is at present con-

-
--=
-

FIG. 67.-Przevalsky's 'Vild Horse.

fined to the Arctic regions of both hemispheres; it
flourishes best in a cold dry clin1ate. In \vinter it finds
shel ter in the \voods, and does not venture into the lo\v,
treeless plains except in sun1mer. Another cold -loving
aninlal of the period \vas the n1 usk ox (Ovibos 1nuschatus)
(Fig. 69) \vhich no\v inhahits the
\rctic parts of North
An1erica and Greenland. Lieutenant Greely found it
in Grinnel Land as far north as lat. 81
0 N.
But there \vere several others besides these, such as
the Arctic fox (Cctnis lugopus) (Fig. 70), \vhich inhabits

1 Natllre, 1884, voL xxx. p. 3Ul and p. 4;)ß.

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

139

the ...\rctic regions, including the island of J un l\[ayen ;
it is also found in N or\vay; the glutton (Gulo borcalis)
(Fig. 71), \videly distributed in the Arctic regions; the
nlarmot (A1
ctorrnys 1ì1Æt1'Jnota) which lives in the higher
region of the ..AJps, Pyrenees and Carpathians; the Arctic

"'..

\
. 1\

'-

FIG. 68.-The Reindeer. (After F. E. Beddard.)

hare (LelYUS varictbilis), an inhabitant of the .Alps and
..:-\rctic regions, \vhich, like the Arctic fox, changes the
colour of its coat \vith the seasons, Leconling ahnu
t
entirely \vhite in \vintcr; the piping hare (LagonlYs
ctlJ)inus) no\v found on the Altai ana other lufty
llloulltain ranges of Central .L\sia, the chan10is (Capella
1
ul)1'icapTa) and the ibex or bouquetin (Iveæ a1l)in?/s),
hoth .L
lpine anin1als, and the lenlnlÎng (]Jyoclcs
torq llClt'US) \\Tell kno\vn for its extraordinary nÚgrations,

]4 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

..

it
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CHAP.

I
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r-4

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

14 1

\vhen it leaves its hon1e in northern Europe and travels
in dense S\yarn1S to the \vest, crossing l)rooks and rivers

-l

.,..
I

,.
"
, .- ....;;: i'>
'
I
-.;f
'" ': "'" '\
I
---
....
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.........
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iIÞ

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t .....,....

.,

.....

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"' 1

FIC:. 'ïO.-The Arctic Fox, Cani.'i [a!/ojJIl8. (After
lanlliche.)

- -- -
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---=--
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Fw. 7I.-The (Hutton or \Voh'crille. (After Flower an<l Lydekker.)

and sonletinles s\vinlllling out into the North Sea,
\yhere it ends its journey \yith its life.
'rhis array of Rpecies, no\y confined to cold reglOl1R,

14 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

points decisively to a severe clinIate; and it is SOllle-
tÌInes found, as at Sirgenstein in "TÜrttenlberg, \vithout
any admixtur
of forllls \vhich might suggest an opposite
conclusion; but else\vhere the lion, hyena, and leopard
are also nIet \vith. These, however, though now
inhahitants of \VarnIer regions, probably possessed
considerable po\vers of endurance; the lion has unly
become extinct in Europe during conlparatively recent
and indeed historic times. The great Irish elk and the
\vild goat \vhich also belong to the Mousterian fauna
afford no evidence bearing on the clin
ate.
At the close of the l\Iousterian age, a deposit ,vas
fornled in some parts of Germany, \vhich is remarkable
for the inlnlense quantity of bones found in it, belong-
ing to lnany kinds of small animals, chief! y Arctic
rodents and above an the lenlnling. This fauna includes
the Arctic hare, the piping hare, various species of voles,
one of them A rvicola 1"atticc}J:-J being a northern form,
two species of lelnnling (.L
lyoclus ovensis and
Jl. torrquatus) and the .L
rctic fox; it is extremely
similar to the existing fauna of the tundra of north-
eastern Russia.
l\Iousterian remains have been discovered here and
there in the open country, buried in the löss (p. 211),
but these unsheltered stations \vere probably only
sumnler encanlpnlents, and it is to the caves, \vhich
seeln to have been nlore freg uen t resorts, that \ve turn
for our chief sources of infornlation.
The caves of southern or central France have
furnished the richest spoil, especially those of Dordogne.
The district of Les Eyzies (B---'ig. 72) abounds in caves, all
of them famous for their contributions to this Lranch of
study; IJe l\loustier is one of them.
Of late years (}ern1any has added its contrihutiollS,

VI

TIlE MOUSTEJ{IANS

1+3

/.Pe.?zac

I
J
- ,f4 /1

"..,' ""'"""'III"'f)",,1' 'J"ItI1"{\"

,
,;:......... ........"..... adUtu,.,t,u".TrJ.1 'h""'''.r"."", "", Ut.
,y
...
.,..

\>1)

,\

I: ...... "'
\\lu.l UIII ..

>J/,!I .r-. s .r, l
'> J '?;;
. \!I i.rel.U
1 {
'S'" '>>

...Ii) "

.......
:. I,

\........ ...,

FIG. 72.-Sketch map of the (listrict of Les Eyzies (Dordogne), showing tht">
position of some of the more important caves and rock shelters.
1. Le )Ioustier. 6. Laugerie Basse, II. Grotte rle la ðIouthc.
2, La :Madeleine. 7. Les Eyzies. 12. Grotte de Font de
2. l\Iarzac. 8. Roc de Tayac. Gaume.
4. La .Micoque. 9. Crô l\Iagnon. 13. Grotte des Com-
5. Laugerie Haute. 10. Grotte des Eyzies. barelles.

bet\veen Schelklingcn and Blaubeuren ill "TÜrttemberg.
It is about 30 kilornetres distant from the ancient
moraine of the l{hine glacier. The cave opens at its
foot, about 30 Inetres aLove the botton1 of the yalley ;
it looks out upon a sn1Ïlillg landscape ftn(l is ,veIl
shel tered fron1 rain and ,yind.

1 R. R. Schmiclt, Del' Sirgcnstein unrl die Diluvi:tlen I\:ulturstätten
\\TÜrttcmhcrgs, Stlfft:JW.t, H-I0, PI>. 47, 1 Plate.

14+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

lhi l't}luoying the eayc earth, \yhich IUHl accunlulated
for uutold centuries on the Hoor, the hearths of seyeral
successive periods \vere rey-ealed, the lo\vest t\VO heing
l\Iousterian. The cnlhers of the extinct fires lay upon
the soil, just as they \vere left by the inhabitants, stone
implcluents \vere found plentifully strc\vn about, and the
hroken bones of the anilnals \vhich had served as food.
These \vere big ganle, The cave bear (UTSUS slJelæ'Us)
in the present instance \vas by far the COlll1110nest;
this aninlal \vas the universal" care-taker" occupying
the caves during the absence of the hunters, and
receiving short shrift \vhen they returned. It \vas also
a favourite food, as is sho\vn by the great nunlber of
hears' hones \vhich are lllfl.SSe(1 together near the threshold
of the cave as \veIl as plentifully scattered ahout.
No one eave (
ould have .-;upplied so nlany bears, and the
hunters nlust have ransacked the surrounding district
in pursuit of them. .ßlost of the bones helongcd to
young aniluals, \yhich \vere, no doubt, an easier prey as
\vell as 1110re delicate eating. The \vilLI horse and the
reindeer \vere al
o hunted, as \vell as the 111anlnloth,
rhinoceros, and hisOll; the reluaills of the last narnccl
aninlals are, ho\vever, comparatively rare. After tIle
hunters had scraped the tiesh fronl the bones, no douht
\vith their stone ÏInplen1ents, they broke thenl to extract
the 111arrO\V, and after\varcls thl'e\v thenl on the fire; as
they \yere rich in fat they provided a sort of fuel-
probably very 11lalodorous. At Sirgenstein no charcoal
is found in the hearths, only the charred renlains of bOlles.
In Sicily, \vhere the \VarIn fauna (Elephas antiquus
and Rhinoceros llIc1'cl'ii) seenlS to have survivel1 into

Iousterian tinles, the hippopota111uS furnished abund-
ant food; in the <1rotto lIe San Cil'o, near Palcrnlo, the
hones of thiB aniulal \yere founa in sueh quantity, that

VI

1
HE MOUSTERIANS

145

accor<1illg to a careful estiulate, they must have repre-
sentell the renutÏns of at least 2000 individuals.
The débris of the caves bears \vitness then to nlan as
the successful hunter, courageously nlaintailling his
existence anlidst a cro\vd of cOlllpeting beasts of prey..
But in one instance, 1 at least, ,ve seem to discover signs
of a nlore ogreish disposition; for the hearth at I\.rapina
in Croatia contains the charred hones of nUlllerous hunlan
beings, both young and fully gro\vn, men, 'VOIl1en, and
children, and this has inlpressed its discoverer
Gorjanovié- I(ranl berger, ,vith the idea of cannibalis m.
Considering that the evidence is confined t
t Iñs-si llg Ie
cave and that \ve llleet ,vith nothing similar, or at least
so aefinite, on the l\Iousterian horizon in other parts of
Europe, ,ver--
lay regard this for the present as an isolated
instance. '
rhere is no reason to suppose that canni-
Lali
nl ,vas conlnlon or \videspread, and still less reason
for assunling that the hunlan race has passed through a
cannilJal stage. ) l\s a practice, cannihalisnl is chiefly
confined at the present day to black races, ,vho have
adopted it sonletimes. fronl a perverted religious sense,
hut more frequently to satisfy the palate, for there can
he no doubt that, judged apart froln all other considera-
tions and solely as a viand, h unlan flesh is a great
flainty. This ,vas certainly the nlotive in nlany of the
l)acific islands, and the instances in ,vhich a warrior ate
his ellenlY in order to obtain his courage ,vere the
exceptions and not the rule. 2

1 There ma.y ; be others: see A. Hutot, "Le Cannibalisme it l'époquo
des cavernes," Bull. Snr. Préhist. de France, June, 1907.
2 According to Flinders Petrie's estimate, 24 per cent. of cannibals eat
human tiesh hecause they like it, 18 per cent. when compelled by famine,
l!t per cent. to inherit the virtues of their victims, and the .remainder,
2B pCI' cent. for va.rious other reasons. I t is asserted on the evidence of
somo recent experiments that lnunan flesh should be the physiologically
best food iJr men.

L

14 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Isolated cases of cannibalism, brought about by stress
of hunger, Inay occur amongst the highest hunting races,
and have not been altogether unkno,vn among civilised
,vhite men; the Eskimos are sometimes driven to this
terrible resort, but look back upon their act ,vith the
greatest shame anrl conceal it like a crÏIne.
Now let us leave the hearth and visit the tomb.
A little streanl, the Sourdoire, flo\vs through the
southern part of the department of the Corrèze to join
the Dordogne, and opening on one side of its valley, ill
the district of La Chapelle aux Saints, is the l1louth of a
cave, ,vhich provided a sepulchre for one of the
l\Iousterian hunters. l
A magIna of bones no,v fornls the floor of the cave
to a depth of 30 or 40 cm., and belo,v this is an
accumulation of cave earth in which the grave ,vas
excavated (Fig. 73). It ,vas a shallo,v rectangular pit,
1'85 nletres in length by 1 nletre in breadth and about
30 c.m. in depth. The body ,vas deposited, extended
upon its back, lying in about the saIne direction as the
length of the grave, i.e. from east to ,vest.
\round it lay
a great nunlber of ,vell-,vorked l\lousterian Ï1nplenlents,
frag111ents of ochre, and broken bones, and over the
head \vere several long bones lying flat, one of then}
still in connexion \vi th sonle of the smaller bones of
the foot and toes, so as to suggest that it 'Val
still
clothed ,vith flesh at the tilne it was placed in this
position.
This ,vas evidently a cerelnonial interInent, ac-
companied hy offerings of food and implen1ellts for the
use of the deceased in the spirit ,vorld. It is aln10st
with a shock of surprise that ,vo discover tllis \vell-

1 Les Abbés A. and J. Bouyssonie et L. Bardon, "Découvel'te d'Ull
Squelette humaine Mousteriell," L'Anthropolo!fie, 1908, p. 513.

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

147

kno\vn custoln, and all that it inlplies, alrea<.ly in existence
during the last episode of the Great Ice age.
The discovery of the grave of La Chapelle aux Saints
,vas made on August 3, 1907, and soon after, on l\Iarch 7,
1909, another interlnent ,vas brought to light in the
lower cave of the fanlous station of Le
Ioustier itself. 1
The skeleton ,vas that of a young man, about sixteen
years of age. It lay on a carefully arranged pavenlent of
f1int Î11lplen1ents, resting on its right side, \vith the right
arnl Lent under the head and the left arnl extended.

/,

B
..(
).. N: l
'...j.....i c
FIG. 7iJ.-The cave of La Chapelle aux Naints. a. Longitudinal section of the
cave taken along the line 1 of the plan; b. transverse section of the cave,
taken along the line t of the plan; c. plan of the grave. It will be seen
that the axis uf the grave runs east and west, and the face of the skeleton
looks towards the east. 1. Cave earth.

'4

W
<;

Burnt bones and !\Iousterian inlplenlents ,vere disposed
alJout the skull, and a boucher, carefully dressed 011
hoth sides, the 1110st beautifully ,vorked of all the
Ï1nplcmel1ts that ,yore found, lay just ,vithin reach of the
left han(1.
The importance of these discoveries is Inanifold, and
fortunately they are \vell attested, woll-kno\vn anthro-
pologists having assisted at every critical stage of their
investigation. rrhe skeletons agree in all cssential
details \vith a nUlllher of others, ,vhich had long
previously becl) knO\Yll as representatives of an extinct
1 H. Klaatsch and O. Hauser, " HOl11o .ì\Iousteriensis IIauseri," .Arch.
f. All/hI'. lUOU, .K.F. vii. 2
7-
H7, pI.

L 2

14 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

race, often spoken of as the N eandertal 1 race. This
\vas already supposed to belong to the l\Iousterian age,
hut on eyidence ,vhich left something to be desired.
These latest exan1ples, o\ving to the accurate manner ill
,vhich they are dated, dispel any linge
"il1g doubts on
this point, and at the saIne tin1e afford v{elcon1e
cOllfirnlation to the conclusions, concerning the characters
of the N eandertal race, ,vhich hall been based on
previously existing Inatel'ial.
]
et us no,v briefly revie\v the history of this suhject.
7 Y hp NcrtnderfaJ Sl
eleton.- The first discovery of
the lJones of l\lousterian n1an to receive serious atten-

FIH. 74.-Section of the Neandertal ca\Te, near Diisseldorf. (After I.-yell.)

tion \vas 111ade in 185 G. Not far fron1 DÜsseldorf, in
Rhenish Prussia, the valley of the DÜssel forn1s a
steep and narrow ravine kno,vn as the N ealldertal.
Its rocky ,valls of lilnestone are penetrated by se\Teral
caves, which o\ve their origin to the solvent po,ver
of running ,vater. In one of these caves (Fig. 74),
opening some sixty feet above the present level of
the river, the famous N eandertaI skeleton ,vas found.

1 It is possible that more than one race of men existed in Europe
during Mousterian tinles. There would be an advantage therefore in
rcstriûLing the term N eandertal to those Mousteria.ns who are known to
have possessed the anatomical cha.racters which it denotes; the term
l\'lousterian may be used in a wider sen
e, applicable to all the races which
lived in l\lousterian tÍ1nes.

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

1+9

It lay embedded in a hard, consolidated loan1, and \vhen
first exposed by the \VOrkn1en who \vere quarrying the
lÏ1nestone, ,vas probably con1plete. Unfortunately, it
suffered great injury fronl their hands, for they had,
of course, no conception of its value; but Ly the
opportunc intervention of Dr. F"uhlrott, the thigh Lones,

"
Þ' 1\ ,,' .
,." ..l/i'
. I'
, . ,

"''''
,/ ,

..: t....'

f .-/"--s_

. - "'....
'Ù

/..
;-

::1
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:
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. ßfð. ;r-....-.
':11 -..

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!

.FIG. 75.-1. The Neandcrtal calotte. :l. The skull of La Chapelle aux
Saints, Reen in profile. About x 1. (1. After Huxley; 2. after .l\I.
Boule, L' A 1lthropolo!}ie,)

the upper bone of each arn1, shoulc1er-blatle, collar-bone,
sonlC fragn1ents of ribs and, Inost precious of all, the
skull-cap or brain-pan (Figs. 75, 1; 77, 1; 78, 1),
,v ere resened fron} destruction, and are no\v exhibited
in the University nluseun1 at BouIl.

[ol'e than fifty years have elapsed sinee this
1110111elltous discovery ,vas nuttle, and fron1 that tinle

15 0

ANCIENT HUN1'ERS

CHAP.

to this it has continued to occupy a forenlost place in
the investigations of anatol11Ïsts. "Then its discoverer
first exhibited his specimens before a n1eeting of Gernlan
anthropologists at Bonn, doubts \vere freely expressed
as to their hunutn character, and subsequently the
famous anaton1ist, 'Tircho\v, endeavoured to explain R\Vay
the remarkable features of the skull-cap by attributing
thelll to disease. Huxley, \vhóse f
tlne, 110t\vithstanding
his brilliance as a ,vriter, ,viII always rest on his genius
as an anatomist, arrived at conclusions ,vhich we no,v
perceive to have made the closest approach to the truth.
He recognised the skull as truly hun1an, but, at the
same time, as the most ape-like he had ever beheld, and
placed it belo\v the Australian, ,vhich he regarded as its
nearest existing representative.
So long, ho,vever, as this skull ,vas the only one
of its kind, its testinlony failed to produce con1plete
con viction: its age, erroneously assigned hy G. de
Thlortillet to the Chellean, ,vas open to question, for the
fauna of the nUtmuloth, though occurring in a sin1Ïlar
cave only 130 paces distant, had not been found in
actual association ,yith the skeleton itself. It 111ight
have belonged to an abllorn1al individual, great as ,yere
the chances against such an accident, and, finally, its
con1pleteness left something to be desired. ,r ery
\velcome, therefore, \vere the fresh discoveries ,vhich
follo\ved from tinle to tin1e do\vn to 1905, and again
nlore recently do,vn to the current year (1910) ; these,
\vhile largely adding to our knowledge, unite to confirn1
the judgement of IIuxley expressed in 1863.
The 111aterial no,v accessih]e to study includes the
follo\ving: A lo\ver ja\v froln La Naulette, found in
v
1866; part of a lo\ver ja\v froll1 Sipka, 1879; t\VO
nearly con1plete skeletons fron1 Spy, 1885 ; a lo,ver ja\v

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

15 1

fron1 l\lalarnaud, 1889; and various fragn1ents repre-
senting perhaps a dozen individuals fronl I{ rapina, in
Croatia, to \vhich \ve nlay no\v add the skeletons fronl
Le l\Ioustier and La Chapelle aux Saints, as \vell as t\VO
others since discovered, but not yet described. All
these renlains, though distri1uted over a "vide

...... )

J

.
'( ", J.,\
't/',
. :,.'"

. t

\

I'

......

1

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1;.< -
\0,
. .

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-(

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'.

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./f

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7' -.
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2

.,
.

FIc:. 76.-1. A skull from Spy; 2. from
Gibraltar in profile. Ahout x
. (1. After
Fraipollt and Lohest; 2. after Rollas,)

gcogra phical area, are characteri
ed by bin1Îlar pecu-
liarities; and 1y conl bining the evidence they afford
\\TC are able to reconstruct the skeleton of l\Iousterian
01' N eautlertal nlan. "Therever the evidence overlaps,
it i::; found to correspond, thus cOllfirnlÎng our conclusions
and (1i:-;:-;ipatillg the n1Ïstrust \yhich very naturally
prevailed \vhen thë N eandertal skeleton \vas the only
one kno\vn.

15 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The face, to ,vhich ,ve involuntarily turn to gain our
first inlpression of the nlan, presents a singular aspect,
unlike that of any existing race (Figs. 75, 2; 76,
;
77, 3 and 4). One of the Inost salient features is the
pronlinent ritlge ,vhich extends continuously frolD telnple
to tenlple at the base of the forehead; it is farnled by
an excessive gro,vth of the brow ridges, the supra-
tenlporal ridges, and the glabella, the latter a
pronlinence of the forehead immediately above the
root of the nose. These seyeral regions are not
only greatly developed, but they have become con1-
pletely confluent, forming a single ridge, \vhich ,ve
Inay speak of as the frontal torus. The only existing
race in ,vhich the frontal torus at all approaches that
of the N eandertal skull is the Australian, and even this
does so only renlotely.l In the Australian skull the
torus is rarely, if ever, so con1pletely continuouR and
unifornl as in the N eandertal; its dÏ1nensiolls are less
antl its characters different. In the N eandertal skull
the torus receives adtlitional enlphasis fronl the presence
of a corresponding depression ,vhich runs parallel \vith
it along its upper nlargin (]Tigs. 75 to 78). This trough
is spoken of as the frontal fossa; nothing resen1bling it
occurs in the Australian skull. In the ....tustralian skull
it is the glabellaI' region of the torus that is nlost pro-
tuberant, projecting farthest inlmediately above the
root of the nose, ,vhich looks as if it had been squeezed
in close under the glabella: this gives an appeal'
nce
of concentration-almost indeed of ferocity--to the
Australian face. In the N eandertal skull the torus
does not descend in this fashion: it rises ,veU ahoye

1 See, however, D. J. Cunningham, "The Evolution of the Eyehrow
Region of the Forehead; with Special Reference to the exce:-;sive supra-
orbital Development in the N eandertal Race," 1'n.tn::;. Boy. Soc. Eelin
1908, xlvi. pp. 285-311, 3 pIs,

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

153

the eyes ana root of the nose, recalling its disposition
in the chiInpanzee,
The orbits are large and round, and rise up\vards,
encroaching on the forehead.

à
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Fw. 77.-Front ,-iew of NcalHlcrtal skullR. l. Neandcrtal ;
. Hpy; :1 (:i),.
raltar; 4, La Chapclle aux HabIts. About x ft. (1. After Huxley;
2. aft er }'raipont and Lohcst; 3, after Sollas; 4. aftcr Doule,
L' A 1lIln'npnlO!Jlr.)

The nasal aperture is ren1arkahle for its great size,
particularly ill In'eadth; the nasal bones are broad and
conca ve u p,rards, and the sides of the nose pass back-

15+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

wards into the cheeks without the nlarked distinction
,yhich occurs in recent races. l'hus, although the soft
parts of the nose have disappeared, ,ve may conjecture
that this organ ,vas of unusual dimensions; it probably
projected in a snout-like fashion of its o\vn, not C0111-
parable \vith anything \ve kno,v either alnong Inen or
the nlan-like apes. '
The distance fronl the root of the nose to the mouth
,vas greater than in any existing human race.
In the inlaginary restorations ,vhich have fronl tin1e
to tinle been ventured on by painters and sculptors, the
face is al\vays represented as prognathous, that is, \vith
projecting ja\vs. This ,vas sinlplya guess, pronlpted by
analogy with the apes. .L
S it happens, ho,vever, nlarkec1
prognathisin did exist, but only in sonle cases: it is
present, for instance, in the skulls of La Chapelle aux
Saints and Le l\Ioustier; in others it is absent. Observa-
tions lllade on the !(rapina fraginents and the Gibraltar
skull reveal a face as truly orthognathous as in Inany a
civilised \vhite Inan. There is nothing inconsistent
ho\vever in these observations. The aborigines of
Australia present just as \vide a range of variation in
this character. In any large collection of Australian
skulls every degree of transition may be traced
l)et\veen faces ,vhich are truly orthognathous and others
\vhich attain an extren1e degree of prognathisnl,
At the sanle tinle, the jaws of the N eandertal skull
present some renlarkable peculiaritie8: they are large
and paraHel-sided; the lo\ver ja\v in particular is heavy
andlnassive and especially distinguished by the absence
of a chin. In the existing lo\ver races of n1ankind the
chin is often notahly reduced in size, hut nevor con1-
pletely suppressed. _
s \ve have seen the sanle al)sellce
of a chin, even more strongly expressed, is to be found

VI

THE MO-USTEI
IANS

155

In the IIeillelberg ja\v, so that this sinlian character,
though still persisting, is evillently on the \vane. Again,
as in the Heiclelberg ja\v, the little bony processes \vhich
lie \vithin the angle of the ja\v and give attachnlent to
the nluscles of the tongue concerned in speech appear
to he nlissing; and fronl this it has been erroneously
inferred tha t the po\ver of speech \vas not fully
developed.
The teeth 1 do not present so n1any sinlian characters as
the ja \VS; the incisors are snlall, but the canines are
yery large, and the prenlolars very oblique. In our-
selves the three grinding teeth, or molars, din1inish in
size and inlportance fronl before back\vardR, the third
or \visdonl tooth heing the snlallest, and sOlnetÏlnes.
eyen rudinlentary. In the N eandertal race the order
of Inagnitude is reyersec1, and the \visc1onl tooth is the
L.
largest of the three.
The hrain - pan is consistent \vith the face: the 8\vollen
frontal torus ancl its accon1panying fossa have already
heen alluded to. Bcyond the fossa the forehead is
receding, and the skull rises to a cOlllparativeJy lo\v
vertex; the occiput is distinguishecl hy a sin1ilar slopè
in the opposite direction, and s\vells into a strong ridge
for the attacluuellt of the po\verfulneck rl1uscles. The
\valls of the skull are thick, and the thickness of the
fron tal region is proc1igious. In this region the Roor of
the
kull rises up to an unusual extent, so that, o\ying
to this ana the thickness of the frontal bones, the spaee
left for the frontal lobes of the brain is very llluch
dÏll1inil-;hed. It is in the
e lohes that the faculty of
1 Thc teeth of the Krapina men have been discussed at length by
p, _\dloff, "Die Zähnc deH Homo pl'illligcnius von l
rapina," Zeit.
..f.
.1[ol'}lh. H.
lHtlu'. Inn., x. In7-
n2; and UUl'janoyié-KramLergcr, "Die
Krunc ulHl \Vurzeln del' l\Iahlzähne des HUlllo primigeniub. etc." _lwd.

Ln-.;. 1
}07, xx.Ài. Hi-134, and ,. Bemerkungen zu Adloff," Anat. An::.
1 !)OS, x xxii. 14;)-15ü, pI.

15 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

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CHAP.

.-1;
x

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U2

.

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:::

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,

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

157

peech is lodged. t;onle cOlnpensation for the dinIinished
height of the:-;e lobes is afforded, ho\yeyer, by au increase
in hreadth, the skull being rather \yider than usual in
front (Fig. 78).
N ot\vithstanding these indications of inferiority, the
capacity of the skull is surprisingly large. It \vas
originally supposed to anIount to only 1250 c.c., but
this estinutte \yas hased on a fallacious inference fron1
the N eandertal skull cap. The supposed fixity of the
external occipital protul)erance (inion) had at one tinle
l>cconle ahnost a superstition anlong anatolnists, and it
\vas consequently n1adc use of, in conjunction \vith the
glal)ellar point, to obtain a fixed line of reference.
'\Then the Neandertal skull cap and the corresponding
part of a European skull \vere con1pared on the basis of
this line or \vhat comes to the sanle thing, the nasi-
inion line, a great disparity \vas found to distinguish
then1 (F'ig. 78, L\). The inion, ho\vever, docs not possess
the constancy attributed to it; it yaries in po::sition, like
most other nIllscular attaclunents, and the error \vhich
Illa)'" result if it is taken as a fixed point is by no nlcans
sn1all. This \vill be seen fronl the next diagran1s; in
Fig. 79, B, the con1plete skulls of an .L\ustralian ann a
J
uropeall are superposed in profile on the nasi-inion
line, antl in Fig. 79, c, they are sinIilarly superposed on
thc lntse dra\Yll fronl the nasion to the opisthion.
Fortunately the skull of TJa Chapelle aux Saints is
Rufficiently con1plete to pern1Ít of the .direct Ineasure-
nlent of its capacity in the usual \yay, i.e. by deter-
n1Ïning the vol11111e of shot or n1illet-seed it \vill contain.
1\1. Doule has taken a(lvantage of this fact and finds that
the capacity th us Incasuretl anlounts to a little n10re
than 1600 c.c. The Spy skulls are not less capacious,
nor ill all probability \vas the N eandertal itself, for that

15 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. VI

part of it \vhich is preserved ahnost precisely coincides
in form and dinlensions \vith the corresponding part of
the skull of La Chapelle aux Saints.
The Gibraltar skull 1 is evidently sll1aller; even the
external measurements show this, but in addition an
estin1ate based on a measurement n1ade \vith n1illet-see<.l
gave as the capacity only 1250 c.c. 2 It is possible that
this skull belonged to a \YOn1an, the corresponding
capacity for a nlan n1ight be about 150 c.c. n10re, or
1400 C.c. This would be \vell \vithin the IÌlnits of
variation for fi race possessing an average cranial
capacity of 1600 c.c., such as seenlS to be indicated by
the four other N eandertal skulls just lllentioned. In
this respect the J\Iousterian race \vas far superior to the
Australian, and even, it ,vould appear, to the European
whose average capacity is not above 1550 c.c.
It may Le asked what inferences can he dra\vn froll1
this fact, a question not easy to ans\Yer, at least \vith
any completeness. Cranial capacity is a measure of the
volun1e of the brain and thus it is clear that the
l\Iousterians \vere men \vith big brains.
Looked at broadly, the size of th e brain seems to be
connected \vith the taxinon1ic rank of the race; in the
apes the cranial capacity never attains, so far as is
kno,vn, as nluch as 600 c.c.; in \vhat \ve are accustollled
to regard as the lower races of mankind, e.g. the
Australians, an average of 1250 e.c. is con1nlonly Inet
\vith, \vhile in" the higher races, such as Europeans,
1550 c.c. is a fair average. But \vhen \ve proceed to
details, the connexion bct\veen cranial capacity ana

1 \v. J. SoHas, "On the Cranial and Facial Characters of the Nean-
dertal Race," Phil. T1'(lns. ] 907, vol. um, pp. 281 :
;m; G. L. Sera,
" N uove Usservazioni ed InduÛoni suI Cranio di Gihraltar," An'h. po I'
l' A1lh'opoloflia e l(t Etnolo!Jia, Florence, lUlU, xxxix. fasc. ;
, 4, pIs,
2 Prof. Keith has estimated the capacity at 1080 c.c. ; I think thiR falls
short of the true capacity, owing to some defect in the method of
measurCl11 en t.

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FIO. 79.-Diagrams to illustrate the fallacious use of the lltlSl-l1l1On line.
A. 1'he cranial vault of an Australian (continuous line) and a European
(<lotted line) superposed in profile on the nasi-inion line. The base being
(lisrf'garded, an exaggerated estimate will be formed of the difference in
capacity. ß. The cranial vaults completed by addition of the base. It
will he feen that the base of the .\ustralian skull extends almost as much
below that of the European, as the vault of the European rises above that
of the Australian. C. The two skulls sup('rposed in profile on the llilsi-
llasallille. The comparison which may now be made approaches closely
to the truth.

l.jf)

160

ANCIENT H-UNTERS

CHAP.

n1ental endovvn1ent is less obvious. The result of
nUlnerous investigations carried out during the last
quarter of a century is to show that, \vithin certain
lÏ1nits, no discoyerable relation exists bet\veen the
111agnitut1e of the brain-or even its gross anaton1Y-
an(l intellectual pO'Vel\ The follo,ving list illustrates
this conclusion.

Bismarck ......,.....
l{ant ..................
Bol)be (a rohher and
murch-reI') ....,..,.
1\ lohl (a distinguished
botanist)......".. ,.
Do. .......""....
GausR ..................
Skohelew (General)
M Olllmsen ........,...
Lie big. . . . . . . . . . . , , . . . . .
I\'Ienzel . ... .. . ...... ..
Bunsen .....,..,....,.
Lei bniz ............,..
Gam hetta ............
Do. ..,............

Cranial
capacity.
lÐü5 c.c.
1715

'Veight of
brain.
18G7 gms.

L\uthority.
\Valdeyer.
l{upfer &- Jlagen.

It. 'Vagner.

A. Froriep.
Buschan-Stettin.
Rudmeyer.
Sernoff.
Ha.usemann.

IIausemalln.
Do.
His.
pu val.
Paul Bert.

It thus appears that there is uo apparent reason \vhy
a great n1an should not possess a large In'ain (Bisn1arck) ;
on the other hand, he 111ay attain the highest flights
of genius ,vith a conlparatively 8n1a11 one (LeiLniz).
The dissection of the brains of crin1inals and of
<listiuguishec1 n1e1) fails to reveal any characteristic
differences bet\veen theln.
Since the n10tor-centre for speech is situated in Broca's
area, ,ve n1ight have expected to find son1e connexion
bet\veen great linguistic po\vers and the size or cOlnpli-
cation of the lo","er frontal lobe, but even this is not the
case. Dr. L. Stieda 1 gives an interesting account of Dr.
Georg Sauer\vein, \vho ,vas nlaster of forty or fifty
1 L. Stieda, "Das Gehirn eines Sprachkulldigen," Zeit::5clu'. f. ]IoJ]Jh.
(C: Anthrop. vol. xi (1908), p. 81.

1310

14
1
1300

1422

14H2
1431
1429
1:13:

1298
1295
1257
1247
11ùO

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

\
\
\
161 '\

languages; after his death, at the age of 74, on Decenlber
16th, 1904, his brain ,vas dissected by Stieda, but it
revealed nothing \vhich coul<1 he correlated with his
exceptional gift.
The 11lagnitude and visible conlplexity of the brain
are possibly two of the factors which contribute to,vards
the manifestation of intellect; but they cannot be the
only ones: there must be others of equal or even greater
importance, such as the ultinlate structure of the grey
matter, and the degree of perfection in the adjustment
of parts. It is possible that the character of the circu-
lation and the nature of the hlood-supply n1ay not be
\vithout influence, so that the intellect nlay actually be
an affair, not only of the head, hut the heart. There
may be yet other factors of a n10re recondite character.
'Vhatever other significance the size of the brain nlay
possess-or lack-it is, in any case, a morphological
character of great importance, and a difference of 400
c.c. or say 25 % in average capacity, such as distinguishes
the Australian fronl the l\Iousterian, cannot be dis-
regarded. J udgec1 froln the cranial capacity alone, the
surviving ....\ustralian evidently stands on a 111uch lo,ycr
plane than the extinct !\lousterian.
In a great number of other characters, ho\vever, the
Australians of all races Inake the nearest approach to
the 1\Iousterians. 1Iany of the more brutal.A.ustralians,
especially among those inhabiting the south of the
continent, present a depressed cranial vault with re-
ceding forehead aud occiput, almost identical in profile
with sonle forn1s of Ncandertal skull (Fig. 80) : there is
a resemblance, though not identity, in the characters
of the frontal torus; and the lower ja,ys, with the teeth,
present SOlne allalogieb. The ....\.ustralians are a lu,yel'
race than the K cantlcl'tal; at the same tÎlnc, they are

1

162

ANCIENT HTJNTERS

CHAP.

more closely allied to it than any other; aud \ve Inay
regard the Australian as a survival fron1 l\Iousterian
tÏ1nes, but not as a direct descen<1ant of the J\Iousterian
races of Europe.
. Let us no\v resume our survey. .A.-8 \ve have seen, the
N eandertal skull itself is undated, and nothing is known
of the age of the Gi1)raltar skull-the only example,
until the discovery of La Chapelle aux Saints, in \vhich

r

FIH. 8ft-The Oihraltar skull (thick linc) and a low form of Australian skull
(thin line) compared. The longitudinal Rections are Rnperposed, a line
drawn from the centre of the sections to the front of the great foramen
serving as a common baRe. Attcntion may be called to the great
thickness of the frontal bone in the region of the glabella of the
Gibraltar skull, and the absence of a frGlltal fossa in the Australian
skull. (After Sollas.)

the face is preserved in its natural relation to the
craniulll; but of the renlaining specimens \ve are better
inforn1ed.
SlJy.-The cavern in \vhich the two skulls of Spy
\vere discovered by Professor J\Iux Lohest is situated
in Carboniferous lÜnestone \vhicb forins a \vooded hill
above the Orneau, in the con11llune of Spy. N ear its
lllouth lay a pile of déLris e0111posed of several layers
(Fig. 81), for the greater part .Aurignacian ill age. In

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

16 3

the lo\vest layer (d), containing rough )Iousterian points
and the fauna of the mamnloth (E. lJri1nigenius,
R. tichorlzinus, U1'SUS SlJCZCf3US, IIyænct s}Jclæa, etc.),
t,vo fragmentary hunlan skeletons \vere founa, the
l'elnains of t\VO inclivitluals \vho had evidently oeen
killed by a fall of stones froln the roof.
They have been yery conlpletely described in a series
of acln1Íral,le nlen10irs by Professors Fraipont 1 and
[ax

e

Fw. HJ.-Hection of the Grotte de la Biche-[lux Roches, near
P'y. (t. Brown
clay an(1 fallen fragmcnts ; h. yellow earth alHl tufa containing hones;
('. red eal,th with bones; d. the brown day and charcoal with the two
skelctons; e. a .:\lousterian point from the lowest laycr in which the
skeletons were found. (Aftcr 1\1. de I\lydt and
Iax Lohest..)

Lohe:st of Lipge, \vho have sho\vn ho\v conlpletely
they agree in all their nnatolnical characters \vith
the N eandertal relnains.
Le Trou de La Naulette.-Oll hoth sides of the
valley of the Lesse, just al)uve its contluence \yith the

[euse, several caverns open near tlll
n1Ítldle of its

1 See in particular J. Fraipont and ]\Iax Luhcst, ,. Rechcrchcs Etbn.o-
graphi(lue sur les Osselllcuts flmnains d(
cou'Tel'tcs dans les ut-pÔts
quatcl'uaires d'unc grottc
t Rpy, " nand. 1887, pp. ;)87-737, extr. Arch.
eI" i:;oloyif', and 1\1. de Puydt and ]\Iax Lohest, L'ITullunc Conhm}.)()I"(tin
dll JIr1fìwwufh, C. R. nJIIUn\o.; elf' N((iIIllr, 18HH. p}>. :m, 10 pIs.
M .)
.. <>oJ

16 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

slope, at heights of from 75 to 100 feet above the
rIver. The cave of La Naulette is one of these; it
was flooded, during the Lo\ver Palæolithic epoch, at
irregular intervals by the Lesse, \yhen that river flo\veù
at a height of about 90 feet above its present level.
Each inundation left a deposit of 10an1 on the floor of
the cave, and the time ,vhich elapsed between successive
inundations was sufficient to allo,v of the gro,vth of an
inerustation of stalagnlite; there are seyen of these
stalagmite floors and seven layers of 10an1. Ât a depth
of 15 feet belo\v the lo,vest stalaglnite the fanlous ja,v
of La Naulette was found. Its simian characters led
some anaton1Ïsts, amongst thenl the fan10us 'Tircho,v,
to deny that it ,vas hunlan; but the subsequent
discoveries at Spy anù I(rapina leave no doubt on
this point, and \ve no,v recognise it as appropriate to
the N eandertal skull.
The bones of the other animal found in this cave
lnark the fauna of the mamn10th.
!{1'alJina.- The hollow in ,vhich the ossiferous <1e-
posits occur at this locality is not so n1uch a cave as
a recess, \vhich ,vas excavated by the river l(rapinica,
as it ,vashed against a cliff of friable J\liocene sandstone.
Since accon1plishing this ,york, the river has sunk its
bed 82 feet belo,v the floor of the recess; and the recess
itself is no,v completely filled ,vith débris (Fig. 82). At
the base is a layer of pebbles left by the river; over
this lie sand and loam, partly deposited by flood waters,
partly forlned hy dust \veatherec1 from the ,valls: fallen
angular fragnlents are scattered throughout. Here and
there, lenticular layers, dark grey ai1d red in colour,
are intercalated ,vith this material. They mark the
site of successive occupations by rnan; burnt sandstone,
charcoal, broken and burnt bones and stone in1plements

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

16 5

are found in then1. The lo,yest layer seems to indicate
a d ,,"elling- place; it contains the fragmentary remains
of ten or t,velve individuals of different ages, children
and adults, all of ,vhom possessed the distinctive char-
acters of the N eaudertal race. The bones are all broken

x .... .
. ..
. . ..:::.
. . .

.:'.i:>
II elæ
$

. AX ':'-
_",m'--__ - "_'mn._ -- .ursus sp
.
m..:_/)/ -?
:
'-:::, '
.
- .k? .... .. ..-.

. :AtfW.::i:---:\:.
.'.Q_...&..
...'..
/. :L:.::..
.:\.\.;
.
.
.

..

);
)
: ---..... ......-Homo
./:
:...:.--:

:/
\.
:(;:ig
::
-_
.':_-
::::::_f:stor ','her
/. . . .. ..:...:..::..;--: :
;:.:.<..)>::.:: I b Ancient hed of' Kra 'P. ;nica
. . / '
y ._-:;.:_.__ / .__n
_

-= :-:

-:I-a- - - - ------------ - --- - -
----
. /
IJI/ . . y . ._ 25.'!'
. . . .
. ... / . :
. .. I
. ..'
:
/9": . . :
· / / .' .' .Pres

e
of' X,
. /y ------ A
":.;/--===

:FIG. 8
.-Section of the rock Hhelter at Krapina. A. Recent alluvium;
Q. Pleistocene allu,oium; !1m. .Miocene sandstone; la. gra\Oel; lb. sandy
cJay; 1('. flood deposits; x. fallen Llocks of sanrlstone. Height of
recess from floor to roof
..jO metres. (After Gorjanovié-KramLerger,
L' A nthropoloyie. )

and nlore or less burnt; .and on this evidence, as ,ve
have already pointed out, SOllle have suspected l\[ous-
terian luau of cannihalisn1.
The fauna of this station includes Rhinoccros J[erckii,
Ursus slJelæus, and Bos J]l'Ï1ni!Jenius.
rhe Ì1nplemellts

166

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

are rough flakes of l\lousterian type; some have been
made out of the pebbles of the ICrapinica river, and
retain a part of their original surface. Some rude
Ünplen1ents of bone are said to occur \vith them, one of
\vhich has been spoken of as a bone" axe."
The discoverer of these relics, Professor Gorjanovié-
ICranlberger,1 regarùs them as older than the last
n10untain lllovenlents \vhich haye affected the district.
It ",.ill be perceived fron1 the preceding account that
the evidence as to the age of the ren1ains is, so far,
extrenlely conflicting: the fauna speaks \vith t\\..o
voices. RhinoceTos ]Jlcl'ckii is usually the conlpanion
of lllcjJhas antiquus and points to a Chellean age;
the n1am1110th to the Acheulean or l\Iousterian. The
industry is open to question. 'Ve call it l\Iousterian;
hut in S0111e l:ases, as at ICrapina, it is so rude that ,ve
should not he surprised if it proved to be older; though,
in that case, the absence of bouchers \yould have to Le
accounted for.
The nlost puzzling fact is the association of the
· saIne race of men ,vith t\VO distinct faunas, \vhich are
supposed not to haye been cOlltelnporaneous. "T e have
seen, ho\vever, that ElclJhas ant1
quus continued to exist
in Italy at a tÏ1nû \vhen the nlan11110th prevaileù in France
and Belgiu1l1, and it 111ight Le suggested that llhinoceros
JIercl.:ii lingered on longer in Croatia than in regions
1110re to the north and ,vest on the other side of the
1\1ps. 1-'here are convineing <tl'gu11lcnts, ho\vcver, agaiust
this vic\v. l)rofc

or PCllck proposes to n1eet tIll)

1 Gorjanovié-I{ralllberger, "Del' paIäoIithische l\1ellsch und
ìein
Zeitgenossen aus denl Diluvium yon Krapilla in Kl'oatien," JJIitfh. Anthr.
(ips. TVÙ>n, HJOl, xxxi, pp. lß;1-197; IH02, xxxii, pp. 189 -216 ; lUÜ4,
xxxiv. pp. 187-197; In03, xxxv. pp. IH7-22
J; "Del' diIuviaIe lVIensch
von I\:l'apina," Riul. CPJdral1Jlalt, 1H03, xxv. p. 803, awl" Der dihwiale
l\lensch von 1\:l'rLpina in J(roatia," \\'ieshadcll, l!)Oß, pp. 200, 14 pIs.

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

16 7

difficulty hy supposing that the ElelJhas rtntiqu1tS
fauna, after yielding to the Inan1n1oth, once Inore
returned, and extended oyer Europe during a ,varm
in terglacial episode.
If this ,vere the case, then the suggestion of a
Chellean age, ,vhich is afforlled by the occa
;Ïonal
presence of the ElejJhas ctntiqu1tS fauna ,vith Nean-
cJertal rel11ains, loses its force; ana if \ve are to depend
on the Ï1nplelllents alone, ,ve shall be con1pelled to
concede, on achnittedly Ï1nperfect data, an antiquity
no n10re ren10te than the l\Iousterian stage.
It is at this stage that ,ve recognise the value of
the discoverie
nlade at La, Chapelle aux Saints and Le
!loustier. 'rhe renlains found at I
a Chapelle aux Saints
ha ve been described by Prof. 1\1. Boule. 1 The skull
,va:::; ol)tained in fragments, but these haye been Inost
skilfl111y pieced together, so as to reproduce the original
forn1. 1\.8 previously mentioned, that part of it ,vhich
corresponds vvith the Neandertal skull-cap is ahnost
identical in shape, and there can be no doubt that
both belonged to the same race. 1'he face repeats
the characters of the Gibraltar skull ill ahl10st every
particular, the chief exception being the pre
enee uf
n1al'ked prognathis1l1.
The 1Jones of La Chapelle aux Saillt8 are a
curately
" dated"; the Ï1nplelllcnt8 \vhich occur ,vith thenl are
typical l\Ioustpl'ian forn1s.
'1'he sa1l1e is true of the skeleton belonging to a
you th of 1 G yea1'8 found at l.Je ]\1 oustier, 'v h ich has
been des
l'ibed by T\'of. l(laatsch. TIH à bkull in this
case had Huffcred, unfortunately, considerable distortion,

1 L'homme fossile de In Chapclle-aux-Saints, L'...J nth?. 1 !J08, xix, pp.
5HJ-3
3; l!JO!), xx. Pl'.
57 -
71.

168

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

so that it could not be restored to its original forul.
This at least is the conclusion to \vhich I fun led by an
exan1ination of a cast of the skull and lo,ver jaw
supplied n1e by Dr. I\".rantz, of Bonn; \vhcn the lo\ver
jaw is :fitted to the skull by placing the condyles in
their sockets, its incisors lie about 10 mn1. behind those
of the upper jaw, and vice veTsa; "\vhen the teeth of
the two jaws are made to bite together in their natural
position, the condyles are about 10 mn1- in front of the
glenoid cavities. The error seen1S to Le connected
with the position of the upper ja,v, ,vhich is made to
advance too far, presenting in consequence a prog-
nathisn1 that is truly extraordinary. In other respects
the skull affords a welcon1e confirn1ation of the results
obtained froln other 111aterial; it is evidently of great
capacity, thus agreeing ,vith the skulls from Spy and
La Chapelle aux Saints. The face, so far as can be
judged from the restoration, rese111b1es that of 'the
Gibraltar skull, except for its excessive prognathism.
The bones of the extren1ities agree, in fundamental
characters, ,vith those of ot.her N eandertal skeletons,
and indicate a stature of from 1450 to 1600 111n1.
The adult, probably fifty years of age (Boule), fron1
La Chapelle aux Saints, \vas probably about 1600 mnl.
in height. All the evidence goes to sho,v that the
N eandertal n1en ,vero of short stature \vith dispro-
portionatel y large heads.
The in1plen1ents -found at Le l\Ioustier ,vere also
l\Iousterian excepting one, the llchculcan Loucher \vhich
lay near the left hand of the skeleton, but as \ve have
already seen this Loucher continued to exist into
l\[ousterian tin1es.
Thus it "\vould seeHl that the earliest rnce in Europe

VI

THE MOUSTERIANS

16 9

of ,vhose 1Jodily ren1ains ,ve have
tny considerable
kllO\vledge is the l\lousterian; of Chellean or Acheu-
lean n1an-presunlably nlore prÜnitivc-llothing is
left but his handiwork, unless indeed the Heidelberg
ja,v should prove to have belonged to Olle 01' other of
these races.

CJIA Ie)TER 'T1I

THE AU
THALIAN ABORIUINEfo;

LET US 110'V turn to the .L
ustralians,1 the l\louRtcriauR
of the Antipodes CFig
. 83 to 89). In stature they do
not differ ,videly frolll the l\[oustcrians, their average
height being 1668 lnn1. (5'47 feet), and that of the
Neandertal race, 1625 n1111. (5.3 feet). "Te have
already 111entiolled SOlne of the characters of the skull
and face of the t,vo races; as regards the hair, ,ve can
speak only of the ..1.ustralians. Their hair is ,vavy, and
they are therefore illclutled ill the saIne sublliyisioll
of Inankind as oursol \Tes, i.e. the Cyn10trichi. They
further rcsen1ble us in the al)Ulldallt gro,vth of hair
over the lcnver part of the face.

1 For the anatomical characters of the Australians see 'V. L. H.
Duckworth, JIul'ph o lufI!I ((nd A n fhropoZo!f !I, Cambridge, In04. For the
general subject, A. 'V. Howitt, The N(d'i,.e TrilÞes (!f Smtfh-Bast A 'IlstralÙt,
London, 1B1J4; Spencer and Gillen. The Þrafi,.e 'rl'iúes of Central
A n,'ilralÙt, London, 18Dn, and The Nodhern Tâúes of CentTal _lustralia,
London, 1D04; 'V. E. Roth, Ethnor/1"HplÛcal Stn(h'e,
, London, 18!)7, and
Bulletins of North Queensland BthnoYfa}Jhy; n. Brough Smith, The
Abon'f1ines of VictoTia, London, 1878; 1{. L. Parker, The Enahl((?fi
1''1'ilJe, London, lB03, and N. 'Y. Thomas, lYati"es of All.'ifraZi f l, London,
1HO(). Interesting oh'3crvations will be found in the works of the early
explorers, ex. yr., J. Hawkesworth, _In _l('crntnt of the VO!Juyes in the
Souther''fb Hem i,'iphe J'e, London, 177;3 ("01. iii. contains an account of
Captain Cook's voyage); Lt.-CoI. Collins. An Accu1lnt of the Enylish
Colony of N('1.(1 So'uih IVales, I
ondon, 1804 ; G. Grey,
TO'tl'i"')lnls vf Twu
Exppdifions of Dis('ol'(,J'!1 in North-Trest (unl TVestern A'I(,<;frftlia, London,
1841, 2 vols. ; and E. .J. Eyre, Jmu"Jwl." of R,
'pedition.') of DiscoreTIj into
Central A llstralia" London, 1845, 2 vols.
170

CH. VII THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES 17 1

III the arts they sho"\v a decided ad vance beyond
the TaS111anians. The spear, though it still continues to

........

,, { .
-
...,. ;"
-

.
.

\ '
...

,\.

I
.
....

-.:: Þ
: .a;.

..

." ,';

..
3'
- .;.tt .
.:
'"
,f .'rt
. :t i .

. 11 '
;r'
;:..' "'
:1
" ;
' " ..
. .
:
,

""

\
,

{

-

j '!- ... \
,

, , , ..

,'- .,
\;.,

"

-. ..

".

... 7.

FIC;.
:t-
Ian of Arunta tribe, Central Australia.
(After
pellcer and Gillen,)

he the most in1po1'tallt "\Yeapon, is n101'e complicated; it
is frequently provided "\vith barlÞs, and the head is not of

17 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

one piece ,vith the shaft, lJut is a separate part Inade of
hard ''lood or flaked stone (Fig. 90). They are \vithuut
the bo,v, but, on the other hand, they possess a thro\ving
stick for hurling the spear (Fig. 91), and t\VO kinds of
boomerangs, one of ,vhich returns in its flight 1 (Figs.
92, 93). Their ston.e adzes and aXES are provided ,vith

.
.

FIG. 81.-ßlan of \Yarramunga tribe, Central Australia.
(After
pencer and C-Hllen.)

a haft (Fig. 9-1), aucl their stone knives \vith a ,yooden
handle (Fig. 95). Shields of t\VO kinds are used, one

1 On the flight of the boomerang, sce G.
r. \Valker, "On Boomer-
angs," ph,a. Tnln..,., 1897, vol. 190, p. 23, and Nature, 1901, lxiv. p. 3:18.
The Egyptians used a boomeran
. Schiaparelli has suggested that the
" cajeta "describcd by Isidor of Sm'ille was prohably a boomerang :-
Est genus Gallici teli, ex materia (lt1am maxima lente, quæ jacta quide1l1
non longe proptcr gravitatem evolat, sed quo pervcnit, vi nimia per-
fringit; quod si ab artifice mittatur, rurRUS redit ad cum qui nlisit.-
Isidori Hispalensis, OriY!I., xviii. see O. Z. Branca, Nature, tom. cit.
p. 400.

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

173

to ward off the blo,vs of cluhs and the other for defence
against spears.
The art of manufacturing the
tone in1plen1cnts has
been carefully observed ana tlescribed. The axe is 111ade

..:;;:z
f ".

I'"

Fw-. 83.-.Man of the \\
orgaia trihe, Central Australia.
(After
pencer and (
illen.)

in 11101'0 ,vays than one; s01l1etinlcs a fraglnent of a
jointed rock or a pchlJle fronl the hrook is selectet1 HI'5
nUlking a sufficient approach to thc desired size and
shape, and then dressed to a sharp edge at one elHl,
a slllall pel)l)le lH
ing usc<1 as a hun1111er. 1n other cases

174

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the ,york is begun by striking ofF a large flake fronl
a block of stone; holding this in the left hand, with the
conchoidal surface turned a\vay froIn hin1, the operator
then dresses it by blo\vs delivered 011 the side facing
him.
The knife is also obtained by flaking; a block of stone
about eight inches long by six broad, fairly flat at one

fl

FIt}. 86.-Elùerly woman of the Kaitish tribe, Central Australia.
(After Spencer and G-illen.)

end and tapering to the other, is held upright against
the ground and struck nearly vertically with sn1art
blows near the edge (Fig. 9G). In this \vay, long,
thin lalnina, something like the blade of a dagger, are
obtained, triangular in section, \vith a single broad face
on one side and t\yO narrO\\Ter ones 011 the other, or an
additional face 111ay 1e present, as sho,vn in this illus-
tration (Fig. 9G). As 11light be expected, they vary

VII

THE AUSTI
AI..IAN ABORIGINES

175

considerahly ill fornl: SOllle are hroad and lanceolate,
others narro\v antl elongate, hut all are used for the
San1e purposes.
The8e flakes resen1ble in n1nny re:spects those ,vhich
,ve shall encounter later on in the l\Iagr1aleniall stage;
but the. Australians luake other tlaketl Ï1nplelnents,
,vhich strongly recall the Solutrian.

.,;,f.,

H J

FIG.
7, - The woman of the prcceding figure seen full face,
(After Spencer and Gillcll.)

Spencer and Gillen, in describing the lllanufaeture
of the
\..ustralian stone inlplen1ents, ren1ark that" SOllle
lllen are lnuch nlore skilful than others." 1'0 this it
may be added that in general the natives differ anlong
theluselves in physical antl intellectual endO'VlTIent
alnlost as \videly as civilised races. But \vhen \ve turn
to Palæolithic IUan, sin1Ïlar differences as regartls ,york-
luanship reveal thenlselvcs. No one can look through

17 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

a collection of inlplenlents fronl the same locality, even
,vhen these are Chellean or Aúheulean bouchers, "\vithout
heing struck with their extraordinary difference in style
ana finish: in sonle cases ,ve seenl to have before us the

.

""
-

,

..\,

1:

FIG. 88.-Y oung woman wearing arm-bands and showing cicatrisation of the
skin; Anula tribe, Central Australia. (After Spencer and Gillen.)

\ work of a novice or nlel'e bungler, in others our adn1ira-
tion is aroused by truth in fOrITI and accuracy in detail,
,vhere every stroke speaks of the nlaster hand. Thus
\ the earliest rcron1s of our ki nd, as Hluch as the facts of

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

177

daily experience, offer a contra<liction to that anlazing 1 ")(
doctrine ,vhich asserts the equality of indivitluainlen.
The sanle observers also infornl us that there are
certain localities ,,
here the best knives are nlade, and
that for every flake considered good enough to use, at
least a score are discarded. This also finds a parallel

-

-
----

.H

lI-'IG. 89. -The same as in Fig.

, seen full face. (After Spencer and Gillen).

in Palæolithic times; for in :::;everal localities, both in
England find abroad, factories of bouchers and other
inlplenlents have been unearthed, \vhere every stage,
fronl the rough nodule to the finished product, has
been observed, as \vell as ahUll(1allt \vastrels.
SOlne of the Australian axes, nutde of close-grained

17 8

..-' - -<:;, \

- -- ---:

.. -- _.--
< . ."- "\
. ( ,,
,-=' - -
g

-
")."'-

J
\

:;:,;""'- ''>(

"
-,.,,

-}

'\{ , "
"\Î"
A
;-" )
:-

j '.
... -

.

-
.,I

,:.,1
I I.
,)

ANCIENT HUNTERS

-.

.
, I

I
-... J I

FH:. 90. -V al'ious forms of spear-heal1,
Cent),;11 Australia.
(After Spenccl' and ( : illen, )

CHAP.

f

"If,.

..
'..

.,

.
,,'
/'

..

", ,
t'
..

-
r
;,
p

] f
f
I
- I'
"--

.
.
-
.or'
-

. >

'.
"

,,'

. '
./

\
\

CJ
b

(t
FIH.
n.-Spear throwers, a.
up-
posed to possess strong magie pro-
perties (South-East Australia).
(After Howitt.) b. DceOl'ate(I
spear-thrower (Central Australia).
(After Hpencer amI Gillen).

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

179

diorite, are ground do\vn, after they have been chipped
into shape, on a fiat slah of sanl1stone, \vith the aid of
sau<l and \vater. Polished iUlplell1ents such as these

,
-

2

-

4

FIG. 9
.-Boomerangs. 1. A returning hoomerang ('Y onguin). 2. The same
seen edgeways, to show the twist in its form; the twist is exaggerated in
the diagram-it docs not amount to more than 2 3 or :r). :{. A non-
returning boomera.ng (Dal'ngeet) shown edgeways ahO\re. There is no
regular twist. 4..A hoomcrang (Li-lil) which is w;;cd for fighting, amI
selùom thrown, shown edgeways abo\'e. (After R. Brough Smith.)

a.re supposccl to be thc cxclusive characteristic of the
.N colithic pcriod; hut as the Australians are still in a
l>almolithic
tage of culturc, they prcscnt us in this ca
e
\vith an exception, for \vhich Yttrious explanations 111ay
hc f01l1Hl.

,
')
.." ...

180

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Bone is used for SOlne ilnplenlents, such as awls (Fig.
97) and gouges; the fibula of the kangaroo or emu \vhen
ground down to a fine point 111akes an excellent awl,
\vhich is used for piercing holes in skins, preparatory to

c

.F

c

p

G

E

A.
FIG. 93.-The flight of a returning boomerang (A in plan, B in elevation).
This represents the most complicated flight obtained by :Mr. G. T. \Valkcr
in his experiments; when thrown by the natives of Australia the
boomerang sometimes performs truly marvellous flights. In one case
recorded by Howitt it described fhre circles in the air, and covered a
course of 90 metres before returning.

-

/

. r · r
I ',
o{

,- J
l, :.

.1
'I

fJ
.-

I

P' :::I .
'
- "

.l
""'*',

fI
--

"'."

,"w JII'

.....,,--

3
..

Fw. 94,-Stone axe decorated with line ornament (Central Australia).
(After Spencer and Gillen.)

" se\ving" them together with the sine\vs of anilnals.
Bone pins (Fig. 98) are also 111ade for pegging do\vn the
skins while drying. 'Ve shall meet \vith bone in1ple-
Inents in deposits of the Upper Palæolithic period.
The Australians are quite at h0111C in the \vater ; they

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

181

are expert s,vilnmers and divers, but they also kno,v
ho,v to make and handle se\Teral kinds of ,vater-going
craft. The rudest of these is a raft, nlade up of bundles

.
.
.
..

I
,

-!'. .

{ '"
k

t.,
(' ,

'\

\.

1.

.

FIG. 9.3.-Stone kuives. 1. 'Yith a resin
handle,. anù an unusually thin blade;
a seen sidewa.ys, b anù c transverse
sections, taken one- third and two-
thirds down the blade. 2. "
ith a
wooden handle attached by resin and
decorated with pigment; a. transverse
section (\Varramunga triLe, Central
Australia). (After Spencer amI Gillen.)

t1

d

}'IG. 96.-
lanufacture of
stone knives. The upper
diagram shows the block
from which the flakes are
detached. The first blow,
struck at
', detaches the
chip a b, the next, struck
at y, detaches the chip
cd; the last blow, at z,
takes off the flake shown
in the figure Lelow. (Cen-
tral Australia.) (After
Spencer and Ginen.)

of rushes, such as the T'aslllanÌalls possessed. Another
raft is constructed of the trunks of trees; t,vo or three,
15 to 20 feet ill length, heing lashed together: on this

182

A
CIENT HUNTEH.S

CHAP.

t\VO or three persons Inay be paddled or punted across
a river. Rafts \vore probably usetl at a very early
stage of hun1an culture; but the hark boat, ,yhich the

. - ===

f
= f{j

-rl
' " -- o,j
_ _". ,-"'. -

, "'T

-- ,,'

Fw. 97.-llone awl. (After R. Brough t;mith.)

, "--"--'
-

--
,
.: -
' -

-::::;....

-

Fw. 98.-ßone pins. (After' It. Brough
lllith.)

.

o

Side view' of Canoe.

c

a

\::Jl D
d
a "tie.'. b II stretcher." c" rib.'. d It canoe."

}"w. D9.-The bark-boat. A, to show how the bark is removed in one piece
from the Eucalyptus tree; lJ, tÌle tinishea boat; 0, a slightly different
form of hark boat, with tics aIHl ribs as well as struts, as shown in the
transverse section D. (After R. Brough Smith.)

...tustralialls also possess, tn kes us at once to a higher
level of developlucllt (Fig. !) 9). This is generally Inatle
by carefully ren1üvillg \vith u stulle axe the Lark of a

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

18 3

single tree, generally a species of Eucalyptus kno\vn as
the red O'Ull1' struts are I )laced inside to O l )en it out,
t) ,
and it is propped up by sticks placed at the bo\v and
stern; the ends are ingeniously tied up \vith string
furnished fronl the bark of another Eucalyptus (stringy
bark), and after being left to dry for about a fortnight
the boat is ready to be launchetl. 'Yhen fishing, a

\

" I
;\ I.
\
"., '

I
r '
. i, ..
I
'tl

!,J

FIG. lOO.-Native hut or 'Vurley. The family are seen seated in front of the
hut, with thcir implements about; the man (on the right) is wearing his
nose-pin (Central Aw;;tralia). (After Spencer and Uillen.)

lunl]) of (Olay is sOlnetinles placed at the hOttOlll of the
canoe, and ou this a fire is lighted, \\Thich gives \var111th
to the fi
hernHlll and serves to cook hi
catch. Clay
it; al
o used for eaulking the ends.
Their huts (Fig. 100), though very rude, Rho\v :-)Ol11P
(t(l\"ance on the Ta
ananiall \\
ind-srl'cen 1; l)ut they are
seldolu orcupied for nlore than a few days at a tinlC,
1 \\ïnd-scrcenH very similar to the Tasmanian are used in f,OUW
localities.

18 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

unless fish is plentiful, or certain vegctaLles are in
season. In SOlne cases caves or rock-shelters are used
as tenlporary d ,velling- places.
Though accustomed to ,vander in a state of nakedness,
except for a hip girdle, in \vhich the men carry their
,veapons, and to \vhich the unn1arried girls attach a
narrov{ little apron or fringe made of strips of fur
or Stl'illgS of hair (Fig.. 101), yet in canlp or on

,
L

.

",

.

d' ' /,.,
, , "\, ... -
JI ' """.\

'J' '\ . \". . I .:' ,
\\.'.

'. ' il"'
"". \.
., . ,. J I hi' .... I. \'iI",'
.
r
f1 If ? 'P,J'#
,
\

.,
.
:- '
· '\
\ 't

.
I. [ Þ4 J '
;1l,}; f \t f ,
t

-' /
5jII .I11

'

\

'0- <"
, . t f't .4, J I\
. ., '
, \ '

'
'

. .'.-:-

- J"

FIG. IOl.-'Voman's apron macle of human hair (Arunta tribe, Central
Australia). (After Spencer and Gillen.)

cold night:s they put on ,varn1 clothes. These are
made fron1 the :skins of the kangaroo, wallaby, opossunl,
. b " d . "
natIve " ear an natIve" cat ; 30 or 40 opossunl
skins are required to ll1ake a cloak for an adult. After
the skin is relnoved from the anin1al it is pegge(l
out fairly tight on a hard patch of ground, and, ,vhen
dry, trin1med into a rectangular shapc "Tith a stone
knife; the inside is then carefully gone over ,vith a
stone scraper, to renlove all traces of fat and flesh; and
finally a n1ixture of grease aud red ochre is ,veIl rul)lJed
in. Holes are pricked ,yith a Lone a,vl, and through
these fine siuc,vs taken fronl thc aninlal ,vhich has
supplied thc fcll (-,an he threaded; in this pl'illlitive
fashion the
kins arc " se\Vl1 ,. together.
Besides the cloak, 'v hich servcs for use, they ,veal"

VII

THE AUSTH,ALIAN ABOH.IGINES

18 5

111any adornluents: necklaces of various kinds, anlong
,vhich may he specially nlentioned those nlacle of
univalve shells or kangaroo teeth (Fig. 102). The
shells are perforated hy a stone point and threaded
together by passing a string through the mouth of the
shell and the perforation; as a consequence, they do not
hang in regular arrangenlent, but point in all directions.

a

\,

..

'1, I ._

\

0' - f
..,. . i"
!.
'1 . ....
j I \\
I '0 . \
, \ ..
i , \
I I
'

' '\
. \ ..,
\. '

--

'

FIG. 102. -Neck band with incisor teeth of kangaroo (Central Australia).
(After Spencer and Gillen.)

Among ac10rnnlents 111ay perhaps be reckoned the
nose-pin 1 (Fig. 100), ,vhich is thrust through the nasal
septUl1l, but froln this the path is easy to 111utilations,
sonle at least of ,vhich ha ve a religious nleaning;
one or nlore front teeth are knocked out as part of an
initiation cerenlony, and nutny raised scars ,vhich dis-
figure the body are the result of self-inflicted ,vounds
,vhile l1lourning the dead. The \VOl1len often
tlnputate
t\VO joints of one of their little fingers, the left, in

1 Captain Cook saYR of thiR-" It iR ;) or 6 inches long, as thick as a
man's fingcr, reachcR right acrOSR the face and prcvcnts thcm breathing
freely through thc nosb-iis. Our Reamen called it thcir 'spritsail yard.' "
--J. Hawkesworth, VO!la[JPs Ùl; the SU/dhn'n llemisphct'C, Lundoll, 177:3,
vol. iii. p. 633.

186

ANCIENT HUN1
ERS

CHAP.

sonle tribes, in others the right, for \vhat reason is not
clear. 1
The l\llstralians, like the Taslnanians, dress their hair
\vith a Inixture of grease and red ochre. .L\ wooden
rod ahout the size and shape of a lead pencil serves for
a comb.
Pignlents are largely elnployed for decorative and
other purposes. The colours generally used are red,
yello\v, white, grey, antl black, olJtained respectively
fronl red anll yellow ochre, pipeclay, and Lurnt gypSU1l1
(plaster of l}aris), l1licaceous iron ore, Inanganese oxides,
and charcoal.
Red ochre, \vhi
h is in great demana, ha
a special
interest for ns, since it \vas one of the eOnl1110nest pig-
11lents used by the ancient cave 111en of Europe. It is
supposed to serve in son1e cerclllonies as a substitute
for hUlnan blood. It generally occurs at the outcrop of
n1ineral veins, and certain localities are lloted for yielding
the Lest quality. l\'ibes \vill send a long distance to
procure it fron1 these places. fIo\yitt tells us of one tribe
(Dieri) which at certain tilnes of the year despatches
an expedition of 70 or 80 picked n1en under experienced
leaders, \vho, if necessary, fight their \vayacross country
to the "mines," SOllle 300 nliles off. The n1en1bers of
these expeditions are distinguished lJY Lands of \vhite
and yello\v, painted transversely across the hody. The
ochre is dug out of the "lnine" and kneaded into
large cakes \veighing \v hen dry fron1 70 to 80 POlUllls.
The n1en carry these a \vay on their heaòs. The" mine"
is the property of the tribes \vho o\vn the land in \vhich

1 In some cases it is a symbol of dedication to a particular industry,
thus in the Port Stephen tribe a mother marks her new-born haùy girl as
a fisherwoman hy cutting off two joints of its little finger, choosing the
right hand; so, too, in the Dalihura trihe, except that the left hand
is chosen. A. \V. IIowitt, up. cit. pp. 74ß-747.

VII

TIlE AUSTRALIAN ABOI{IGINES

r87

it occurs, and they are \villiug euough to dispose of the
ochre by barter.
Barter is carried on over a \viae extent of country.
Iu SOUle localities there are quarries \vhich furnish such I
excellent sall<1stone for grinding purposes that distant
tribes, 300 tl1iles a\vay, seud c0111modities in exchange ,
for it; sinlilar distances are traversed to obtain the
Pituri plant, and red ochre also as just u1entioned. Of I
particular interest is the existence of a barter in Ulan u-
factured articles, such as exists bct\vecn one trihe \vhich
is noted for nlaking good spears, and another e(l ually J
noted for 111aking good shields. This is barter based'
on a subdivision of labour.
1]lough the
\ustralians have not developed a systenl
of \vriting, yet they 111ake use of signs lua1'ke<1 011 their
"nlessage sticks" (Fig. 103). These sti
ks are carried
by lllessengers to identify thenl in their office, and the
signs upon them serve as a ruae kintl of ?ne?noJ'ia
technica to recall the Inessage.
The l\ustralian is an able and sagacious hunter;
\vhatever in the living \vorld is capable of affording food
seelns to he kno\vn to hill1 as \vell as the l11eans of obtain-
ing it; he is fruniliar \vith all the \vays of \vild anÍI11als
and skilled in a variety of <1eviccs for out\vitting thenl.
The marsupials, \vhich take the place of the higher
Inanln1als in his environn1ent, furnish hinl \vith excellent
Ineat. The largest of thell1 is the kangaroo (a general
nan1e, for there are at least fifty species of this aninlal) ;
it is circu111vellted and captured in a variety of \vays,
but the noblest sport iR the hunt pure and sin1ple,
practised after the sanle fashion as the pursuit of the
\vild goat by the IIa\vaiiHlls. 1 The huntcr follo\\"s the

1 c. E. Dutton, "Hawaiian V ulcanocs," U.S (-h J d. Sm'I'. IV ...cIull.
R('p. 18R2-188:
, p. 1;
7.

188

ANCIEN'[ HUN'rERS

CHAP.

all Ïlnal, flud perforn1s ,vhat seen1S at first sight the
incredible feat of runuing it do\vn; of course the kan-
garoo, like the \vihl goat, is Inul'h s\vifter of foot than
the hnnter, but it has not the san1e staying po\ver, and

1

;{f
r'
,,
t
".lof
":;.

fJI
:'

ii
1'
(

" l > J

:1.", :.
",.

:;:. I
f .. .'
:::}'i l ' ..
..,::, .
...;" .

r!. i.

f: U I .
F{":' } ,.i
.

. f ;:
'
:
f '
.:.. . ..

2

3

}'f(}. I03.-1\lessage-sticks. l. To accompany an in\'itation to a dance
(corrobl}orree). The notches stancl for the people who are invited to be
present: the four at the upper right-hanel corner indicate four olrl men,
those lower down the women, and those on the left-hand side the younger
men who are to accompàny them. 2. The notches along the sides repre-
sent the items of the message, the transverse lines in the middle the
number of days the messenger has tra\'elled. This stick is painted Llue
at one end and rocl at the other. 3. .Message-stick sent by a chief. The
design it bears is traditional and well known among the tribes. The
\\'omen are not allowed to look upon this stick; and its sumlllons must
be instantly obeyerl.

so by keeping it constantly on the rUll it beeon1es at
length cOlnpletely " hlo\vll " ana exhauste{1. It is only
Ine11 of exceptional cndurance ho\vever \vho ran rUll
do\vll the kangaroo. The sine\vs of the hind legs and

VII

THE AUSTRALIA
ABORIGINES

18 9

tail nutke useful thread; they are carefully extracted a.nd
,vonnd tight on a stick for future u
e. The opossun1 is
good eating and easily caught; so is the wOlnbnt, though
a good deal of labour 111ay be expended in digging
it out of its burro\v \vith a 111ere stick for a spade;
it \veighs as n1uch as 30 pounds, or even n10re. The
native "bear," a sluggish anin1al living in trees, is also
easily caught; it ,veighs up to 40 pounds, and tastes like
pork. All the other 111arsupials, do\vn to the kangaroo
rat, are also used for food. Ahn os t the only higher
man1n1als found in ...\ustralia are the dingo, or native
dog, and the rat; both are eaten; so is the so-caUed
"porcupine" (Echidna), one of the lo\vest of the
n1alllmals.
The diversity of bird life is ren1arkable; in proportion
to its size Australia contains probahly 1110re species of
birds than any other continent; all serve for food, from
the great en1U do\yn to the little honey-eaters; after the
enIU, the nlost Ï1nportant are the turkey (Otis), duck
,
pigeons, cockatoos, and black s\vans. The eggs of many
kinds of birds are colleeted by the \YOlnell.
Turtles, snakes, lizaras, antI other reptiles, as \vell a r;
frogs, are delicacies.
Fish are plentiful and good; one of the n10st fan10us
is the :1\J urray cod (Oligocorus); both in texture and
flavour its flesh is excellellt-c1
cde expcl'to !
The Australians, unlike the Tasll1anians, are
acquainted ,yith the art of fishing, using for . this
purpose special spears provided \vith several points, or,
in sonle parts of the continent, actual fish-hooks, \vhich
are lnade of \vooel or shell.
"r eirs are also elllployec1, son1e ten1porary, others
pern1anent. Å rClnal'kahle instance of a perillanent
,,,reiI' is the" Bree\yarllel"" un the upper I)al'ling riyer;

19 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

this is a complicated labyrinth of stone ,vall
, three or
four feet in height, \vhich extends for 100 yards up
strealll. The fish lose their \vay in its lnazes and are
then caught by hand.
The insect ,vorld affords an ÏInportant supply of food;
many kinds of grubs are eaten, sometÏIne8 ra\v, 80111e-
ti111es cooked, certain kinds of moths are greedily
devoured, 1 and the pupæ of ants are a kind of staple.
The bees 111ake their hives in trees \vhere they are difficult
to :find; the native therefore looks about till he sees
a bee busily gathering honey fron1 the flowers, he catches
it, fixes a little fluff of dO\Vll to its body, sets it free, and
then follows it to its hon1e.
The sea furnishes various crustacea, shell-fish and sea-
cucumbers (Holothuria). Immense mounds of shells,
the ren1ains of ancient feasts, are found along the coast.
A stranded \vhale is a godsend; the natives eat their
"vay through it-a lengthy enterprise, hut they like their
food high.
The nun1ber of plants \vhich yield nourishment fron1
one part or another is very great. Yan1s, of \vhich there
are t\VO species, are an10ng the Inost inlportant ; they are
by no n1eans a bad suhstitute for potatoes. .Li heavy
\vooden stick, chisel-like at one end and pointed at the
other, is used by the \V0111en for digging up yams and
other roots. On occasion, as in household brawls, it
conles in handy as a \veapon. There is a truffle (lVlylitta)
\vhich grows to a large size; it is kno\vn as native bread.
Some of the plants yield ll1anna, an exudation consisting
chiefly of grape sugar.
The seeds of certain plants, especially the purslane
(Potulacct olerQ;ce(t), are collected lJY the \VOlnen, \vho

1 \rhen roasted they taste like an un peeled almond.-E. J. Eyre,
Discol"eries in Oentral A 1lstrali((, London, 1845.

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

19 1

grind then1 do\vn between two stones into a coarse
nleal, \vhich is n1ade into paste \vith \vater; it may be
eaten ra\v or baked into cakes. The" seeds" of the
nal'doo, a cryptoga111, are si111ilarly treated, but the
an10unt of nourishnlent they afford is trifling; it was
on this food that Burke and "Tills starved.
r
kind of arro\vroot is made fronl the roots of the
'Vangoora, a species of I pOl11æa; the poisonous bitter
principle is \vashed a\vay by \vater, leaving a \vholeson1e
starch.
The natiye cooking is not to be despised; those \vho
prefer a grilled chop to a made dish \vould appreciate
the native broiled nleat done over the ashes of a wood
fire.
The usual beverage is \vater; sonletin1es s\veetened
\vith honey obtained by crushing up in it the bodies
of the honey ants or hy infusing the flo\vers of the
honeysuckle, or the fruit of the pandanus, or 111anna, or,
again, the refuse comb of a bee hive. rrhe s\veetened
,vater is of course very liable to fernlentation, and may
consequently acquire exhilarating properties; indeed,
,vhen sufficient honey is added from the comb it 111ay
111ake a really strong drink.
In dry districts the native can live ,vhere a \vhite 111au
,vould perish; he has discovered ho\v to ohtain \vater
fron1 the roots of certain trees; they are exposed by
clearing a\vay the soil, and pieces three or foul' feet in
length are then cut out. These are set upright against
the trunk of a tree so that the ,yater 111ay drain out into
a vessel placed underneath. As nluch as a quart of
\\yater n1ay be obtained fronl ten feet of a root t\yO or
tll ree i nclles in dianleter.
rfhe .l\ustralian smokes, using the leaves of a large
spreading tree (Eugeuia) for tobacco, and a hollo\v

19 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHA P.

balnboo for a pipe. lIe also chc\vs 1: the leaves and
twigs of the pituri plant (Duboisia Hopwoodi) providing
him ,vi th a very pleasant narcotic.
Cannibalislll is not generally practised, except as part
of some religious ceremony, or on very special occasions.
Enemies are sometimes eaten, and their bones are broken
after,vards to prevent their con1ing together again and
avenging their O\VnerB. There seems to be a general
agreement as to the excellence of human flesh as a
viand; in the opinion of one native epicure it tastes
much better than beef.
It ,vill be seen from thiH short abstract that the
Australian knows ho\y to make the n10st of his environ-
ment. In the old days he enjoyed a great variety of
gooa cheer, and his life in a simple way \vas on the
\vhole a happy one; he had but one care, and that \vas
the constant suspicion that some one of his fello\vs ,vas
al\vays on the \vatch seeking to bring about his death
by Inagic.
In descriLing the life of the Australian aborigines ,ve
have no reason to hunent the deficiency of our inforlna-
tion. The adn1irable investigations. of n1any skilled
ohseryers, but especially Ho,vitt, Spencer, and Gillen,
have provided us ,vith such a ,vealth of luaterial that
our difficulty is to choose. "T e n1ust, inaced, pass over
,vhole provinces of kno\vledge, in order to treat a little
n10re fully those parts of the subject which are more
directly concerned ,vith our Palæolithic hunters.
First and foremost among the impressions \vhich ,ye
gain in first making the acquaintance of these prin1itive
people is one of surprise at the extraordinary extent to

1 This ùid not escape the notice of Captain Cook; he says, "they held
leaves of some sort in their mouth as a European does t()Lacco anù an
East Indian betele."-J. IIawkesworth, iU7u. cit. p. ü:
7.

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABOHJGINES

193

\vhich their life is governed by rule. J
a'v and order àre
secured hy custom and enforced ahnost as strictly as in
sonle civilised lands.
\ nloral code, different no doubt
in lnany respects from our O\Yl1, is universally recognised ;
its infringenlent is attended by public reprobation and
often punished \vith extren1e severity.
The tribal organisation is complicated to a remarkable
degree, and di Hers frOlll tribe to tribe. All that \ye can
do in a In'ief abstract is to give an Îlllpressionist vie\v of
the general schen1e.
There are local groups, each possessing exclusive rights
over a \ycll-defined hunting ground. There are social
groups, based on genealogy; a nlan cannot marry \vithin
his o\vn group, but nfust find his \vife in one of the
ot.hers. 111 addition there are totelll groups, each asso-
ciated \vith son1e particular animal or plant, or eyen it
lllay be \vith SOllle kind of natural phenonlenon. 111
SOllle cases the local and social groups are identical.
As a ûrude parallel, very n1isleading if taken literally,
\ve 111Ïght cite the village cOlllnlullity, the fan1ily, and
tbe religious sect at hon1e. 1

'he older H1CH in eaeh local group excrcise authority
oycr tbc \V0111Cn and younger nlcn, and one of thenl
takes precedence of his fello\vs; he is thc headnlan of
the group.

rhc hcadnlcn of the various local groups are collec-
tively the hcadu1en of the tribe, and one of them,
sou1ctimes by inheritance, but usually by the exercise of
1 For a full discus
ion of this subject, which presents many difficulties,
the works cited at the heginning of the chapter may be consulted, as well
as a paper by 'V. E. Roth, "Notes on Social and Individual N omencla-
ture among certain North Queensland Aboriginals," read before the
Royal Society of Queensland, Nov. 1;{, 18H7. J. G. Fraser (" The
Beginnings of Religion and rrotemism among the _\ustralians," FOl't-
niyhtly U(,,.i('H', 1!'03, .July, p. 1(;2, ana Septemher, p. -t.32) has ad\Tanced
a theory which is opposed hy A. Lang.
ee also an important paper
hy
\. C. IIaùdon, Rep. Bn:t. Assor. lU02, p. 743.

o

19+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

his natural gifts, occupies a superior position to the rest.
lIe is in a broad 1 )ut true sense the chief of the tribe.
Each totenl group also possesses its headnlan. 111 the
trihal councils the chief speaks first and is follo\ved hy
the hea<1s of totelns.
The Inedicine men have no influence beyond that
\vhich they can ohtain by their o\vn po\vers, they are the
priests, wizar<1s, and doctors of the tribe. Their donlinion
lies in the occult; they see visions, dreanl drealns,
interpret omens, and exercise, not altogether without
fraudulent devices, genuine magic po\vers.
Various offices nlay be combined in the saIne person,
thus J alina piran1urana, the chief of the Dieri tribe,
\vas also the head of the I(ulllaura totenl and at the
sanle tiule a po\verful ,vizard. lIe is described as a nlan
of polished manners (kno,vn as " the Frcnclnnan " a1110ng
the settlers), of persuasive elo(luellee, skilful and brave
in ,var. lIe gave judgenlent in disputes, and his decisions
\vere accepted as final. N eighhouring trihes sent hÜn
presents, and these he distributed an10ng his people, in
orller, it is said, to prevent jealuusy. lIe decided \vhen
tribal cerenlonies \vere to be held, and sent his Ines-
sengers to SUlnnlon the trihes, for a hUlldre<1 n1Ïlcs
round, to attend then1 and to consult on intertribal
affairs.
Besides strict rules relating to n1arriage, there are
others regulating the division of food, the etiquette úf
personal conlhats and the pUl1islllnent of various offellces.
l>roperty in various degrees is recognise<1; personal,
faluily, and tribal.
The brlieL'3 of the Australians concerning the nature
of this \vorJ<1 and the next are pl'Ï1nitive, though
less so than \ve nlight expect. rrhe earth is conceived

VI I

THE AUSTRAI.IAN ABORIGINES

195

as Hat, hounded by the sca 1 and surnloun ted hy the sky
,vhich is supposed to be a solid vault. Beyond the sky
is another land illlut1)ited by the spirits of the dead and
the gods, ,vho "
ere once nlen that in the renlote past
lived upon the earth. One of these gods, like the chief
of the tribe, takes precedence of the rest. Different
tribes kno,v hin1 under difFerent nanlCS, one of his
nalnes Ineans "Our Father." -,,-
ccol'ding tu J[owitt he
is a venerable, kindly being, fu]] of kno\v ledge and
tribal ,visdonl, all po\verful in l1Iagic, of ,vhiuh he is
the source, and ,vith virtues, failings, and passions HIuch
like our o,vn. lIe l1Iade the ,vorld anc1 l11an. rrhe stars
are spirits, and one of the first nlagnitllc1e, -,,-
ltair,
according to SOlne, or Betelgeux according to others, is,
or repre
ellts, the All-father. One of the natives told
IIo,vitt that he ,veIl relnenl1Jered ho"T ,vhen a boy he
,vas taken out of can1p one star-lit night by his uncle,
,vho, pointing to Altair ,vith his spear-throw'er said,
" J
ook! rrlÜtt one i
Bunjil ! You see hiIn, anll he
t "
sees you .
But spirits are not. confined to sky-lana, they also
people the C<'11th, all kinds, gou<l an tl Lad, in great
llunlhers. The spirit of a nlall not only survives his
death, but exists before his ljirth; indeed, birth is not
connected ,vith sexual intercourse, hut is referrell to the
inhaljitation of a spirit. _t belief in re-incarnation also
exists. The spirit leaves the hody ill drean1s and 111ay
be Rcen hy exceptional pcrsons such as Inedicine-nlcn.
Sonle of the most inl p(ntan t of these Lelief.
are kcpt
secret fron1 the young people tin they are adn1Ïttcc1 to
the trihe hy a c0111plicated ritual, in the course of \vhich

I Bunjil oceanum crcavit minctconc plul'cS per dies in tcrl'arum ol'ht'm.
Bullal'tu ßulgo maglla1ll totii cupiam imlicat. ){. D. Smith.

o 2

19 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP

religious instruction is inl-
parted together ,vith the
trihal legends and 111 oral
n1axinls. In one tribe the
nanle uf the chief spirit is
invoked during the initiation
cerenlon y, his inutge is carved
in relief on the ground (Fig.
104), and a dance pel'fOrnled
round it. The churinga plays
a large part in this cerenJony.
'Ve have already made a
passing reference to the
churinga (p. 78), a sacred
oLject ,vhich it is unla,vful for
the ,von1en and uninitiated
to Lehold.

., -
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,"
't:1/ -:../::1 ....a. . .
I ...

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}1

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.i7i:lÎfø '

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--.., r
"
. ", '

.
'r?

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W 'i /'

FIG. l04.-Earth figure, in
relief, of the chief spiri t,
known here under the
name of Daramulun (South-
East Australia). (After
Howitt. )

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Fw. 105 -Churinga of an Achilpa
or wild-cat man. The three
Reries of circles (a) represent
trees, the surround ing circular
spots (b) the tracks of men
dancing round them, the lines
(d) sticks whi(.h are beaten to-
gether to keep time with the
llancing; (e) are also tracks of
men dancing (Central Australia).
(After ßpencer and Gillen.)

It is shapetl out of a s]ah of ,vooel or
tone, and Lears
an ineised or painted deyice of toteulic significance (Fig.

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

197

105). In size it varies considerably, it Inay be a few
inches or as much as five feet in length.
Å close synlpathy exists Let,veen the spirit and its
churinga. "Then a child is born it is feigned that the

1

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--

"

.
\

"

"

3

l
'lG. 106. Dull-roarers, 3 is a transverse section of 1 (K.urnai tribe, Sonth-
Ea,st Australia). (x
.) (After Howitt,)

chul'illga accoillpanies its spirit into the \vorld. 'rhe
father " finds" this ehurillga, and has it depo:-;ited ill the
sacrcd storehousc \vhcre all the churingas of the local
toteul group are preserved. It is only taken out for
speLial ri tei), and l'cnutÎns ill the house aftcr the death of
its pusi)et;sor. .A. ehul'illga house, \vhich is al\vays a cave

19 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

or crevice ill the rocks, is att
ched to each local totenl
centre. It is strictly "tabu"; no irreverent hand
disturbs the gro
wing plants around it, the hunted a.nÏ1nal
is safe in its vicinity, aHd it is a haven of refuge even
for the crin1inal cOndenll1ed to death.
SOlne small churingas are pierced at one end to receive
a cord by 'v hich they are ,vhirled round to produce a
hunlnling noise (Fig. lOG). These are the bull-roarers,

. .

.

\

.

;

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J

-

.) . -

\.. -
('l41"' 4\
I ,

.......

- ---

4.-

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..f -
'>. 1:' :'-...
.

. ..._
.....-:-}?i."'.. .....A

:FIG. 107. - I ni tia tion Ceremony. (After Collins, Plate 1.)

and their voice is the voice of a god. 'fhe bull-roarer
is not confined to A ustraJia, it is alnlost universally
distributed alnong prin1Ïtive peoples, and survives as a
toy in our o,vn country.
The initiation cerenlollY has 1Jcen fully descril)etl hy
I Io\yitt, Spencer and Gillen, anc1 others; of the earlier
accounts one of the Inost illtcrcf;ting is hy Cullins, ,vho
luts rcpresented the succesf;ive stages of the cerenlony
in a series of plates, three of ,vhi
h are reproduced here
on a dilnillisl1ea scale. In the first. (Fig. 107) the young
Inen, silent and still, are seen I::;eated at one eud of the

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

199

space \vhich has been cleared of grass for the perfornl-
ance; the older lHen are parading rounel on hands and,
feet, and Ï1nitating in a very realistic l1lanner the be-
haviour of the native dog. ,..\. \vooden s\vord projecting
behind fron1 the girdle does for a tail. Collins says this
performance confers the gooel qualities of the dog and
gives po\ver over it. In the next (Fig. 108) the per-

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7

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..

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r:.
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.

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.... '" y, "1.

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rr.
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{,

:
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þ:E,f.

--""",

--,.,r
.

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1"_

d
- -
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;'" . .....
: " ..
:f::>
:":", ...., I

FIG. lOR-Initiation Ceremony. (After Collins, Plate 3,)

fornlers have provided themselves \vith tails of grass
and pretend to be kangaroos, jumping along and stop-
ping every no\v and then to scratch then1selyes; as
Collins reluarks, there is a good deal of drollery in this
clance. In the last stage but one (Fig. 109) the operation
of knocking out a tooth (upper incisor) is perforillecl hy
llleans of a \vooelen chisel and a stone; this tries the
endurance of the novice to the utl110st, some hear it
\vith Stoic fortitude, others yell at the first 11o\v aud
run a\vay.
"Tith this passing notice \ve 11lUst leave these cere-

,

200

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHA P.

Inonies of initiation, profoundly interesting though they
are, in order to speak more at length of the burial
cuStOlllS, \vhich have acquired great inlportance since
the discoveries at La Chapelle aux Saints, and of the
productive ceremonies \vhich throw SOine light on the
Palæolithic paintings to be described in the next chapter.
'Ve \vill begin \vith the
roductive Cerenlonies. These

/ i ,I 1 {1 I
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-v,. -; :1!t/!:

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4_

FIG. I09.-Initiation Ceremony. (After Collins, Plate 7.)

are intended to pronlote the fruitfulness of the animals
or plants on \vhich the natives depend for food. Each
totenl has its o\vn cerenlony. That of the , "Titchetty
gr uL
has Leen very fully descriLed IJY Spencer and
liillen, \vhose account \ve shall follow. The tinle an-
nounced for the cerelnony having arrived, the Inell of
the tribe 1 assemble at the nlain eanlp, and thoëe belong-
ing to the \Vitchetty grub totenl steal a,vay to a secret
meeting place not far off; one or t\VO of the 'older lHen

1 The 'Vitchetty grub peuple numLer only 40 all tuld; they occupy an
area of about 100 square lllÍles.

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

201

ren1aining behind to preside over the subsidiary offices
performed Ly the ,vonlen and those ,vho do not belong
to the toteUl.
The 111enlbers of the tote111, \vithout "rea pons and
diveste<1 of all their custonlary decorations, leave the
Ca111p and ,valk c0111pletely nude in single file under the
leadership of the headman of the totenl to a special

'..

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.......' :
..' \. J\ .." ""-:..' -t> .'
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<;,' "':
;...
. .-111
t þ.
". . \ \ ....'\.

:, \' ,

.' ....
,

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l.
-.:' \);'.' ,,:,fliJ.?/ ..

.-.:; " -'
,
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,,'II, ..;fi.'
.-
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-.

FIG. 110.-Sacred drawings of the \Vitchetty grub totcm on the rocks at the
Emily gap (Central Australia). (After Spencer and Gillen.)

C
tl11ping ground situated near a rocky gorge, the Ell1Ïly
gap (Fig. 110), \v here they sleep. They rise at day-
break, lJut do not Lrcakfast-for the rites lllUBt l)c
pel'fol'll1ecl fasting-fall into single file and begin their
Inal'ch; the leader hears ,vith hilll a \vooden ho\vl, aIllI
the nlen tw'igs of a Eucalyptus tree, one in each hand.
rrhe procession winds along the path originally takp-ll by
Lhe legelltlary totenl ancestor, Illt\vailiuka. It lea<ls to

202

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

a sacred cave, and in the cave lies a large stone sur..
rounded by pebbles. The large stone represents the
"Titchetty insect, the pebbles its eggs. The leader no\v
chants an incantation over the stone, invoking the ill
ect
to lay eggs, and strikes it gently \vith his bo,vl; all the
other 111en do the same, striking it \vith their t,vigs.
The pebbles having also been struck, the leader then
takes one of tholn in his hand and taps each luan over
the stoluach \vith it, saying, " You have eaten much
food." J:1-"inally he butts each nlan in the abcloulen \vith
his forehead.
The perfornlers now descend to the bed of the streaUl
\vhich flo\vs through the gorge, and halt under a roek
called" T'he Decorated Eyes." It ,vas at this spot that
Int\vailiuka used to throw pebbles (\vhich represented
"Titchetty eggs) up against the face of the rock;
accordingly the totem leader does the saIne \vith sonle
churingas \vhich have been taken fronl the sacred store
house and brought for the purpose. 'Vhile he is thus
engaged the n1en, singing all the tÏ1ne, run up and do,yn
the side of the gorge. The ch uringas roll clo,vn to the
bed of the streanl and are collected to be returned to
the store house.
The nlen again fall into sing]e file and lnareh in
silence to the next sacred cave, ahout a mile an<J a half
a,vay, \vhere the sanle cerenlony al') that perfornled at
the first is repeated, and so on to the next and the next,
till SOlne ten caves in all have been visited. 'Then the
journey honle begins, and \vhen about a mile fronl the
calup the perforn1ers stop to decorate theulselves at a
spot \vhere the necessary paraphernalia have alrea(1y
been deposited by the old nlen of the party \vho \vel'e
left behind ill the lnain canlp. They tie hair-strings
round their heads, put on their forehead bands, insertilJg

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABOH.IGINES

20 3

bcncath theill t\vigs of the \Vitchetty bush to forill a
kind of garland, adorn their hair \vith rats' tail
or
plunles of cockatoo feathers, and insert their nose pins.
Finally they paint their bodies \vith red ochre and
\vhite clay after the sacred design of the "Titchetty
grub toteUl.
rThey are no\v ready for a fresh start, fall in to line,
and \vaving their "Titchetty t\vigs, approach a long
IUllTU\V arlJour \vhich has been built for their reception
during their ahscncc. This represents the chrysalis case
fronl \vhich the Ï1nago elnel'ges.
The 111en of the cttlnp \vho do not l)elong to the tutenl
are absellll)led near by, sitting in silence about a stone's
thro\v froln the arhour. Behind thenl stands one so
iety
of the \VOnlen, painted \vith red and \vhite lines, the
other, painted \vith \vhite lines bordered l)y red, i
seated
an10ng theln.
rrhe pel'fOrlnel'S then enter the hut, and as they do so
the onlookers thro\v theillseives flat on their faces and
so renulÌn till the end of the cerenlOUY is announced.
Once inside the arbour the perfornlers begin to sing
of the grub in its various stages, of the rock of the
Dceoratcd Eyes, and the great \Vitchetty insect at its
base. .1\.Jter this has continued for a fairly long tilne
the leader shuffles out in a s(luatting posture, follo\vecl in
the saIne \yay hy the 111en, all singing of the en1ergence
of the insect frunl its case.
rhey then shuftle back
agaill an(l cea
e singing. Food is brought then1 ana
they hl'cak their long fa
t.
A t dusk they leave the arbour, and, avoiding the
onlookers, l'l'oceed to a spot as nluch out of sight as
pO
Rihle, \yhere they light a large fire and sit round it

illgillg once n10re of the \Vitchetty grub. rrhis continues
till just lJefol'e daybrcak, \vhen the singing suddcnly

.

20 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

ceases, the leader extinguishes the fire, and the 11011-
officiating l11en and \VOlnen, \vho have l'enlained prostrate
up to this, rise to their' feet and run hack to the 111aill
canlp.
The perfornlers relnove their decorations, and the
leader says, "Our cererrlony is at an end; but the
others, \vho arc at the nlen's canlp, nlust have these
thing
(the decorations) or it \vill not sueeeecl, and sunlC
!utrnl \vill eonle to us." .A.ll respond " Yes! yes! as-
surellly." The decorations are accortlingly distributclI,
and just lJefore sunset all the pel'fornlers oLliterate the
saered sign of the totenl \vith \vhieh they arc painted
by l'uhLing thelnSelyes \vith red ochre; then, assun1Ïug
their usual decorations, they return to the h0111e calnp.
In the eel'eJ110ny of the eU1U tQ.te
a totenl design Ü;
clr(l\vn OIl the ground (Fig. 111). L
snutll plot of ground
having heen selected is eleared of stones, Ina<.le as
Sillooth as po
sible, and then \vatered \vith ]Jloocl bUP-
plied by the perforillers fronl their O\Vl1 arlns. This
aets a
a size and rcnders the surface fit to receive the
design, \vhieh is painted in \vith \vhite clay, red aUlI
yello\v ochre, and po\vdered charcoal n1Ïxed \vith greasc.
It represeuts the eU1U and its anatolny (Fig. 111); t\VO
large yello\v patches are the fat (a recognised dainty), a
large nunlher of circular yello\v patches are the eggs in
the ovary, a Llack patch, the egg ready to Le lai<.I; t\VO
larger concentric circles, an egg \yhieh has been lai(l
and incuhated; various sinuous lines ill reel, black, anll
yello\v are the intestincs; \vhite sputf
öeattcl'cd all
ahout, the feathers; and a thin line of pale pink, ellclo:)-
iug the \vhole device, is the do\vn. '\Then the Cere1110ny
i
uyer the dl'<t \ving is effaced.
It i
extreluely fortunate that the stu<1y of these and
sill1Ïlar
erenlonie8 has not Leen neglected, till, as ill so

VIJ

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

20 5

n1any other instances, it is too late. Let us suppose an
obser'{er to visit these scenes in the renlote future, SOlne
thousalltls of years after the Australians have hCC0111e
extinct; \vhat of all the apparatus eUlployec1 in their
elaborate cerenlonial nl1ght he chance to fin<11 At
the l110St SOl1le painted stones. Yet ,vhat a \\Tcalth of

."

. " <.

:" .. ........

...

.....

,- ..(

i '.
-:---- .,

.\

."

o

r

.....

"
..-

.,
-.., f;f/

.
:
(, "

..

/i;r,

FH:. ] ll.-firoup of men of the Emu totem, sitting round the totem device
painted on the ground (Central Australia). (After
pencer and Hillen',)

ll1eanillg in the light of our present kno\yledge they
\voulc1 aCfJ.uire.
Drrtfh (fJul B"1'1
rt1.-No Australian snpposes that
death hy disease i
a natural event, it is due to eyil
nlagi(> ana nlust if possiblp be avenged. Ont" death
illyolycs another, too often of innoccnt 1nen.
rfhe 1110(les of c1iHposal of the (lc
ul are cxtl'aonJiHarily
YHl'ious; ahnost evcry tril)c 11[18 its O\Yll cnstol}}S
a1Hl

206

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

their enun1eration ,vouid be an epitome of uhnost all
the n10rtuary customs in the ,vorld.!
In some rare cases the dead are not disposed of; the
dying person is placed comfortably before the fire, aud
then both he and the can1p are abandoned.
Occasionally the body is given a cannibal burial,
being eaten, all but the bones; and not UllC0111nlonly
parts of it are eaten as a funeral rite.
Son1etilnes the Lody is burned on a funeral pyre; the
ashes are collected and carried aLout in a skin bag;
sOll1etÏ1nes it is placecl on a platfornlof l)oughs l)uilt up
in a tree, and left there till the flesh has L1 1sa ppeare<1 ;
the bones are then buried, ,vith the exception of those
,vhich are preserved for use as charn1s; or, again, the
corpse after being placed on the pIn tforn1 as lJefore, is
dried in the smoke of a green,vood fire, and thus
converted into a kind of ll1uIDlny.
But n10re usually the dead are buried in a carefully
prepared grave, yet even in this ease there is a difference,
for sonle tribes lay the body out in an extencled attitude,
,vhile others cord it together ,vith the knees dra'Yl1 up
to the chin and the arll1S crosseù over the Lreast. rrhe
Lody is often definitely orientated in a direction detcr-
11lined by the class and totenl.
The deceased is sometill1es buried in full dret;s-heatl
lnlud, nose peg, ,vaistband and kilt-and s,vathe(l in a
,vallahy rug. Very C01111110nly his spears and other
'VeapOl1B are placed in the grave ,,
ith hin1, and in SOlne
ca
eS scrupulous care is taken not to on1it a single scrap

1 "The Greeks burn their dead, the Persians bury them; the Indian
glazes the body, the Scythian eats it, the Egyptian embalms it. In
Egypt, indeed, thc corpse, duly dried, is actually placed at table-l have
seen it done. "-Lucian, 11fpllIÉveov
, in Thp 1Vo'ì'k:; (
f LW.;Wì of SltIlW.wtftt,
trall
lateù by H. 'v. and F. G. Fowlcr, Oxford, BJ05, Yol. TI[, p.
17.

VII

THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

20 7

of his property. If, ho\vever, the deceased ,vas a n1all
of violent disposition during his life it is thought just
as ,veIl not to provide his spirit ,vith ,veapons, and he
is left to enter the next "vorld \vithout then1. Every-
thing is done to n1ake the last resting place as com-
fortahle as possible; at the bottom of the grave a bed
of ferns is laid, food is placed by the body, a drinking
cup is provided, and ,vhen the earth has been filled in
a layer of heavy stonc8 i8 placed on the top; son1etimes
a head stone is rai
e(l or a Berni-circular n10und of earth.
A.. fire is lighted at one end, or on each side, and 111ay
be kept burning for a month.
r
S a rule the grave is dug near the can1p, l)ut ,ve find
au exception even to this, for in the Gringai country
there is a recognised burial ground, Hnd the dead are
carried severalu1iles that they nIay rest in that favoured
spot.
Of course, like all other primitive tribes ,yhich have
had the ll1Ísfortune to occupy lands desired by the ,vhite
nlan, this interesting people is dying out. 'Their lJést
hunting grounds are passing, or have passed already,
into other IUllHls, and they live on sufferance in illfertih

regions ,vhich the farn1eI' cannot till and "There sheep
canllot graze. Fortunately they have not received the
san1e harharous treatn1ent as the Ta
lnanians. Shocking
atrocities no doubt attended the early settlenlent of the
country, but ,ye bave since protected the survivors in
the hUl11anest 111anner ,,
hile quietly edging thenl out of
existence.
It ,yould appear fro III the foregoing account that
the .J\ustl'alian natives, though still renutÏning in the
l)aheo]ithie
tage, have luade a considerahle aavallce on
the culture of N cHlldcrtal niall. rrhiH they luay easily

208

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

.

ha ve acconlplished by their o\vn efforts, yet at the
saIne tÏ1ne there can be no doubt that they have
horl'o\ycd sOlnething fron1 alljacent races; occasional
visitors fron1 the outlying islands reach the J11ainlaud
hy canoes, and bring \vith then1 N eoli thic il11plel11en ts
and CUst0111S. I n the l\Iiddle Pa]æolithic epoch their
nearest representatives "
ere spread far and ,,
ide over
Europe, and the corresponding stage of culture ,vas
distributed 1nore \videly still: no\v they are confined to
an isolated continent in the far south, It is tenlpting
to suppose either that the inferior tribes of the
N eandertal race ,vere driven by stress of conlpetition
out of Europe, and \vandered till they reached the
Australian region; or that at S0111e early tÏ1ne they occu-
pied a tract of land extending ahnost continuously fronl
Europe to Australia, and lut\"e since 1)een cvery\vhere
blotted out except in their southern hon1e. "T e cannot
appeal to the \videspread distribution of the earlier
fornls of Palæolithic in1plen1ents in favour of either
theory, for, as ('annot too frequently be repeated, the
possession of a COll1n10n culture is no proof of cOlnnlunity
of raee. To Huppose that it is so is to repeat the error
of those philologists \vho have endeavoured to identify
races hy language. On the other hand, the sporadic
occurrence of individuals \vith l-\ustraloid characters
in the Pacific, and the existence of related races such
as the. Veddahs and the Ainos in areas so ,videl y
separated as India and Japan, is highly suggestive, anc1
\vould seem to indicate the extension of a prÏ1nitive race
allied to the .clustralian over a great part of the old
\vorld.
If, as ,ve have supposed, the Tasn1anians ,yere driven
out of .J.\ uf;tralia by a Palæolithic race, nO\\T representec1
}JY the Australians, it is evident that the t\yO nlost

VII

TI-IE AUSTRAI..IAN ABORIGINES

20 9

divergent sUD-divÜ;Ìolls of the hUlnan fan1ily, that is,
the Cynlotrichi and the Ulotrichi, \vere alrefHly in
existence at a very early date; and ,vc shall soon
encounter in1portant evidence pointing to the existence
of the Ulotrichi at a later period, that is, during Upper
l)al
eolithir tin1es, in Europe itself.

p

CHAPTER 'TIll

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

THE classification of the various stages of human
industry in the Upper Palæolithic succession has taxed
the powers of investigators to the utmost. Until lately
only t,vo systelns were generally recognised, the
Solutrian and the Thiagdalelliall of G. de l\iortillet; but
this classification ,vas rudely disturbed by the fau10us
discoveries of Edouarll Piett.e, and has since been modi-
fied by the introduction of a ne,v or rather resuscitated
systeln knovvll as the Aurignacian, which has absorbed.
the greater llun1ber of the stages previously included in
the Solutrian.
Under the powerful advocacy of the Abbé Breuil,1 one
of the n10st brilliant of existing anthropologists, the
nevv classification has obtained such ,vide recognition OI}
the continent, that we are conlpeHed, ho,veyer reluc-
tantly, to adopt it.
The classification of the U prer Palæolithic stages 'v ill
then stand as follows:

1 II. Brenil, "Essai de stratigraphie du d(:pôts de l'âge du renne,"
Congr. pl'éhi8t., ele FI'., Perigueux, 1903, p. 75; ib-id., "L'Anrignacicn
présolutrien: Epilogue d'nne Controverse," Rence }Jì'éhi8tOì'iq'lle, IY. 190Ü,
Nos. 8 anù 9, pp. 4ü. For an interesting summary of this controversy
see J. Déchelette, .J..7}1mwel el' A rcl,éulo!Jie, PariH, 1UG8, Vol. 1. pp. 116-119.
210

CH. VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

2 I I

l\lagdalenian

{ Upper
Lo\ver
{ U ppor
Lo\ver
{ Upper
l\liddle
Lower

Sol u trian

Aurignacian

The fauna of the epoch is very similar throughout to
that \vhich preceded it. The sallIe kinds of anill1als
occur, but in different proportions. At first the horse
is one of the most abundant, after\vards the reindeer.
The reindeer by its unfailing presence gives a special
character to the \vhole of the Upper Palæolithic, \vhich
is therefore often spoken of by the French anthropo-
logists as the epoch of the reindeer.
In the last chapter it was pointed out that the close
of the l\Iousterian Age \vas marked by the in vasion of
a cold fauna \vhich closely resen1bles that no\v existing
in the tundra of north-eastern Russia. In the
Aurignacian this fauna has disappeared, or is only
represented by occasional individuals, and the reindeer
is often rare, \vhile the horse, cave lion, and cave hyena
are cOll1paratively abundant. It \yould seeln, therefore,
that an a111elioration of clin1ate had supervened,
corresponding possibly \yith one of those nlinor genial
episodes \vhich occurred in post-glacial tin1es; and this
suggestion is strengthened by the greater frequency
\vith which stations of hun1an occupation, Inany of
then1 Aurignacian, are no\v n1et \vith in the opcn
country. rrhesc occur buried in the löss, so that the
Aurignacians have 1Jeen tel'lned the "lö
s 1110n."
The löss is a yello\vish-grey or hrO\V11 deposit of
unstratified sandy and calcareous loalH, often n1uch
broken up l)y joints and traversed by narro\v, ahnost
P 2

2T2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

vertical, tubes. Curious calcareous concretions, kno\vn
locally as "löss männchen," are scattered through it in
discontinuous layers. It rarely contains fossils, except
land snails, such as IIelix hispida, Pupa muscorurn,
and Succine(t oblonga. lVlaintaining a thickness of fron1
10 to 60 metres, it spreads over a great part of Europe
as a very irregular fringe to the boundaries of the
ancient and vanished ice-sheets (Fig. 6, p. 10). It owes
its formation in large part to the -wind, which, during a
genial episode, swept the fine dust, brought down by the
glacial rivers, over the grass-grown steppes of the period.
As the dust accumulated, the grass struggled upwards
to maintain its existence, and the vertical pipes in the löss
were left by the decay of its roots. There is an older and
a younger löss : the older overlies the third shotter terraces
of the last genial episode, antecedent to the last glacial
age; the younger is apparently post-glacial. It is in the
younger löss that the Aurignacian remains are found,
the older löss contains Acheulean in1plements. The
nlost famous localities are I(rems on the Danube,
"Tillendorf on the same river 20 kilometres above
I\.Tenls, and BrÜnn and Pfednlost in :Thloravia. Stations
also occur in Bohenlia, IIungary, and as far east. as
Russia (l{iev, Ukraine): they are also nlet with in
Gernlan y. 1
Although these stations have afforded Inany valuable
data, our chief source of information is still to be found

.
In caves.
These are \videly distributed in France, and are kno\vn
also in GerInany and Spain (see l\lap, }1
ig. 112). In

1 R. R. Schmidt, "Das Aurignacien in Deutschland, 'MannuA,'" Zeits.
f. JT ul'yeschichte, 1U09, Bd. i, pp. 97 -120, in particular pp. 111-118;
R. R. Schmidt and P. 'Vernert, "Die archäologischen Einschhi
se del'
l..ö::':IsshÜion Achenhcim (Elsass) ulHl die Paliiolithischcn I{ultul'en des
Reintallösscs," Vt,' Pl'ehisturixrhcn Ze1t.'icluïft, uno, Eù. ii. pp. :33U
34G.

VIII

THE AURIGNACI.A.N AGE

.

21 3

our Islands there i::; one cave-to ,vhich Prof. Cartailhac
ha
Llirected IllY attention-,vhich nlay possibly he of
Aurignacian age. This is the cave of Payilanc1, \vhich
opens in a lofty cliff facing the sea bet,veeu Oxchurch
Bay and "T orn1S Head. It ,vas explored hy Prof.
Buckland I and found to contain a Palæolithic fauna,

w;t

AURIGNACfLAN STATIO
r ,oN
E Y ROPE

FH;. H2.

ineluc1ing the nUll1l1110th, \voolly rhinocel'ü:-3, horse,
hy
ella, and cave bear. There ,yere also several ivory
ilnplelnent
,
ueh aB SlllOOth, nearly cylindrical rods,
frolll a II uarter to thl'ee-ll ual'tel'S of an inch iu l1iallletel',
but hroken into fragnlcnts, llOlle of thell} 11lore than
four inches in length; a sJ11all u1 )jeet, about the size and
shape of the hunlall tongue, po

i1)ly the ellll of a

1 \V. Buckland, Rclif.jui(f! DilH,.iHWf', 18
:{, p. 82-S:t

.

21 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

" lissoir" (sn100thing in1plement), bearing obvious
marks of the tool \vith \vhich it had been caryed into
shape, and fragn1ents of rings \vhich, when con1plete,
111ust have been about four or five inches in Jialneter.
These are all apparently Upper Palæolithic, and fron1
the ahBence of ornan1ent, probably Aurignacian in date.

/

\

/\
I \ ./'
/' '

/\/\
\

/)
./
I I
". .'./,
I :'dJH.

'ifill/I;
I'll
I ,'/:' . .-0
,"', '

'-<l.: \I
tll'rll" I nW I '
\fr I \ llil'l.: I ' 1. 1
_ll_
l.u,
,,_.1 'H 'Tit. 'I' f

, E.- S -
------==- '"....'" h.
. :
i:C

' I :, . /

\ __ "'-l?9.:..;" ,/
,

'
'il'"

\

I

/
/

/
\/\
/

\
//
/

FIG. ll:l-Section of the Paviland Cave, Gower, South "Tales (after
Buckland). S, the remains of a human skeleton. H, holes worll
by the 8ea. In the upper right hand corner a fragment of an ivory
implement (x
).

Of the same age is a thin plate of ivory, the outer shell
of a nlamll1oth's tusk, "\\.hich is scratched all over w'ith
fine lines, hut \vithout any atten1pt at a dra\ving, though
it bears t\VO 111arks \vhich an imaginatiye person n1ight
in terpret as the forefeet of a deer. A t one spot (Fig.
113), huried 1,Clleath six inches of earth, lay part of a
hunHtn skeleton, "extcndeLl in the usual position of
burial." Unfortuna.tely, the skull and the greater part

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

21 5

of the left side \vere missing. The bones ,vere embedded
in ruddle, or red micaceous iron ore, ,vhich has" stained"
the surrounding earth for half a yard round. The body
n1ust have been envelope<1 and con1pletely buried up in
this lnaterial, and the bones, ,vhich, together ,vith the
associated objects, are preserved in the University
l\luseum, Oxford, are still encrusted \vith it. By its
side, at the spot ,vhere ,ve carry the trousers pocket, lay
t,vo handfuls of periwinkle shells (Litto1'inc(; litt01'C((;),
and the ivory in1plenlents lay next its ribs. The fen1ur
(thigh hone) has been carefully exan1inecl by
liss
Byrne, \vho finds that it reselubles in all essential
features that of an average Englishn1an. To\vards the
lui<ldle of the cn ve the floor had Leen disturbed before
Buckland's visit, and bones of the extinct fauna \vere
found overlying a n10re recent deposit containing the
hones of sheep, and this has led to the suspicion that
the skeleton n1ay be of nlore recent date 1 than the.
in1plen1ents associated ,vith it. Buckland, ho,vever,
states definitely that the part of the skele,ton relnaining
in place had not suffere<1 fron1 the disturbanc
\vhich
had ren10ved the rest.
The geography of Europe underwent considerahle
change in the course of t.he Palæolithic age. The
conditions <1escribecl as existing at its conlnlencen1ent diel
not persist into the Upper Palæolithic, the continental
area ,vas at first gradually reduced to narro,ver liu1its,
hut later on the sea again ,vithdre\v, and an approach
\Vab made to the earlier state of things. 2

1 \V. Buckland, loco fit. ; 'V. Boyd Dawkins, Care Hunting, London,
1874, p. 2:{2. Ree alHo n r )litjltln Arptihmit'lt'.
2 Rec l\larcellin Boule, H La Grotte du Prince," L' A nthropoltltjip, IHOG,
XVII. p.
ü7. .

216

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The AU1"ignctcialì IIunters.
The climate had to some extent relaxed its rigour (tllll
nutn continued his Htruggle \vith the enyirOnlnent under
nlore genial conditions. Signs of progress Inake thenl-
selyes increasingly evident in more directions than
one.
In the first place the gro\ving improvenlent in the art
of \vorking in flint, \yhich has already been noticed in
the l\Iousterian, still continues. SonIc
l\Iousterian fornls survive, but lle\V
fashions are introduced. At the be-
ginning, in the Lo\ver _\urignacian,
ehanges are less obvious than later on,
but even at this stage one ne\v and dis-
tinctive type of inlplelnent has 1)een
recognised. This is a curved poin ted
flake with secontlary Raking along one
e<1ge, \vhich is kno\vn as the Uhatel-
perron point (Fig. 114).
In the l\liddle Aurignacian new forn1s
FIn. 114.-The L.J
Chatelperron lllake their appearance in great yaricty.
E

;
;l

)r One of the nl,ost characteristic is the
carinated Bcraper (grattoir carénés), sonle-
tinles ternled the Tartð type. It is thick, short, and
high, \vith channel-like secondary flaking, \vhich is
sOllletilnes concentrated at one end, so as to produce a
Hort of snout (Fig. 115, 1,
, 7).
lany varieties of it
are kno\vn
and a specialulenloir has 1)cen devoted to their
descri ption. 1 Closel y allie( 1 to th e carinated scrapers is

1 Ahbés L. Bardon, ...\. et J, Bouyssonie, ., Grattoir caréné et ses
dérivés," Be'!.'. 'Jltewmelle de l' ÉC(jl() d' ...<-Ldlu'. de Pari,." 1f)Oü, p. 401, and
"Station préhistori(luc de In CoumLa-del-Bouïtou, près Brive (Corrèze),"
Bnll. Sue. 8f'i. hist. et (lj'(:h. de ()urrè:e, IH07-1
)OH, 54 l'p. A remarkably
fine collectiun of these forms iH exhibited in the 1\IuReull1 ßt Perigueux.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

21 7

:1
,
.

1a

Sa

FIC:. ll.").-Aurigllaeian :OO;c'rapcrs amI ({r3YCn.;, from La Comnha-del-Bouitou
(Corrèzc). I, 2, 7, Kccletl scrapers from the lowcr hearths; 4, a
Leake(l burin; 3 and J, forms linking the keeled scra.pers with the
Leaked Lurins; 3, 4, amI J, from the upper hearths. (After Ba.rdon and
llOUyssollie, x
.)

218

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the beaked burin (burin busqué), a graver's tool, \yith
the graving edge bounded on one side by a plane and
on the other by a curved convex surface (l1-'ig. 115, 4:)
carefully flaked like the snout of the keeled scraper. On
the side opposite the graving edge there is usually a notch
\vith fine secondary flaking, intended apparently to offer
a hold for the fingers. The angled burin (hurin
d'angle) is also beaked, but with a straight
instead of
urYed back to the pointed
edge; it is less characteristic of the period
than the heaked burin, being found
also in lVlagdalenian deposits. Besides
these tools there üre various kinds of
scrapers, sonle \vith a single notch, SOITIe
\vith a notch on each side, and sharply
pointed a\vls.
.All these inlplements are distinguished
by the regularity and fineness of the
secondary flaking \vhich is specially kno\yn
as the "
\urignacian retouch." In their
general forIn they reveal a greater feeling
for synlnletry.
To\vards the close of the period, in the Upper

t\urignacian, the \vork did not quite nlaintain the sanle
degree of excellence; stilI, even at this stage, a ne\v fornl
of inlplement canle into use. This is a pointed flake,
carefully retouched an along the cutting edge; it looks
like the blade of a penknife, and is kno\vn as the type
of La Gravette (Fig. 11 G).
Taken as a \vhole, the flint implelnents of the
Aurignacians attain a higher stage of differentiation
than any \vhich preceded thenl; they are distinguished
by lTIOrC skilful \vorknlanship and reveal a Inore artistic
sense.

.' ,
// "

//
,

;/ ,.1
7

/ J
i
--

/ Ìt\\:
,( I'
/j/ ':'1
:f *.
,// II

::0 / \"
//, ,II
'-Ø '
,

FIn. 116.-The
La Gravette
Point. (After
Déchelette,
x about i,)

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

21 9

An even greater advance is signalised by the intro-
duction of a ne,v n1aterial. A use had been found for
hone ,vhich, ,vhile tougher and less brittle than flint, is
capable of taking a fine point. Rude a,,"'ls of bone and
splinters of ivory are sparingly found
in the Lo,ver ...\.urignacian; later on,
in the l\Iiddle and Upper
\.urignacian,
the a,vls, ,vhich are carved out of the
metacarpal bones of the horse or
reindeer, are better shaped and the
knuckle end of the bone is left to
fortll a handle; the splinters of ivory
are rounded at the base, and other
hone Í1uplen1ents such as spear heads
and rods of ivory are kno,vn. 1 The
l\Iidtlle Aurignacian is especially dis-
I tinguished by the occurrence of a
bone point ,vith a bifid base (la pointe
1 . 1 Flu. 117.-T,he Aurig-
I it base fendu), t Ie
\.Ul'lgnac Jone point, nacian Bone Point.
I \yhich is commonl y regarded as an (After Déchelette,
LJ x about!,)
arro\\"'-head (]
ig. 117). Its forked
extrelllity hardly seen1S strong enough, ho\vever, for
such a ,veapon, and the Abbé Breuil is probably right
in his conjecture that it served as a bodkin for carrying
a skin thong.
Since this was ,vritten, I have had the privilege of
exan1inillg the fine collection of hone implplnents

I
'\
\
\
I
I
i
I
I

,
:

1 II. Brenil, "La Grotte des Cottés," Re
'. df' l' École d'... t nthr. Paris,
l!tOn, pp. 47G:2. IL R. Schmidt, "Del' Sirgenstein uncI die c1iluvialen
I(ultul'stätten 'VÜrttmnbergs," Tubingen, HJUU, p. 4ö; "Die paläolithi-
schen I(nlturepochell in Deutschland," Korrcsponden::.ùlatt f. A nthr.
1H08, p. 1-8, sep. copy; "Die yorgeschichtlichen I(ulturen del' Of net, "
/Jet. d. NlItHn('i
.
. VPtein<: f. Schwubf>n 'It. NPllbllJ'!I, 1 HOR, pp. 87-1n7,
pIs.; "Das \urignacien in Deutschland," JhUUlIlS, Zeits. f. Voryr'-
.'whichle, Yo!. 1. IHOH, pp. H7 -110, pIs.; and R. R. Schmidt. and P.
\Vernert, "Die Al'chæologischen EinschlÜsse del' L()ssstatiun Achenhcim
i. Ehmss," Priiehislu1'ische Zeit,.;., lUlU, Vol. 11. pp. 339-346.

220

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

obtained by
l. Didion fronl the ___\urignacian station of
Castlenleule (Dordogne). Sou1e of these anticipate in
a ren1arkable 111anner Ï1nplenlents of )lagdalenian age,
c1iffering chic fly hy their greater sÏ1nplicity and lack of

t

.?

.., ..1' ,..

. . I.

c

....

" .

'f:

:

.
:/
'

B

D

Fw. IlS.-. B.O.D, Aurignacian Shaft
traighteners in the Collection of
1\1. Uidion; ...1, an Eskimos Shaft Straightener described by Dr. Boas.
(x about
.)

ornan1ent. Shaft straighteners, for instance, occur (l1'ig.
118) very sÏ1nilar to the so-called "bâtons de con1-
mandemellt " of the
Iagdalenian, and yet stillll10re like
the arro,v straighteners of the Baffin Land Eskimos as
described hy I)r. Boas. 1 They are nlade of reindeer

1 Franz Büas, "The Eskiu10S of Battin Land and Hudson Bay," Bull.
Am.
'I1lS. N(d. JIi..,f. Y 01. XV. Fig. 117, lUOl.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

221

horn, through ,yl1Ïch a cylindrical hole has been drilled
to grip the shaft of the arro,v 01' lance, as a prelin1inary
to straightening it; in t\VO of the speci111ens this hole
is cornparatively large, 21 mn1. in dian1eter (Fig. 118, C)
and 24 mnl. (Fig. 118, B), just the size for a lance; in
another (Fig. 118, D) it is only 10 n1111., and 111akes
an excellent fit for an arro\v. The hole in each case
traverses the Ï1nplement obli<luely, so as to give a better
hold on the shaft, \vith less risk of bruising \vhile
bending it straight. The ridges left by the drill are
still visible un the sides of the holes, except in those
places ,vhere they have been ,vorn a\vay by use.
There are also some Lone rods, suggestiyely sinli1ar to
very simple forn1s of the bo\v-drill, but unfortunately
hroken at the ends, so that it is impossible to say
\vhether they \vere perfurated or not.

I. Didion's collection contains the Ï1nage of a phallus,
about life-size, carved in ivory. This ,viII at once
suggest syn1pathetic n1agic; but it can have had nothing
to do ,vith the fertility of crops or herds, for neither
crops nor herds ,vere in existence at this tÏ1ne.
l\lany of the bone Ï1nplements ,yere probably blocked
out in the rough by various forn1s of flint in1p]eu1ents
specially devised for the purpose, ana then finished hy
grinding do\vn on stone. Fron1 the grinding of bone
to that of stone does not seen1 a great step, but it \vas
not taken till long afterwards, in the Neolithic period.
At first Lone Ï1nplelHents are very rare and simple ill
forn1, hut accompanying thelll are olJjects sculptured
in the round or in lo\v relief, of \yhich ,ve shall speak
later.
..AJl usion has already been marle to the life of the
period. Europe at this tin1e cyidently teelHed \vith
galne
\vhirh affol'dctl a rich prey to the
'\..urignaciall

222

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

hunters. . At Solutré, a station in the llhðne valley a
little to the north of IJyons, where the horse seems to
have been a favourite food, the broken bones of these
aninlals, left as the refuse of many feasts, forn1 a mass
of breccia considerably over 100 yards in length and
10ft. high (Fig. 119); and at Pfedmost, in J\Iora via,
where the n1ammoth was the chief victim, nlore than t\yO
thousand of its nlolar teeth have heen found gathered
together in a 111ass of débris. In connexion \vith this

. . ,
....-;-.-
.:- ':-,
. ,

'-_ __ _A

FIG. 119.-Section through the Depo
its of the Rock Shelter at Solutré.
(After the ALbé Breuil.)

\ve may recall the observations nlade by Captain IIarris
\vhen travelling in South Africa:
"In Ulan y places," he writes, "the ground \vas
stre\vn \vith the blanched skeletons of gnus and other
wild animals \vhich had evidently been slaughtered by
Bushmen, and traces of these troglodytes \vaxeel hourly
more apparent as the country became nlore inhabitable.
The base of one hill ill particular, in \vhich SOITIe of their
caves were discoyered, presented the appearance of a
veritable Golgotha; several hundred skulls of gnus and
bonteboks being collected in a single heap." 1
U neler such favourable conditions life seems to have
afforded Aurignacian man a certain an10unt of leisure.

\t all events his energies \vere not \vholly tlevoted to
the chase, and \ve no\v ,vitness the birth of the fine arts.
Sculpture, painting, dra\ving, successively nlake their
1 G. 'V. Stow, The Nati1.:e RrlCe:5 of South Africa, London, lÐOj,
p,8ü,

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

223

appearance, and the best exaluples attain so high
a pitch of excellence that enthusiastic discoverers
have spoken of then1 as superior in sonle respects
to the \vork of the Greeks. Sculptures in the
round and in lo\v relief \vere the first to attract
the attention of obseryers; hut in the course of the last
t\venty years a series of ren1arkable discoveries have
brought to light \vhole picture galleries \vhich date fron1
the Aurignacian age. rrhe first to set eyes on these ,vas
a Spanish 1l0hlen1an, l\Iarcellano de Sautuola, who, \vhen
visiting the International Exhibition in Paris of 1878,
becan1e acquainted \vith the discoveries made in the
caves of Southern France, and \vas thus led to investi-
gate some caves \yhich exist near his o\vn home at
Santander. In one of these, the cave of ...-\.ltan1ira , he "\
found the usual palæolithic débris, hones of exti nct ,
animals, and ,vorked flints, anlong then1 a laurel-leaf
Solutrian point of coarse \vorkn1a.nship. "Thile he ,vas
digging for these, his little daughter, \vho had aCC0111-
panied him in to the cave and 'v ho soon gre\v tired of
\vatching such an uninteresting perforn1ance, began to
look restlessly about; sonlet.hing evidently arrested her
attention for she cried out" Toros ! " and as she continued
to repeat this ,vord, .1\1. Sautuola., at length, stopped
digging to ask her \vhat she n1eant ; she pointed up,vartl
,
and there on the roof of the cave he beheld a cro\vd of
figures, some of life-size, representing not only bulls
(bison), hut also horses, deer, and other aninlals, faith-
fully depicted in a great variety of attitudes (Fig. 1
0).

L de Sautuola lost no tÎ1ne ill bringing this surprising
discovery before the ...trchæological Congress of 1879,
and pul)lished a full description in 1880. 1 It \vas

1 1\1. de Sautuola, Braes ((plUdes sob alcwws objetvs prehi
foric(Js de l((
l)J'uvincia de f:Jwtf(wder,
alltalldcl', 1880, 8vo, 28 pp. 4 plates.

224

I-IUNTEI
S

CHAP.

\\
}'w, 120. -OutlineR of Paintings on the Roof of the Cavcrn of Altamira.
(After Ca,rtailhac allli Brcull, L' Anthr.)

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

225

received \vith the lnost profound scepticisn1. Bubse-
quently 1\1. L. Chiron observed outline dra,vings on the
,valls of a caye in the
\.rdêche, kllO\Vl1 as the Chabot,
and his discovery ,vas subsequently confirmed by Prof.
Capitan. A fe\v years later (1895) sinIilar dra\yings
,vere found by 1\1. Rivière in the cave of .La 1\Iouthe/
and in the follo\ving year by 1I. François Daleau in the
cave of Pair-non-Pair in the Gironde. 2 In the Solutrian
layer of Pair-non-Pair, )I. Daleau found the red oxide
of iron ,vhich had furnished the piglnent for the paint-
ings on the ,valls, as ,veIl as the pestles of granite and
quartzite ,vhich had been used for pounding it up, and
several scapulæ dau bed \vith red \vhich seemed to have
served for palettes.
These fresh observations did not produce conviction.
This ,viII not seelll altogether unnatural \vhen ,ve
consider the unexpected nature of the discoveries; the
excellent state of preservation of the paintings, their
renlarkable Inerit as ,vorks of art, and the fact that they
occur in the dark recesses of caverns far removed fron1
the light of day, all combined to arouse suspicion. Nor
n1ust it he overlooked that 111alicious or foolish persons
have not seldunl atten1pted to inIpose upon investigators,
sOlnetilnes \vith a passing success. "Then)I. Rivière
subnIittecl his results to the Arclu_Bological Congress in
1897, they lnet \vith nIuch unfriendly criticislll. Yet
the author had nlacle a strong case; for he pointed out that
sonle of the figures are covered by a fairly thick layer
of stalactite; that the red clay ,vhich forills the Hoar of
the cave extends above the lo\ver part of sonIC of the
dr(t\vings so as to conceal the feet of the anÏ1nals
1 E. Ri\'ièrc, "La Grotte de La l\louthc," Bull. Rue. d'Antll1.. Paris,
lsn7, pp. 302, 484, 4B7.
2 F. Dalcau, "Los gravures sur rocher de la cavcrne de Pair-non-Pair,"
A cff',.., de lfl SU(>. .1 rchu. Bordeaux, 18B7.

(

226

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

depicted; and finally, that in their style, holdness of
characterisation, and even in their faults they closely
resen11Jle the palæolithic clra\ving.s \vhich have long been
recognised 011 bone or ivory.
In a syn1pathetic revie\v, \vl'itten in the follo\ving
year, 1\1. lVlarcellin Boule 1 asserted that the argulnents
\vhich had been opposed to the vie\vs of JL Rivière \vere
\vithout validity. At the sanle time, he hesitated to
C01l1111it hin1self to a definite opinion.
It ,vas not till 1901 that the general incredulity
began to yield, partly in consequence of discoveries by
Prof. Capitan and the Abbé Breuil) \vho described
dra\yings and paintings from additional caves. 2 At the
sa1l1e ti1l1e 1\1. Rivière furnished fresh evidence fro111 the
cave of La Thlouthe,3 and 1\1. 1\Iarcellin Boule, in a
revie\v 4 of the \vork of these authors, no\y recognised its
convincing force. Finally,.1\1. Cartailhac, \vho had been
previously one of the 11l0st unCOnlpl'Olnising opponents
of the genuineness of the alleged discoveries, courage-
ously adnlitted that he had been n1Ïstaken. 5 1\11 doubts
,vere no\v dispelled, and the subsequent progress of
investigation has been acconlpaniecl" by continually
increasing discovery.6
1 1\:1. Boule, "La Grotte de La 1\Iouthe," L'.r!nth,.. 1898, ix. p. 67{t
2 Capitan and Breuil, "Vne nouyelle grotte avec parois gr(wées à
l'époque paléolithique," O. R. September Iß, 1H01; and" Due nou\'elle
grotte avec figures peintes snr les parois à l'{>poyue paléolithiyue," O. B.
Septelnher 23, 1901.
3 E. Rivière, "Les <lessins grayées . et peintes de la Grotte de La
l\louthe," Rel\ Sci. October 19, 1901.
4 1\'1. Boule, "Les gravures et peintures sur les parois des cavernes,"
L' Anthr. un 1, xii. p. 671.
5 Émile Cartailhac, '
Les cavernes ornées de dessins: La grotte
d'AItamira, Espagne; 'l\iea Culpa' d'un Sceptique," L'Anthl'. 190
, xiii.
p. 34,8.
G E. Cartailhac and H. Breuil, "Les peintures et gra\Tures Ulurales
des cavernes Pyrélléennes," 1. Altamira (à Santillane,
pain), L' A nth,'.
1H04, xv. p. 623; II. l\iarsoulas, près Salies-du-Salat, Haute Garonne,
L'AHfh1'. 1UOG, xvi. p. 431 ; III. Niaux (Ariège) L'Authr. 1HOS, xix, p, 15;
IV. Gargas (IIautes Pyrénées), L'AnthJ'. HHO, xxi. p. 1
9; aud La

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

227

In O'iviuO' a brief account of these dra\vin g s \ve cannot
b b
do better than con1n1ence \vith the cave of Altan1Ïra, the
starting-point of all subsequent discoveries. A plan of
the cave is given belo\v (Fig. 121), and reference to it

A

N

FH
. l:2l.-PI"AN OF THE CAYER
OF A LT.:\ l\1 IRA. DRAW
BY
l. HARLÉ.
Tutallength, 280 metres. A, entrance; TI, vCRtihule half filled with kitchen
débriR and fallen fragments from the roof; c, chamber on the left, 40
metl'eR long by 10 metres Lroad, with large paintings; D, fallcn rocks;
I
, gallery on the opening into the chamber F, from which a casC'acle of
Rtalagmite, 0, covere<l with sculptures, deRcemls to the left; n, a narrow
di\'el'tieulum, with red figures on the walls, opening into F; I, gallery,
with floor cm'creel by fallen fragments from the roof; ,J, chamber with
vaulted dome-like roof; K, cascade of stalagmitp ; L, elongate, nlt\'c-like
chamber; 1\1, shallow water pits; N, terminal pasRage. The figures occur
O\"er all the walls, hut mostly on the roof of th
chamber left of B.

Caycrne d' AItamira à Santillane, 1 vol. .,lto, pp. 2t;7, :-37 pIs., :rtIOllaco,
1HUü (puhlished 1H08); Capitan, Breuil, and Peyrony, "Les figures
gràv{.es it l'époque paléolithique sur les parois de la grutte de Bernifol
(Dordo
ne)," Rev. de l' Íi'cole d'An/hr. Paris, 1903, p. :
67; II. Breuil,
"L'évollltion de l'al't pictul'al et de la gravure sur lllura.illes dans les
cavernes ol'nées de I'âgedu Renne," L'Antht.. 1905, xvi. p. 513; Peyrony,
"Nouvelles récherches sur la grotte des Eyzies," L'.Antht'. 1905, xvi.
p. 515; Capitan, Breuil, et Ampoulange, "rne nouvelle grotte préhis-
tOl'i<lue à parois gravécs," abstract, Re1'. de l' l
('(Jle d' AlltlH'. Paris, IH04,
x. p. 320; Capitan, Breuil, et Peyrony, "U ne nouvelle grotte à parois
gravées, La Calvitie (Dordogne)," Hel'. de l'É('ole d'Anthl'. Paris, 1904,
p. :
79; lIermilio Alcalùe del Rio, Las Pinlul'((s !! Gl'ab((do,
elf' la,

Oll:enw,
]J1'ehistol'i('{(s dp 10 Provincia de Santand, J', Santander, 1UOß; H.
TIl'euil, "Cavernes cspagnules peintes et gravécs," L'..I.lnfh,'. 1906, xvii.
p. G2ü; II. Br:.euil and C. ...:\<!uila, "Les Peinhll'èS Hupestres dll hassin
infél'ienr (1<.' l' Ehre," Ii.r1 nf1u', 1nO!J, xx. pp. 1-
1.

Q 2

228

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

,viII save a lengthy description. The finest collection of
figures occurs on the roof of the recess (c) near the
entrance. The earliest efforts seen there are outline
dra,vings in black, some of which could scarcely be
better; these ,,"'ere succeeded by paintings in red \vash,
"\vhich are SOllle\vhat crude; then follo\v incised dra\vings,
traced ,vith a sure hand, and sho\ving no signs of
retouching. The adnlirablc engraving of a bison (Fig.
122) \v hi
h occurs outside the recess, on the \vall of one

}'w. l
i.-.Engradng of a bison, Altamira. (After Cartailhac and Breuil,
L' A llthr.)

of the galleries, prohably belongs to this series. Last
of all come the polychromes, \vhich are rudinlentary to
begin \vith, but subsequently attain a high (legree of
perfection.
The greater number of the aninlals shown in Fig. 120
are pol ychromes .of
his kind. "7here these occur there
is evidence to sho\v that the surface \vas prepared fur
their reception, previously existing paintings having
been \vashed or scraped off. The outlines \yere first
dra\vn in \vith black pig111cnt, then the colours \vere put
on, tufts of hair on the Inane and elsc\vhere ueing

VIII

THE AURIGNACI.L\.N AGE

229

inl1icated by touches \vith a brush; the body colour
,vas snlcarecl on as a soft paste, extended and graduated
to give the half-tones, and then retouched 1JY ,vashing

\

" "

\

,

Fu:. L
3.-Polychrome pa,inting of a dcer, from the group shown in 14
lg. l:!O.
(After Cartailhac and llreuil, L' ....luthr.)

and scraping, hands of colour heing renlovec1 to give the
high lights and to Dring the lÏ1nbs au t against the body

"I
;,
- )
-

,
. r

.,
\ ) (
't ' t'

Fu:. 1:!4. -l'ol)'chrome painting of a bison, from the group shown ill Fig. 120
(After Cal'tailhac and Breuil, L' A uthr. )

(Fig. 123). Tn the latest and 1110st fi])ishcd cxaulplcs,
thc brush has he en assistel1 Ly the huriu; the outline of
Fig. 1
4,
tllll evcn SOllle of the t1etail, ,vas engraved, aH

23 0

ANCIENT HUNTEH.S

CHAP.

shown in Fig. 125 before it \vas emphasised ,,'"ith black
pigment. The different drawings and paintings are
often superposed, one abuve the other, and it is this
\vhich renders it l )ossible to detern1ille their relative ao'e.
,-,
In sonle parts of the cave there are strongly incised
outlines, cut 3 to 5 CIll. deep into the rock, \vhich are
even earlier than the oldest outlines in black found in
the recess. Advantage was frequently taken of the
irregularities of the \valls to give an effect of relief to
the \vhole figure, and particular pronlÏnence to SaIne of

"
'4
11i
\ I
4"

i \
., II
(" '

11r'l }
Y \ ,51,)

FIG. l
.3.-öketch of Fig. 1
..J:, engraved as a preliminary to painting.
(After Cartailha.c and llreuil, L' Authr.)

its parts. It lllUSt be confessed, however, that the
results are 1nore ingenious than pleasing. The natural
pose of the aninlal gives place to constrained and violent
attitudes (Fig. 126).
The colours employed were red, brown, black, and
seyeral shades of yello\v, graduated into nunlherless
half-tones and tints. They were obtained from mineral
substances such as iron ochre and oxide of nlanganese,
\vhich "'"ere prepared for use by grinding them do"vn to
a fine powder. The pigment ,vas carried in little
horn-like cases, lllade frolll the call1lon- bone of a rein-
deer and adorned by transverse lincs 01' ro\vs of cris
-

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

23 1

cross, scored on the exterior. Such" paint tubes," one
still containing ochre, have been found an10ng the débris
of l\..urignacian deposits (Fig. 127). The pigment was
al:so n1ade up in to cra yons. The sides of these are
scored hy transverse lines, ,vhich are perhaps the
nlaker's nlark (Fig. 128).
1\1. Cartailhac and the ....\.bbp Breuil speak in enthusi-
astiè terlllS of the gron p of polychrome figu res sho,vn in
outline in Fig. 120 ; they characterise it as "l'æuvre la

II '''-
( (>.,

"
\,)

, "

,

.Fa;. 1
6.-Polychrome painting of a bison, partly modelled hy the relief of
the wall. (After Cartailhac and Brenil, L' A 1lthr.)

plus parfaite que nous puissions actuellenlent citeI' de
ces époques reculées, et qui place les vieux peintres des
tLges glyptiqueR hi en au-dessus des anÌ1llaliers de toutes
les civilisatiolls de l'orient classique et de la Grèce: rien
n'éO'ale la l'iO'uenr (Iu trace l'exactituùe et la hardiesse
b 0 ,
L1es attitudes, l'habilité 01, Ie fondn des nuances rouges,
hrullcs, noircs, et jaunes (iui se Inélangent et se graduellt
cn u1Ïlle dCl1l1-teintes."
It ,vill be noticed that the anin1al:s are irregularly

cattel'ol1 ; they are full of character and life, but they
telluo
tory. rrhe greater nUluher are bisons ; standing,
,valking, l'íllllpant, they crowd the nliL1dl
of the picture:

23 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

on the extreme left is a deer, sho,vn on a larger scale in
Fig. 123 ; above it to the right is a wild boar, probably
one of the animals nlost dreaded by the l\..urignacial1s;
next to this is a horse \yith its colt; on the extrenle

.....
. \1

" 'j:.

I
/ß /r
FIG. 127.-" Paint-tubes" from La Grotte des
Cottés. (After llreuil. x i about.)

B

A
Fw. 128. - Crayons of
rea ochre in 1\1. Didion's
collection from Castle-
meule, Dor(logne. (Nat.
size. )

right is another \vild hoar, apparently III the act of
chargil1g.
.A. renlarkable sÏ1nilarity in general btyle and nlotive
charactcrises the art of all the painted caves, so that
.AJtamira lllight ahnost serve as an epitollle of the rest;
it will only be necessary, therefore, to refer to n fc\v
other instances, and I shall restrict Inyself to those
caves which I had the privilege of visiting under the
guidance of nlY friends, l\lessl's. Cartailhac, Breuil and

VIII

THE AUI{IGNACIAN AGE

233
Peyrony. One of these is the Font-de-GauIne, \vhich
oJ.Jens into the pieturesque valley of the Beaune, about
a n1Ïle fronl I.Jes Eyzies. It contains lllany excellent
paintings, both isolated and in groups, though nothing
conlparaLle \vith the great lllasterpiece \yhich adorns the
roof in .L\..ltanlira. The bison is 11l0St frequently repre-
f;entec1, but there are also horses, antelopes, reindeer,
and 11lanlllloths. SOllle are of life-size: one noLle figure
of a lÚt;on llleasure
9 feet in length, others are slludler,

o 0

/

/
...
//;/"
, /

:/
,,/ \
/ ì M\

'
d/

U

w-rl

14'w. 1
9.-0ut1ine drawing of a. painting of two reindeer fronting each other
from Font-ùe-Uaume, Dordogne. (After Capitan and Breuil.)

the least attaius a length of only 2 feet. The picture of
t\yO reindeer fronting each other, sho\vn in outline (Fig.
129), i;:; produced by a c0111hination of engraving and
pain tinge
If Altaulira clainls the fir
t place for its paintings,
Niaux, to \vhich \ye no\v tUI'll, is no less distinguished
for it

ketches in l)lack Hnd \\Thitc. 11he Ctlye is situated
ill one of the valleYB of the Pyrcnces, not far fronl
l'arascon-sur-.l..\ri()ge (another Tara,scon, not rrartarin's) ;
it runs as a long gallery for ahuost a n1Ïle into the
111ountains. The tiketche:-; on it
\yalls, dra\Yll \vith a

23+

ANCIENT HUNTEH.S

CHAP.

bold, 8ure hanll, represent the usual anÏluals, horses,
deer, \vild goats, and, in greatest abundance, the bison.
In truth of forn1, clearness of line, and the vigorous
rendering of life-like attitudes they renlain unsurpassed.
IIere, \vhere \ve have the effect of pure forn1 \vithout
the overpo\vering aid of colour, \ve call better a ppre-
ciate the draughtsn1an's skill, and "\\Te shall esteen1 this
the nlore \vhen \ve consider the conditions under \vhich
he ,vorked. A cave is not as conlfortable a place as an

.....

/-

.
.'. . . . ..
;..
.. .. "...,...
... .
. .. ....
... ..... .\
/ .... .....
I."

f
I,
i

FIG. 130.-Supposed pictographic inscription in red; the back of the bison
(dotted line) is formed by a ridge on the wall. (After Cartailhac and
Brenil, L' A nthr. )

artist \vould choose for the exercise of his art; its \valls
by their irregularity often con1pel hinl to adopt an
a\vk\vard attituae ill-suited to his purpose; it is dark,
and the artifieial illunlination of the tilne \vas scarcely
adequate. Evidently the U8e of n10clels \va
precluded;
the animals \vhich the artist de1ineatec1 \vere not before
his eyes, and the prCsul11ptioll is that they ,vere dra\vn
entirely from .menlory. .
In Niaux, as in Altamira, the projectiuns of the \vall
ha ve somctÏ1nes suggested the likeness of an anÏlnal
form, and the artist has then assisteù nature by con1-
ploting the sketeh. Une instance, nlore suceessful than

VII[

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

235

SOlne, is sho\vn in Fig. 130. .A s\velling of the \,rall
has given the outline of the back of a bison, the artist
has done the rest. A black dot on the flank is n1eant
prohabl y for a \vound, and, as :\Iessrs. Cartailhac and
Breuil suggest, the falling fore-lin1os seen1 to suggest
that the consequences are
erious. The objects facing
the l)iHon are supposed by the same distinguished
ol)scrvers to be boon1erangs. They are not unlike the
.Australian Ii-Iii (Fig. 92, p. 179), hut the prolongation
of the shaft bcyond the head givcs thcnl a still greatcr
rcsclnl)lance to some forn1s of stone-axe. rfhat the axe

,'

"

ð
-:-r

t

:FIG. J :31. --Outlines of two trout, traced in the sand on the floor of Niaux,
(After Cartailhac and Breuil, L'Antltr,)

is
onIctÏ111es used as a lllissile is \vell-kno\vn. The ro,vs
of dots are difficult to interpret, but sÏ111ilar 111arks are to
l,c found in caves painted by the

ustralians (Fig. 148)
and by the Bushmen of South Africa (Fig. 156).
In nlan y cases the bison is represented \vith arro\vs
111arked upon his flank; singularly enough, SOlne of thenl
are painted in red, a colour not used for the outlines of
the auinutls, and suggestive of bluod and \VOUllll
.
SOllle dl'êt\villgs, as
harp a
\vhcn they \vere first
traee(l, are to l)e :-;een in the fine Baud \vhich fornis l'art
of the fluor uf the eavc; onc is a telling sketch of a
\volluc1cd hi
on, and thcre are t\VO troll t (Fig. 131) j list
like thObC 1l0\V living in the ...\.l'iègc; not far frolll thenl
is the Ï111Pl'int of the naked foot of a nHtll, left perhaps

23 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

by the Aurignacian artist hinlself. It is astouishing
tha t clra \vings in such a fugitive nlaterial should have
outlasted the revolutions of so lllauy thousands of years,
but the sand is dan1p and not a breath of \vincl disturbs
the stagnant ail' of the cave; so still is it that the
sn10ke of a single cigarette \vill perfullle the
ave for
lllany days. Sin1Îlar dra\vings of fish are nlacle in sand
at the present òay on the banks of rivers in Central
Brazil; one, l'epresellting a kind called "lnatrinchaln 'J
by the natives, \vas found
at a spot \vhich marked a
good fishing place for that
fish (Fig. 132).1
One of the nlost 1'e-
lllal'kable collection
of en-
:FIG. 132.-Recent tracing of a fish (the
matril1cham) ma<le in the sand by gravîngs is to he seen in
the natives of Central Brazil. (After the Grotte des Comba-
von den Steinen.)
relles, situated not far
frOIH Font-de-Gaun1e. The cave is a long narro\v
gallery, only just "vide enough to afford cOlnfortable
\valking to one person at a time, and less than G feet in
height. The engravings, \vhich are deeply cut, begin
in complete darkness about nlid\vay do\vn its length,
1110re than 100 metres from the entrance, and extend in
almost uninterrupted succession along both sides of the
passage for a distance of 100 nletres. Isolated exanlples,
reproduced on a small scale, can affora no notion of the
effect produced by these life-like figures as they follo\v
one close upon another, cro\vding the \valls in a fashion
\vhich recalls the paintings in an Egyptian tOlnb. If the
pageant is apt after a time to gro\\
a trifle lnonotonous
it remains none the less in1pressive.

1 Karl von den Steinen, "Untcr den Naturvolkcl'll Zel1tral-Brasiliens,"
Berlin, 18U4, pp. 570, in particular, 1'- 248.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

237

.AJllong the various anilllals \vhich here play their
part are nlUllerous lllanlnloths (no fe\ver than fourteen) ;
depicted, as :l\lessrs. Capitan and Breuil renlark, \vith
astonishing exactitude; SOllle are full gro,vll, others
very young, looking like halls of fur. The Rpiritcd

Fw. 133.-Engraving of a :\Iammoth, Les Comharelle
. (After Capitan
and Breuil, x i1.)

l
w. l:U.-Ellgraving of a horse, Les Comharelles. (After Capitan and
Erenil, x r 1 r,. )

study of one of the adult:.; 8ho\\ n in Fig. 133 gives a
vi via idea of the Ii vi ng nUì11111loth, and has an ail' of
greater reality than thr carefully ëtuffe<1 specÏ1nen of all
actual lllallll110th preserved in the
[Uf-jeUlll at St. l
eters-
hurg; yet if for the sake of conlparison ,ye turn to
another exalllple of prin1Ïtive art, the Rcnlpture of all

23 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHA P.

African elephant (l1-'ig. 173) \vhich ,ve o\ve to the Bush-
nIen, \ve shal1 be inlpressed less \vith the vigour than
the cruclity of the nlore ancient example.
The figure of a horse (Fig. 134) is a remarkal)ly
faithful dra\ving; the rendering of the savage-looking
head is alone sufficient to place it in the first rank.
The cave of Gargas (Hautes Pyrénées), not far fro.lll
Bagnpres de Luchon, contains many excellent t1ra\vings,
both incised and in l,la
k and
"\vhite,lJut it is especial1y dis-
tinguished hy the pre
cnce of
long nleanaering anll inter-
lacing lines (Fig. 1 ;:35), the
Ineaning of ,vhich is nn-
kno\vn, and still n10re hy
L the great nunIber of Î1npl'ints
of the hUnUtll hand ,vhieh
cro\vll it
,valls (Fig. 13G).
jJtogether there can Hcarecly
l)e fe\ver than 200 of thef;c.
.i\[ost of theul ,vere produce(l
hy s hieilling the
urface of
the rock ,vith the outspread
hana ant1 then applying pignlent around so as to ohtain
a kiIHl of silhouette; hy thi
111ethod the hand is left in
hlank on a red or l)lack ground. Some, ho\vevcr, arc
direct inIpressions, ohtained hy stanIping the hant1, prc-
viously smeared \vith paint, on the surface of the rock.
On exarnining these ilnprints ,ve discover ,vith
surprise that nIany of the hand:.; appear to l,e nluti-
lated.; one or n10re fingel'
are Inissing, or shol'trncd as
if they luul lost a joint, ur perhaps t\vo. That this
effect n1Ïght have been ohtainecl hy foltling 110\\Tn thr
nlis
ing fingers \\Tould seen1 ahllost too ol,vious an

FlU. 1:
3.-Interlacing lines
scratched in the clay of Hornos
de la })eìía in the Cantahrian
mountains. ( x iu. After
Cartailhac ana Rreuil,
L'Aufh'r.)

VII!

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

239

explanation, but 1\1. Cal'tailhac, after l1laking experi-
111ents, thinks it is insufficient. "T e seem driven, there-
fore, to conclude that the fingers are not represented
hecause they \yere not there. Allusion has already
heen 111ade to the practice of an1putating the little
finger \vhich prevails a1110ng the native \YOn1en of
Australia, and the custon1 seelns to be rather "Tidely
spread aUlong priInitiye peoples. That it existed anl()llg

"0 ('7 0
.
rJ

C D

ft :.- '
':. .'. .

'
.'..

";
"';).-;-i: ;-.
""'i,
. . '1. t: . . ....
:": ;".

: \\::'i ....
.
r

.
.:
\ .
;
?;:i,i\
":

!.

. \.1..;

"
.,

.Iit,

,
.

.

(. .'i,
\ i) . ....

,-

E

"
-' . I

.'

.

,"; .:. 1
i. ,

co

}'w, 136.-
ilhouette
of hand
in red and hlack; on the right (not lettereù)
from the ca\-e at Uargas ; on the left attemptR to imitate them, A,E. Ly
sifting ronge on"r a ha.ml spread out horizontally, B.C.:E. F. with a
crayon, (:. by hlowing charcoal out of the mouth against a hand placed
n,gaim
t a vertical wall, II. by Llowing it out of a tube.

the Bushmen \yas observed by 13urcllell aB eadyas 1812.
lIe "Titcs: "I 111et onc old \VOll1an \yho . . . stopved to sho\y
nle her hands, and Lade nle ohserye that the little finger
of the right hand had lost t\\
O joints and that of thc
left, onc. She explained. . . that they had been eu t
off at (liffcrcnt tinles to express grief. . . for the death
of threc (laughters. .A.fter this I looked lnore attentiycly
at th ()
e ] Inet, all( 1 :-;a \V Ulan y other "
Olllen, aBet sonlC
of the l11cn \vith their hallds luutilated in the Stune
ll)anner; hut it "Tas only the little finger:-; \vhieh \\Tcrc

24 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

thus shortened." 1 Sto,v 2 adds that the clistonl \vas
alnlost universal among this people, as ,veIl as anlong
thc old Tanl bukis; speaking of one party of BURhnlell
that he nlet, he relnarks: "they had all lost the first
joint of the little finger." 3 The operation was perfornled
,vith a stone knife. Its object, according to Sto,v, ,vas
to ensure a long career of feasting after death or a
safe passage to the next world, but Arbousset states
that ill some tribes it was a l1lark of distinction or caste. 4
Sonlc of the Red J nc1ians, such as the rrlingit, TsiInshian
and Haida tribes of north-,vestern Canada':} \vhere the
reindeer still exists, also cut off the little finger, hut only
on special occasions; ,vhen, for instance, death is too
assiduous in his visits to a fanlily the survivors agree
to perfornl the ceremony at the next funeral, and ,vhen
this takes place they lay the little finger on the edge of
the coffin and sacrifice the first joint, in order, as they
say, "to cut off the deaths."
It \vill be ohserved, ho\vever, that ill none of these
cases is 1110re than one finger rell10ved, and that one the
fourth, but on exau1illing the Îlnprints at Gargas \vp
shall perceive, not only that no preferenee is sho\vn for
this particular finger, the first, second or third heing
quite as often ll1issing, but also that the nUl1lber is not
restricted to one; al1lputation seenlS, indeed, to haye
played havoc \\Tith the \vhole hand, in some cases leaving
not a single finger intact. Such ,vholesale 111utilation
as this finds no analogy anlong any existing race.

1 \V. J. Burchell, "Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa,"
.V 01. II. p. HI, 1824.
2 G. 'V.
tow, "The Native Races of Bouth _-\.frica," London, I!JOü,
p. 12ü.
3 Stow. up. crif. p. 13ß.
4 Arhousset, OJ). cit. p. 4U3.
[, F. BoaH, "Heport on the N, 'V. Trihes of Can:Mla," Hep. Brit. ASH.
Cardiff. 188B, p. 8;
7.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

24 1

Perhaps after all there n1ay be son1ething in the more
obvious explanation. 'Vith the assistance of n1Y friend
and foriner pupil,
liss Byrne, of Son1erville College,
I have made sonle experiments to see if outlines of the
hand \vith missing fingers could not be " faked. " Various
methods were tried, and the results are ShO\Vll in Fig. 136.
Placing the hand either prone or supine on a sbeet of
paper, \vith the finger it is intended to shorten folded
back, the outline Inay be traced \vith a crayon; such as
the chalk used for \vrit.ing on a blackboard; this is the
simplest and neatest plan (Fig. 136, B, c, E, F). 'Ve kno\v
that the Aurignacians possessed crayons of red ochre
(Fig. 128, p. 232), and they n1ay have made use of then1
for this purpose. It is often asserted, apparently on
good authority, that the .Australians sonletinles eITlploy a
different device: filling their mouth \vith red ochre or
charcoal, they puff the pigment against the hand ,vhile
it covers the dampened face of a rock; \ve have no
evidence, ho\vever, to sho,,,, that the
\..urignacians did
the same. For n1yself [ have not tried this plan, but
l\Iiss Byrne has Dlade one attempt and \vith a fair
anlount of success (Fig. 136, G.). It would require 1110re
practice, ho\vever, than she is disposed to nlake to
obtain skill in this art. .As a substitute I have sifted
fine rouge over the hand laid on gunlluy paper, or
blown it through a tube (Fig. 136, A, E, H).
These experiments prove that the appearance of
anlputation can be obtained \vithout proceeding to
that extrenle. It is ten1pting to suppose that the
A urignacians, ,vho "\\
ere evidently a very gifted race,
had already passed through the stage in ,vhich their
religious cult denlanded the sacrifice of the actual .finger,
and haJ arrived at the notion of sYlnbolic representation,
If so the restriction of the sacrifice to the lit.tle finger
R

24 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

111ight soon lose its ll1eaning, and any or all of the
fingers n1ight be suppressed, perhaps according to a
scale of fees imposed by the officiating priest or nlec1icine-
man 1
Since this was written I have come across an
observation by Virchow,1 \vhich convinces me that
M. Cartailhac's interpretation is, after all, the right
one. Vircho\v, \vho seems to haye kno\vn nothing of
the lllutilation as a custom, describes, purely from the

B

c

A

Fn-;. 137.-1:1utilated hands of Bushmen. A. Last joint of little finger
amputated, but retains a rudiment of the nail; ß. Rimilar, but with no
trace of a nail; C. the last joint of the second and third digits and the
tip of the fourth have been removeù. A. and D. male, C. female. (After
Virehow, )

anaton1ical standpoint, the hands of several Bush-
men \vho were exhibited in Berlin, and fortunately he
accompanies his description \vith outline figures. III one
instance (Fig. 137 c), contrary to the staten1ents of all
observers in South Africa, the little finger sho\vs no sign
of mutilation, \vhile the second and third digits have each
lost the last joint, and the fourth has lost the nail and
finger-tip. Barro\v 2 states that "in every sickness of
what kind soever it is usual with then1 to take off the

1 R. Virchow, "Buschmänner," Zeits. f. Ethn. 1886, XVIII. pp.
221-239, in particular pp. 222-223.
2 Barrow, (JjJ. cit. VoL I. p. 245.

VIII

THE AlTRIGNACIAN AGE

243

extrenle joints of the fingers, beginnÜlg with the ]ittle
finger of the left hand." In three of the cases c1escribc(l
hy Vircho\v they had e\Tidently begun ,vith the
right hand.
Iy apologies, therefore, to 1\1. Oartailhac.

ß c .
_ I
..: :

T

-r
-=- iJ e. : _

] ...
i

J( 1
gJt--(\
'\

d e f I I
V n LjJ

Fw. 13H.-Enigmatical Higns. a-f, from Altamira (after Cartailhac ana
Breuil, L' A lItltJ'. ; y-n, from HornoR de la l}eìía (after IT crmilio Alcal(le
del Rio). (All much redncerl.)

Besides aninlal forn1s, various enign1atical signs occur
on the ,yalls of 11lany of the caves (Fig. 1
8). S0111e of
these are spoken of as "scutifornl " an(l have I)een COll1-
parcel ,vith the 111arkings on Ron1e of the .Australian

.

,

Fw-. 139.-Tectiform sigm; from
I.'ont-de-nanme. (After Capi-
tan and Breni!. x :h. )

FIn. I-tO.-Tectiform sigm; on the
siùe of a _Mammoth, from Font-
de-Gaumc. (After Capitan and
Breuil. )

"churinga," others as " te
tifor111," an(l these haye been
interpreted as representations of son1e kind of a \velling,
a tent perhaps, or a ,yoodell hut (l
ig. 139). Tn one
instance t\VO tectiforUl signs occur oyer the side of a
n 2

244

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

ITlanln10th and are deceptively suggestive of bonds or
trappings of sonle sort (Fig. 140). Sinlilar n1arkings
are seen on the horse from Les Combarelles (Fig. 134).
There are also" pectinifornl" signs, supposed to signify
the human hand; one of these, together with other
markings, is painted on the side of a hison (Fig. 141).
Groups of <lots, sometimes arranged like stars in a COll-
stellation (Fig. 138, k, l, m), are not infrequent, and

.

I)

. ..."-,,
, f

'- l - t
t \

-

,

(.1-...

FIG. 141.-Pectiniform signs painted on the side of a Bison.
(After Cartailhac and Breuil.)

are nlet ,vith also in Australian and Bushnlall paint-
ings; and there are nunlerous other markings ,vhich
also appear to be conventional symbols; hut so far it
has proved Ì1npossihle to discover any clue to their
n1eanlng.
It must be ohserved in passing that the Inerits of the
mural paintings are very unequal, many are in no way
deserving of the encolniun1s cited above. ..A.B ".e have
represented sonle of the hest, it is only fair to give also
one of the worst (Fig. 142).
\Ve cannot survey the series of pictures ,vith ,vhich
Aurignacian man has illustrated the animal life of his
tinle \vithout a feeling of delight, and the pleasure we feel

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

245

.

in this glimpse of a vanished fauna is enhanced by the fact
that ,ye look at it through the eyes of the ancient hunter
hinlself. The pictures seem to be a pure study of
nature, expressing the vivid syn1pathy of the artist ,vith
the \vorld around hilD. In part this must he so, but
there may be n10re. "Tithout a full understanding of
the civilisation of a race ,ve cannot understand its art.
Our o,vn n1inds are saturated ,vith the influence of our
age, and the art of the ...turignacians n1ay haye

FIG 14
,-l\IaUlmoth from the Grotte de la l\fouthe, Dordogne.
IoRt of the
sketches in this cave are extremely bad. (After Rivière.)

lllcant sonlething very clifferent and sonlething n1uch
more to thenl than it does to us. Inrleed, }'I. Salo1l10n
Reinach has endeavoured to sho,v it ,yas intiulately
Lound up ,vith their religion or 111a.gic. 1 lIe points out
that all the animals represented are such as are desirable
for food: " undesirable " anÏ1naJs, such as lions, hf'ars, and
tigers, are never depicted. But it is a ,videly spread
belief, once apparcntly universal, that the image of an
oLject gives the possessor sonle sort of hold upon it, and
thus, by dra\yillg the likeness of these allinlals, prinlitive
lllnn 111ight have thought to influence thenl in the chase.
"Then ,ve speak, )1. Reillach reillarks, of the lllagic of
the artist's penciJ, ,ve use a nletaphor ,vhich had once a
1 s. Reinach, "L'art et la magie à propos tIeR peintureR ct des gravures
de l'âge du Renne," L'.Anth)'. 1H03, Xl yo. p. 257. Also" elliff's, mythes
et 1'eliyions," lÜÜ5, Paris, Vol. I., p. 131.

24 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

literal meanIng. Again, in the initiation cerenlollies
practised anlong the Australian aborigines, a sacred
figure, \vhich the \VOrnell and uninitiated are not
pern1Ïtted to see, plays an inlportant part; and in
connexion \vith this the singular fact is cited that the
aninlal figures in the caves never occur in the better
illulY1Ïl1ated parts, but al\vays at some distance fronl the
entrance, \vhere the obscurity is so great that nothing
can be seen by civilisecl eyes ,,
ithout the aid of artificial
light. At the same time no signs of sll10ke remain to
show that the troglodytes made use of torches or sÎ1nilar
lneans of ill un1Ïna tion.
'Ve shall recur to :\1. Reinach's vie\vs; there is prob-
ably nluch truth in thelll, yet I cannot help thinking
that they do not sufficiently recogllise the independent
origin of art. The artist is the artist first, l)orn not
lnade, expressing himself \yith hl'ush or burin out of
pure spontaneity, sinlply because he cannot help it.
" The ùeauty and the \vonder aua the l'o\ver, the shape

of things, their colour
, lights and shalles," it is to the
irresistihle appeal uf these that he responds, and so
nlakes a ne\v \vonder of then1. That is the true lnagic
of the artist's pencil. Re]igion lllay appropriate or
inspire the auhievements of art, but she does not create
then1.
The portrait that \ve should nlost \velconle is not to
be found on the \valls of the caves, for Aurignacian
man has not depicted hÍlllself \vith that close attention
to detail \vhich distinguishes his studies of the lo\ver
allinlals. TI
ere are sonle grotesques (Fig. 143) \vhìch
seeln to be nleaningless, like the foolish caricatures on a
schoolhoy's slate; pussil )ly they are intended for
denlons, \vhich the Babylonians are said to have made
as unprepossessing as pObsiLle in order that they 111Ïght

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

2+7

be frightened at their o\vn in1age. Some singular beings
(Fig 144) are also represented, \yhich have been variously

fr'

Fw. l-!3.-Sketches of the human face, from the cave at
Iarsoulas.
(After Drcuil, L' A ntlu..)

FIG. 14-1. -
Iol1!;;trous forms, engraved, A. from Gargas; .R.f'.D. from
Altamira, (After Cartailhac anù Breuil, L'A1ltli1'. :l\Iuch rcduceù.)

interpreted, sonletillles as allthropon10rphous apes,l
sometimcs as N calldcrtaln1cn, and again as ..clurigllacian1:5
disguised in luasks such as are \yorn by n1uny prilnitive
pcople \vhell cngagcd ill religious c1allces.
(
uito reccntly, ho\vever, SOlno paintings hayc bcen
1 Piette.

2+8

ANCIENrr HUNTERS

CHAP.

discovered in a cave at Cogul, near Lerida in Spain,
(see map, Fig. 112) which represent, though only in broad
outline, several hun1all figures. In one of then1 a number
of won1ell seem to be engaged in some kind of dance; they
are sho\vn in various attitudes circling round the crudely
dra \vn figure of a naked. n1an. Son1e of these \VOn1en
are sho\vn in the illustration (Fig. 145). In another
there are t\VO silnilar feluale figures; the cattle in the
foreground of the picture
. (Fig. 146) have an air of
domesticity and the \vomen
_ seen1 to be driving then1
, home; but a \vilder allÎlnal
is seen in the distance,
apparently in the act of
charging a n1an \vho has
unsuccessfull y discharged
J\ n his spear, \vhich is falling
behind the intended victin1.
The \vornen in all the dra\v-
FH
. J4.3.-Three.;:fìgures of women
from the group atCogul. Oblique ings are clothed in a go"Tn
lines represent red. (After
Cartailhac and Breuil, L' A nth'r. ) cu t short near th e knees
and apparently puffed out
al)out the elho\vs, but there are no signs of a bodice.
N one of the figures are sufficiently detailed to sho\,," any
distinctive racial features; there is, however, no ap-
parent steatopygy (p. 261), Lut the breasts are very long
and pendent, as they are in nlany existing prin1Îtive
peoples.
In their apparent neglect of the hUlnan forn1 the
Aurignacian
g have been compared to the ,,-linos of Japan,
"vho decorate the rods used to lift the nloustache \vhen
drinking \vith figures of birds, n1anln1als, and fish, hut
never of Inen; and \v hen asked the reason for this

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

249

onlissioll assert that they do not kno\v ho\v to represent
the hunlan fornl.
The \vork of the Spanish Aurignacians disposes of this
explanation, and the rarity \vith \vhich hunlan beings are
depicted still renlaills a prohlenl.

\

""

\\
\

'(f.llf((I(\\ ----__1/
}"--< / "-
( \" f

\
'j1

'"

FIG. 146. -A hunting scene from
Cogu1. (After Cartailhac and Breuil,
L'Authr.)

It is inlportant to 1)e sure of our dates, (lnd \ve Inay
next inquire into the evidence 011 \vhich the mural
paintings have been attributed to the Aurignacian
age.
In the cave of Le Pair-non-Pair (Gironde) the
paintings are covered up to a considerable height, about
half-\vay, hy eave deposits, which \vere originally sup-
posed to he !lagdalcllian, hut arc llO\V kllO\Yll to be of
Inuch earlier ante. rrhey contain an industry \vhich is

25 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

precisely sin1ilar to t,hat \vhich occurs in Piette's Upper
Eburnian of Brassenlpouy, and rest, as at Brassempouy,
on the J
ovler Eburnian \vhich contains sculptured ivory.
But the Upper Eburnian of Piette is the Upper Aurig-
nacian of 1\1. Breuil; and as the paintings are partly
covered up hy this deposit, they D1ust be anterior
to it, or older than the Upper Aurignacian. They
are probably later than the Lo\ver ....\urignaeian and
belong to the middle
period when the Aurig-
nacian art reached its
highest developnlel1t. This
is a do\vn ward linli t, the · i;
U p\vard limit has not yet
been ascertained, and n1 ust
be left for fu ture dis-
covery: bu tit nUL y be re-
luarkec1 in passing that it
\vas not till the later part FH
_ 1-l7.-Paintillgs in rea on a bl()(-k
of the l\Iagdalenian age of granite in the Sierra (Ie la Caca-
chilla<;, Lower California. (After
tbat the engraving on Diguet, L'Anthr.)
1Jone, \y hich strongly re-
calls the paiutings on the \valls, reached its cuhnination
and pl'ovided us \vith those luasterpieces which \ye shall
consider later.
"T e 111Ust now set out on a rather difficult quest.
"That, \ve luay ask, has heconle of this gifted Aurignacian
race
lIas it \vholly vanished out of ken, either by
extinction, or by transfol'lnatioll into a 1110re civilisecl
people, or by absorption into S,Olne conquering race,
like, say, the Egyptians, or does it possibly still surviye,
retaining Inore or less its prinlÌtive (' haracters

In attclnpting to ans\yer this question \ve lllay begin
by confining our attention to the l11ural paintings and.
endeavour to discover \vhether there is allY existing

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

25 1

race \vhich practises the sanie art. Dra \ving seenlS
indeed to be ahnost as universal as speech. the
Tasnlanians could trace rude outlines of objects that
excited their interest, the

ustralians and the Indians
of California (Fig. 147) 111ake Ï1npressions of the human
hana 011 rocks or the ,valls of caves, and the _\.ustralians
even sketch outlines of l11en and ttllinutls, l,ut these are

{

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.

_..)
oJ
. 0 .

,

"
:
t)

B

A

Fw. 14S.-Figm'cs from the eaves of the nlenelg Valley, N. 'V. Australia.
Black here represents (leep reel in the originals; oùJiq ue lines, light
red; <lots, yellow; awl vertical lines (a,s in the eyes), blue. .All the
liues in B, except the eyes, are in red. (.After Grey. l\1nch reduced.)

extrenlel y crude, ana never rise to the
alne artistic
level as the paintings and ::;ketches of Paheulithic 11Utn.
There are also, ho\vever, polychrolne paintings in
Âustralia. SOlne of the nlost renulrkalJle of tbe
e \vore
ohscrved 1110re than seventy rears ago Ly 8ir George
Grey 1 ill eaves ,vhich Op011 on the precipitous bi<leb of
the Glenelg \T alley, in North- \Vestern Australia; they
represent (Fig. 1-1:8) IllCH ana \YOIUell (\\'"ho \ycre

1 G. Grey, JUllnutl,') (
f Two Expedtti()n.
(!f IJis:o/'el'!J in }{.- JV. and 1r.
A 1tstralia, London, 1841, V Lll. 1. pp. 201-215, pIs.

25 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

certain I y not Australians) and the kangaroo. Both
men and "vomen \vear a singular head-dress, in SOlne
cases coloured red, in others hlue; it has been de
cribed
as a halo, but in B. (Fig. 148) it is helping to support
a kangaroo, and .a halo \vouhl hardly be strong enough
for that. Can these picture
represent a ship\vrecked
cre\v, the n1en in sailors' hats, and the \vomen (\vhose
halos are lllore ornate) in bonnets? And \,
hat kind of
reckoning was kept by the three rows çf sixty-one dots?
Still lllore lllysterious paintings, evidently both Dlytho-
logical and pictographic, have since been found in the
same neighbourhood. I 'Vhatever their meaning, they
certainly belong to a very different school fron1 the
Aurignacian, and need not detain us longer.
The art of the ancient
:Iexicans was so different
that it can hardly be brought Into this cOlnparison ;
that of the Egyptians nlakes a nearer approach,
but it stands on a still higher plane. Africa, ho\vever,
furnishes us with another people,
till in nluch the sanle
stage of culture as the .L1urignacian, inhabiting caves,
and decorating the \valls "vith paintings, both
monochrome and polychrome, SOlne of \yhich recall
in the closest manner the best efforts of Aurignacian
times,2 These are the Bushmen, a race \vhich once
spread over a great part of South Africa, but no\v
nlainta.ins an unequal struggle for existence in the
Kalahari desert.
Iost of their paintings represent
scenes fronl the chase; in the acconlpanying illustration
(Fig. 149) a group of elands is shown attacked by lions.
A good deal of the original effect is lost by the

1 N. 'v. ThomaH, Natives of Australia, London, 190ß, pp. 34-4U,
VIs. 7, 8.

Impressions of the human hand are also met with on the walls of
these caves.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

253

translation of the various tints into black and \vhite,
but it \vill be perceived that the outlines are firn1ly
and correctly dra\vn-those indeed ,vho are fan1iliar
\vith the eland speak of this as a perfect represen ta-
tion.
In the next illustration (Fig. 150) the five birds to the

.... -

\.

"

..

FIG. 149.-Elamls pursued by lions. The elands are painted in ",hite and
graduated shades of orange amI yellow; the lions are pale yellow, and the
Bushmen black. From the Lower Invani, Queenstown Division, Cape
Colony. ( x -:/-0 about. After Stow.)

left represent real ostriches; that \vhich See111S to he one
on the right is a Buslllnan disguised as an ostrich;
the extended ho\v betrays hÍ1n. The colours in this are
not. so nicely graduated as in the preceding, but it is
a good picture, the outlines are ,veIl dra\vn, the attitudes
of the birds true to life, and the grouping is extrenlely
skilful. An .Aurignacian could scarcely have done
better.
The outline of a rhinoceros sho,vn ill Fig. 15] i

remarka1)ly true to naturc.

254

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

The incident represented in Fig. 152 thro\ys an
interesting light on the relations "vhich existed bet\veen

I>.

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.-.; ""

--
.

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-

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\

FIe:. 150.-A gronp of ostriches amI a Bushman hunter clisguised a
an ostric'h,
painted in black awl white, except the two hirch, in half-tone whic'h are
greyish-blue. Fl'om Cape Colony, (x nearly :lu. After Stow.)

the Bushmen and their po\verful neighbours, the JCaffirs.
'The latter, a \\
arlike but pastoral people, encroached
fron1 tÏIne to ti111e on the hunting grounds of the
Bushmen, and thus rohhed theln of thcir natural source

Fw, l.'jI.-OutJine of a picture of a rhinoceros. (After Fritsch.)

of food. ...\s the only possil)le 111eanS of c0111pcnsation,
the Bush111en retaliated by lifting the ICaffirs' cattle,l

1 "In lifting cattle, 1\1 crcury himself could not haye been more expert."
Burchell, up. cit. Vol. II. p. 71.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

v

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255

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25 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

and in the picture ,ve are told the story of a successful
cattle raid. "T e see the Bushmen driving a\vay the
herd, and the tall I(affirs, armed ,vith assegais, rushing
upon them in leap3 and bounds, till brought up sharp
by the plucky little archers \vho protect the rear.
An10ng the Bushman paintings of the hUll1an forll1
are several \vhich recall those of Cogul (Figs. 145,146) ;

2.

Flu. 153.-Bushman paintings. 1. Kaffir women froñ1 .Jnlijskraal, Orangia.
( x!. After Johnson.) 2. Human figure painted in reddish-yellow
(oblique lines) and white. From Cape Colony. ( x -à-. After Tongue,)

some present a sill1ilar treatn1ent of the head (Fig. 153),
others of the dress (Fig. 154). Precise resell1hlance is,
of course, not to be expected; allo\vance must be ll1ade
for changes in fashion and differences in climate.
The curious generalised forn1s of men and beasts
(
"ig. 155, A 1, 2,3) discovered at Cogul, also find close
parallels (Fig. 155, B 1, 2, 3) in South .AJrica.
In Fig. 156, ,vhich recalls the hunting scene (Fig.
146) froll1 Cogul, \\Te recognise the ro\vs of dots \yith
\\T hich \ve are already familiar in various Aurignacian
and Australian paintings, as ,veIl as sharply undulating

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

257

1.

2,

3.

3;

:f'

FIG. 154.-Bushman paintings. 1. Steatopygous figure painted in red,
from Laclyhral1(1 Commonage, Orangia. (x about!. After Tongue.)
2. Female figure with fringed gown, from Orangia. (x 1- AiLer
.lohn
on,) 3, 3', 3". Three drapecl figures forming part of a procession;
oblique lines represent re(l; from GreClwale, Cape Colony. (x 1. After
1'OllgUC. )

f

AI

B1

B3

Fw. I;j;j.--Ceneralisecl paintings (A) hy the men of Cogul and (B) by the
Bm.;hmen. AI, a man attae-king a stag; A2, a stag which he has
alreaely killed; A
, a nHUl attacking a hison; HI, a human fignre (?).
(From Cape Colony, after :\IoHzeik.) n
, B3, some kinel of mammal (?),
These last two are turne(l out of position, so aH to staml on their heaels.
(All much reduced.) (After Tongue,)

s

25 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

lines, \vhich resemble in some degree those of Gargas
and else\v here.
Barro\v 1 observed in the caves of the Sneuberg district
a nunlber of crosses, circles, dots and lines, placed in a
long ro\v as if to convey some nleaning, \vhich, ho\vever,
he did not disco\7er. Hahn 2 \vas more fortunate \vith

.

...
.. ... ....

1

.
-.
. ..

FIG, 1.36.-Part of a long picture showing undulating lines, rows of dots.
Bushmen and animals, from Zuurfontein, Cape Colony. (x aLout k,
After Tongue.)

t\VO signs in the Orange district; one of these, a
circle with a clot in the centre, indicates a natural
hole, or cistern, in the rocks, and I fancy its nleaning
might be extended to include a spring blocked up by a
round slab \vith a plugged-up hole in the centre, such as
occur in Bushnlan' s land; the other aT, placed
vertical, side\vays -I, or inverted .1, represents the well-
kno\vn jackal's tail (p. 282), made fronl a strip of fell cut
from the forehead of the zebra. These explanations

1 John Barrow, op. cit. Vol. I. p. 29.
2 r:r. Hahn, ZeÜs. f. Ethn. 1879, VoL XI. p. 307.

VIII

THE AURIGNAC1AN AGE

259

\vere gladly given hy an old Bushnlan, \vho ,vas a
painter hinasel[
The synahols ill the next figure are peculiar (b-'ig. 157),
and, \vith the doubtful exception of the first, not knO'Yll

3

2

4

FIG. }.j7.-S.r mbo1 ic pajntings from striated rocks on the hanks of the
Gumaap, Gl'iqualand 'Vest. (x
\;. After
tow.)

out of South Africa; their nlealling is unkno\yn, and
all chance of discovering it is now irretrievably lost.
There are 0 bvious differences Let\veen the Aurigna
ian
and the Bushmen paintings: in the latter the various
figures are not thro\vn on to the wall in a disorderly
cro\vd, but are grouped together into a picture, ,vhich

.'
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".13 '.. Jf ... ,', : .

" . .... "\'\".,. .....::; - - :...
-
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,........
j"Ø.. .

IJst,/

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..., v:f::,' -.- p.'?
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:...

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':

.,

:
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";,.:,,
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}
w. l.'jS.-He
t(l of a horse neighing, from
Ias d'AziI.
(After Piette, L' A ut/u'.)

tells a tale of its own; " neither is the h Uillall
figure excluded-on the contrary it often plays a
predon1Ïnant 'rôle. ....\.t the same tinle the differences are
out\veighed Ly the sinlilarity; the technique is nlueh the
sanle, there is the sanle realistie truth, anù the s[une
s

260

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

quality of 1l10ven1eut in the animal forn1s. Certainly,
of all existing hunting tribes the Bushnlell nlakc the
closest approach in their art to that of the .Aurignacian
age. This at least n1ay be affirlned. If \ve assunle as
a \vorking hypothesis a close alliance Let\veen these t\VO
schools of painting, can ,ve advance a step farther and

1

2

FIG, 159.-Caryillg in geometric (lesigns. 1. From Les EspPlnnges d'Arudy,
Hautes Pyréllées; 2. from Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrl'nées, (After Piette,
L'.A nthr. )

t assume that the Buslul1en and the Aurignacian race
are closely connected by blood? B
nlêL1Jnft;- ,\

cannot argue fron1 identity of cult to identity of race;
the error of the philologist in treating a cOlnn1unicable
character as an inborn gift has causell troul,lc enough
in this respect, and \vr cannot 1,e sufficicntly on our
guard against it. But there is no reason \vhy \ve should

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

261

not continue our inquiry, and as a next step seek for
evillence of another kind, this tÏ1nc anatonlieal. If ,ve
attenti vely exan1Ïne the Bushnlen as they are represented
in their paintings, ,ve shall pereeive a peculiarity ill
their outline, o\\Ting to that exeessive lleveloPlnent

A

ß

r , , '
Ii ;'1.//
" ; II
I'
' I; . '
,
1 I
I, I

..'

Ii'w. 160.-Aurignacian figurines. A. The Veuus of \Villendorf, carved in
oolitic limestone, amI probably painted with red ochre, II cm. in
height, from \Villendorf, on the Danube. (After Szombathy.) n. The
Venus impudica, in ivory, from Laugerie-Basse (Nat, size, after Breuil,
L'Antltr. )

of one feature ,vhieh is knO\Vll as steatopyp;y. Direct
olJservation of existing Bushnlen sho,vs thenl to be
steatopygous (Fig. 166) ; the IIottentots are still nlore so.
III the ,vomen of these races this character is associate<l
,vith another, that is, a relnarkal)le elollgatioll of the
labia} rninOTCt, so that they are sometimes spoken of as
longillyulph. European ,vomen are s0111ctimes longi-

262

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

nymph, Lut not at the sanle titl1e steatopygous; the
association of these t\VO characters is peculiar to the
Bushmen, IIottentots, and perhaps the .A.ccas. The
greater the developnlent of these features, the greater
the approach to a Hottentot's ideal standard of
beauty.
If \ve no\v rcturn to _A..urignacian Inan \ve shall find
that although for some inscrutable reason he usually
refrained frun1 depicting the hunlan fornI, yet he had
no scruple about sculpturing it in the round; he by
no nleans restricted himself to this su bj cct, as will be
seen by reference to the accon1panying illlustrations
(Figs. 158, 159), but he seenIS to have taken a
speeial pleasure in carving figurines, which aln10st
invariably represent \voman in the nude. A con-
siderable nunIher of these have been discovered in
various caves, as at Laugerie-Basse (Fig. 160, B) and
Brassempouy (Figs. 161, A, B, C; 162, A; 163 A, B, c),
Barnla grande (
Ientone), (Fig. 162 B), Pont-à-Lesse
(Belgiunl) ()j--'ig. 162 c), and in the löss at Pfednlost
(1\loravia); at least a dozen are preserved in the
1\Iuseum at St. Germains near Paris.
Conlparatively recently a specilnen has heen described
from an Upper ....\urignacian horizon in the löss of
'Villendorf, on the left bank of the Danube, 20 kilo-
nletres ahove l(renls (Fig. 160 A).l
They are of uncqual nlerit; sonle are extrelnely crude,
others, ho\vever, are true \vorks of art, and \vell deserve
the praise besto\ved upon them hy 1\1. Salolllon Reinach,
\vho renlarks that there are at least t\VO exanlples anlong
then1 \vhich l)y their realisnl and in telligen t rendering
of the female fornl are superior to all the artistic

1 Szumbathy, "Die Aurigl1:tcicl1schichtcl1 illl LÖss yon 'Villendorf,"
Korrespondenz-Bl(tft, Deutsch Ges. Anthr. 1
U9, V 01. XL. pp, 85-88.

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

26 3

B

I! \\
r \ I \

, I
\
I

c

FIG, 161.-Aurignaciau figurines. A. Figurine it la capuche ; B. L'Ebauche j
c. Figurine à la ceinture. All in ivory, from Brassempouy. (Nat. size.
After Piette, L'Anthr.)

procluctiollS of the -!Egeall aud Babylonia. 1 They have
heell closely stuc1ied l)y E. Piette, \vho <liyides thpnl
into t\\TO groups, one lllu(lellell frolH a race \vbich it is
1
. Reinach, "Statuette de femme nue ùécouvcrte dans une des
grottes de_Menton," L'Anthr. 1898, ix. p. 2ö.

26 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

difficult to itlel1tify, and the other (JTigs. 162, A, D, and
163, A) presenting just those characters \vhich ,ye have
enun1erated as peculiar to the Bushn1eu, 1 lottelltots,

A

c

B

D'

FIn. 162.-Aurignaciall figurines. A. La Venus de Brassempouy, or "La
poire," in ivory, from Brassempouy ( x %, after Piette, L'A1llhr.); B.
Statuette in steatite, from the Grotte (lu Pape, l\Ientone. -17 em. in
height (after Reinach, L. A 1lthr.) ; c. Rough figure in reindeer's horn,
from Pont-à-Lesse, Belgium (nat. size, after Dupont.); D. Bustc de
femme, carved from the incisor of a horse,
Ias d'Azyl (nat. size, after
Piette, L' A nthr.).

and Accas. Thus as early as 1895, hefore the n1ural
paintings of the caves had been recogllised as genuine,
Piette \vas ahle to assert that if \ye seek for the
nearest representatives of the people represented by

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

26 5

n ,':.
. II\I'::
II
I' '
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I b::;"
Ii.,
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A

c

K

II .
II
It B'

:FIG. IG3.-Aurignacian figurines. A. La mancbe (In poigllanl ; ß. l'hc Venus
innominata; c. IJa fillette. All in i\'ory, from Brassempony. (x
.
After Piette, L'.A. nthr.)

the steatopygous statuettes, ,ve shall find thenl anlong
the Duslnncll. 1

I E. Piette, L'Anthl'. 18B3, vi. p. 1:)7. See also l\loriz Hoernes, De?"
Dilnriale lJlcnl3ch in E'uropa, lU03, Brunswick.

266

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Certainly the arti
ts \vho carved the figurines have
sho\yn in the clearest nlanner that they \vere intimately
acquainted \yith \YOnlen \vho presented a close anatonlical
resenlblance to the existing Bush\vOnlen, and the
presulnption is that these \vere \vornen of their o\vn
race.
The supposed connexion Let\veen the Aurigllacians
and the Buslllnen begins to acquire an appcarance of

FIG. 164:.-Section through the Grotte des Enfants 1vlentone; a-i, successive
hearths with charcoal and hroken bones. The Aurignacian skeletons
were found in the layeri; F, a lime-kiln. (After Boule, L'Autltr.)

probability, and the case is still further strengthened hy
the discovery of the actual renlains of

urignaeian nlan
himself. The Grotte des Enfants near l\lelltone has
served at various tinles as a sepulchre; the corpses have
not Leen inhunled but sinlply laid upon the floor as it
existed at the tinIe, and protected by blocks of stone.
The earliest of these interlnents took place in Aurignacian
times; it was that of an old 9\vonlan and a Loy not more
than seventeen years of age; cave carth subsequently
accunlulated and covered thcnl up, other interments
follow'cd, and a continual accunlulation of the cave
earth, so that \vhen the skeletons of the \VOlntUl and
boy were discovered they lay 10 11letres below the

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

26 7

surface of the ground (Fig. 164). They have been
studied in great detail by Dr. Verneau. 1
The skulls (Fig. 165 B) are dolichocephalic (index
close on 69), the glabella is only slightly pron1inent, the

A

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Fw-. 16.3.-A, AI, Skull oî a Bushman for comparison with B, B, that of the
Aurignacian woman. The similarity of the lower jaws is well shown
in AI, E I ; the difference in the size of the cranium is equally obvious.

nORC Hat, ,vith na
al gutters at the hase (n peculiarly
Negroid ehal'nctel'), the ja\vs proglHtthous, the ehill

1 R. Yerncau, "Les grottcs de Grimaldi," L' Artthro]Jolugie, In06, xvii.
p. 291.

268

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

slightly retreating, the palate paraLoJic in outline, the
teeth large and Australoid in character. Dr. Verncau
ren1arks that the lo,ver liInbs are extremely elongated
as eon1pared ,vith the upper lÏ1nLs, even lnore so than '
in Negroes. It 11lay be added that the saIne is true
of the Bushlnen. 1 The height of the ,vomall ,vas
about 1580 n1m., of the hoy about 1540 mn1. The
average height of the Bushmen is 1530 n1111., ,vith
a range between 1400 and 1650 mm. This inter-
lnent proves, therefore, the existence of t\VO indi-
viduals belonging to a Negroid race of lovv stature,
and of sufficient consideration to receive a ceren10nial
burial. "T e may infer that they lived an10ng friends,
and 11l0st probably therefore ,vith people of their ov{n
raee. Steatopygous figurines found in adjacent caves
at Thlentone strengthen this conclusion, and the evidence
that l\Ientone was inhabited in Aurignacian tÏInes by
a race allied to the Bushmen amounts aln10st to positive
proof. That this race extended over the south of France
and the north of Spain is highly probable. [t may
even have reached Belgiuln, as is suggested by the
puppet found at Pont-à-Lesse, or Austria, as is sho,vn
by the very Negroid-looking statuette from "Till en-
dorf.
'Ve must be careful, however, not to identify the
Negroid race too closely ,vith the Bushmen. The cranial
capacity of the youth found in the Grotte des Enfants
is asserted on the high authority of Dr. Verneau to have
been no less than 1540 C.c. This is a very ren1arkable

I This will be seen from the following table:
Ratio of the lower to
tho upper lim hR.
1'4;15 : 1
1'44 to 1'47 : 1
1'485 : 1

In EuropeanR ......".".,.,..,..""...
, , Negroes ",."",."..,.,...,."....,.
, , B usllnlen . . . . . . . . . . , . . , . . . . . , . . . . . . .

VIII

THE AURIGNACIAN AGE

26 9

fact, since such a high capacity is not only far in excess
of that of the Bushnlen (1330 c.c.), but also of any
existing Negro race. It is the same kind of baffling
discrepancy as that ,vhich disturbed our cOlnparison of
the l\Iousterians ,vith the .J..tustralians, and \ve are driven
to conclude either that this ancient branch of the
Negroid race has become extinct, or, if it still survives,
that its cranial capacity nlUSt. have diminished.
That Europe ,vas inhabited at this time exclusively
by a Negroid race seelns unlikely; in this connexion
the figurines assigned by :Piette to another group nlust
not be overlooked. Assulning its existence, ,vhat was
this other race 1 This is a difficult question to answer.
If ,ve succeed in finding traces of the Aurignacian
culture among the Bushmen this is only because these
,vere an unprogressive race. Given a progressive race
and it \vill long since have em.erged from that state,
and may no,v have arrived at a stage of civilisation so
advanced as to afford but little hope of discovering
any indications of its origin. The statuettes of
Piette's second grou p do indeed suggest some
resen1blance to the white races, possibly the ancestors
of existing Europeans, to whose subsequent history
in Palæolithic times \ve possess no clue. Venturing
further into hypothesis, ,ve n1ight suppose that the
Negroid Aurignacians were of l\lediterranean origin,
and pushed their ,yay into Europe till they met with
the resistance of an alien population. After a time,
under pressure from this population, they ,vere forced
southwards and fillally driven out of Europe.
The Negroid race of pre-dynastic age which has left
steatopygou
figures of baked earthen ,yare in the
Thebaid may be distant relatives. Their nearer repre-
scntatiycs, ,vho retained n10st fully their culture, habits,

27 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. VIII

and disposition, \vere the Bushmen as \ve first knew
them.
The Bushmen thus acquire a very peculiar interest for
us, and we lllay therefore conclude our study of thè
Aurignacians with a short account of them. This ,viII
form the subject of the next chapter. Unfortunately
we have here once more to lanlent n1any deficiencies in
our kno\vledge, a vast an10unt of precious information
having been irretrievably lost o,ving to the indifference
of civilised governll1ents, and of so-called civilised
people, to the history and \velfare of the primi ti ve
races \vith \vhich they have been brought into contact.

CHAPTER IX

THE BUSH11EN 1

THE physical features of the Bushmen may be
gathered frol11 the accon1panying photographs (Figs. 166
1 The most comprehensive work we possess on the Bushmen is by G. 'V.
Stow, The Native Races of South .Africn, London, 1905. enfortunately,
it does not give the literature of the subject. Some of the more
important sources of information are, A. Sparrman, A Voyage to the Gape
of Good Hope (1772-6), English Translation, London, 1785 ; John
Barrow, T1"avels L'into the Interior of South Africa, London, 1806; II.
Lichtenstein, Traæls h
South Afl'ka, English Translation, London, 1815,
Two Vols. The statements in this work are sometimes so inåccurate that
I cannot think they are based in all cases on direct ohservation. 'V. J.
Burchell, T1"ul'els in the Inte1"ior of SO'ldh Africa) (1816), London, 'T 01. I.,
1822, Vol. II., 1824. Burchell's descriptions are worthy of his great reputa-
tion as an exact ana unbiassed observer. T. Arbousset and F. Daumas,
Relation d'un V o!Jaye d' Exploration a'll, nord-est de la Culonie dlt Gap de
Bonne Espé'rance (183ü), Paris, 1842. This is a veritable tnine of facts.
G. Fritsch, Die E'ingeborenen SucZafricas, Breslau, 1872. A good. account
is given on pp. 383-447, with pI. L in Text, and pIs. xxvi-xxx in Atlas.
T. Hahn, "Die Buschmänner," Globns, 1870. This I have not seen.
A graphic and at the same time scientific account of the last poverty-
stricken remnants of the race is given by S. Passarge, Die Bltsrhntänner
deJ' Kalahari, Berlin, 1907. \V. II. I. Bleek,
1 Brief A CCO'llnt (
f B
tshnwn
Folklore and other Texts, London, 1875. G. 1\1. Thea!. IIi::dory and
Etlnwgraph!J uf Africa, South of the Zambe:;i, London, 1907, Vol. I. This
is a compilation written in a disparaging spirit. S. S. Dornan, " Notes
on the Bushmen of Basutoland," Trans. SU'ltfh Aj1'. Phil. Sur., 190H,
V 01. XVIII., pp. 4:37-450. Scattered references will be found in Kolbe,
The P1'esent State uf the Cape uf Goud Hope, London, 1731 (trans.); .J.
Campbell, Travels in South Aj1'-ica, 1815, ibid., Second Journey, 1822 (not
of much value); II. H, 1\lethuen, Life in the fVilde1'11Æss, London, 1846,
pp. 82-85 ; D. Living-stone, .llIis..,ionary TnlVels and Resea1'ches in Suuth
Afr'ica, London, 1857, p. IG5; T. Baines, Expl()rafl
uns ill SOllth- JVest
Africa, London, ISH4; J. Mackenzie, Ten Years N odh of th
Oranfle
R.iver, Edinburgh, 1871, cap. viii. ; A..\... Anderson, Tn'p1tt!J-F i re Yew's in
((, Waggun, 1887, Y 01. I. 1\lany interesting facts will he found in the
Records of the Cape Colony, edited by G. 1\1. Thea1. J. T. Bent, The
271

27 2

ANCIENT l-IUNTERS

CHAP.

and 167), \vhich I o\ve to the kindness of Prof.lladdon.
The habit of the hair to gro\v curled in pellet-like tufts
is \vell shown in Fig. 167.
The skin of the Bushman is yellow to yello\vish-brown
in colour, but in sonie groups, according to Burchell, it is
no darker than in SOll1e of the brunettes of Europe.
It does not en1it the san1e peculiar
odour as the skin of the Negro
races, \vhich is as unpleasant to
us as ours to theine The thigh
Lones are bo\ved out\vards to a
ren1arkable degree, a peculiarity
\vhich Burchell attributes to the
unusual size of the trochanter
maj or. Every tra velIeI' speaks
\vith admiration of their small and
elegantly shaped hands and feet.
Although far froln attaining to
our standard of beauty, yet still
there was something prepossessing
about the Bushman to those who
looked \vith a discerning eye, thus
Burchell \vrote, "The beautiful
FIG. 166.-Bushman from the t . I r f B h
Kalahari desert. (After a symlne rIca lorn1 0 our us n1an
photograph in the possession g uide \vho walked and sometimes
of Prof. Had(lon.) ,
ran before us with a gait the most
free and easy I have ever beheld, his well-proportioned,
although sn1all and delicate figure, his upright and
n1anl y port, his firm, bold steps, and the consciousness
of liberty \yhich beamed in his countenance, afforded us
indescribable pleasure."

"

...

\.

....
--

RHinJ>fZ Citie! of Mashmwland, Londou, 1892; F. O. Sclous, Travels and
AdventltJ'ps in South-cast Africct, London, 1893, pp. 328 -348 ; and C.
'Varren, On the Veldt in the 'Seventies, London, 1902.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

273

The Bushman ,vas pre-eminently a hunter. IIis
hunting-ground, ,vhich up to the tin1e of the allvent
of the ,vhite luau included a large part of South .Ltfrica,
ahountled in game: genlsbocks, gnus, elands, antelopes,
giraffes, bison, elephants, rhinoceroses, quaggas, zebras,
ostriches, and the ,vild boar afforded hin1 a rich booty.

, 1'.
0.1 ',.
""\
.-

.
.;;I!(
. :",.:.

:'-:.\
...
..,'

.

fo
..
..
...4
.........
.:t
,,

../4,

"

"-
"

.

.........., .

'..

..

FIn. lû7.-A Bushman from the Kalahari (lescJ't. (After a photograph in the
pORsession of Prof. Had(lon.)

The ,venpon he depended on n10st, hoth in the chase and
war, \vas the bo\y and arro\v: the Low usually short
and the arro,vs sn1all, hut deadly in their effects, since
they ,vere invarial>ly poisoned. Different kinds of
poison \vere used, son1e stronger, some \veaker, accol'lling
to the size and vitality of the intended victin1.
I n all of then1 the poi
onou
juice of son1e plant,
An1ary His (A. toxicaria), or Euphorbia, or t;trophanthus,
thickened l>yevaporation in the sun, furnished a
olYent
T

274

ANCJENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

or nlenstru unl to \v hich nlore violent aninlal poisons
\vere added; scorpions and centipedes ground up into
powder ,vere the distinctive ingredients of one kind;
'1nother contained snake poison; another \vas prepared
fronl the trap-door spider, a creature of such venom that
its bite is said to kill a frog in less than a minute; but
\ the nlost fatal of all \vas obtained from the N'gwa, a little
I caterpillar about half- an inch in length, the entrails of
which furnished a poison so rapid in action that it \vas
employed in hunting the lion. The strength of these
preparations is said, however, to vary very considerably; 1
sonletinles, like \vines, \vith the year; sometimes \vith
the weather. rrhe poison, when ready for use, resembled
a mass of bro\yn or black wax. It \vas carried in a skin
pouch and applied to the arro\v with a brush, or by
mealJS of a poison-stone, a snlooth flat pebble \vith a
deep groove do\vn the nliddle to hold the poison. This
stone was one of the nlost precious possessions of the
Bushman; it is said he \vould die rather than part
\vith it. The shaft of the arro\v \vas a slend or reed
(H'ig. 168) about a foot long, notched, but not feathered,
and neatly bound round \vith sine\v at each end, to
prevent it from splitting; it \vas provided \vith a bone
head, about six inches in length, to give it \veight.
This \vas nlade out of the leg bone of an ostrich or
giraffe; the bone was broken up by hammering it \vith
a sharp stone and the splinters thus obtained \vere first
scraped into shape \vith a stone
pokeshave and then
ground straight and smooth by a grooved piece of
sandstone. In rare cases the head \vas made of ivory.
The head was made just to fit the shaft, but not fixed
in, so that after a successful shot it "vould renlain
rankling in the \vounc1 \vhile the shaft dropped off. A
1 Passarge, up. eif. v. 67.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

275

strip of lluill ,vas attached as a barh, and as far do"\vn as
this the head \vas carefully covered \vith poison.
The point of the arro"v nlight be n1erely the sharpened
end of the bone heall ,vhich, in this case, \vas carried,

00 0
I I I I
, I , II \
I
,

I I'
III
)/11 I I!!,'
I . I
r,,;:, I, i
III
'"

I ^
'1
.j; 1'1
',I!: I '!

- I
'" 'j I
I t
' ì!
,:
, , Ii
i II!:I I

II
:It
fl, I,
II G I
1 1 : 1 ')

I
. .
,
1 2 :

P
i

:' 'I
I

I I
, 1 11 1111
;; 11111,
,I' '
If'

I,

,I
I
, ;/,
I II
'\ \ I
\
i III
" I
, i
4 .J

Fw. 16K-Rushman's arrows. 1, 2, 3, from Namaqualand; 4, 5, from the
l\liddelvehl, Cape Colony. 1. The front ewl of the sbaft and a bone
heacl tipped wilh iron. 2. Similar, hut without the iron point; both 1
and 2 show the barb. 3. Below the notched end. of the shaft, in the
middle the heacl, and ahore the iron point separated from the bone heacl
to show how it is affixed. 4. A hone heacl, the sharpened encl of whil'h
forms the point; the poison Ü; smeared oyer the findy-tapering extremity.
.J. The head sepm'atccl from the shaft to shIm how it is insprtecl. (After
Burchell. )

until reyuirecl for use, stuck point do\vn\vards in the
shaft; but nlore usually tbe point ,vas a separate piece,
such as a Bake of quartz, chalcedony, or othcr hard stone;
or, in later tinles, 1 )uttle glass or a sharp triangular hlade of
iron, ohtaiucd hy barter frolll neighhouring trihc
. III
rr 2

27 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

this case the bone hearl was squared at the end, and cut
into a notch or groove to receive the point, \vhich ,vas
cemented in \yith resin, or gun1.
The arro\vs \yere carried in a quiver (Fig. IG9),
furnished with a lid to preyent accidents, though
a self-inflicted \vound usually caused no more than a
passing illCOnyenience, since the hunters were ac-
quainted \vith appropriate antidotes;
one of these \vas prepared fron1 the
tuber of a plal1t
the 'I(alahétlué,
\vhich gro\vs wherever the poison
grub 'Tha is found. 1 They also pos-
sessed antidotes of sufficient efficacy
to protect them even against snake
1,ites.
Arn1ed \vith bo\v and arro\vs the
Buslllnen laid the \vhole anin1al \varld
,Ji'f:". ' under contribu tion, and defended
thelnselves from their foes, whether
lion or I(affir, \vith equal courage and
FIG. 169.-Bushman's success. In approaching their quarry
(ll lÏver . (After Sparr- the y \vere P ractised in all kinds of
man. )
cunning. Disguise \vas a COlnmon
device; son1etin1es \vith a bundle of grass tied on
over the head they \vould glide by fits and starts
through the grass so in1perceptibly that the feeding
herd had no suspicion of their presence. In stalking
the wary y'uagga, \vhich feeds in friendly con1pany
\vith the ostrich, the hunter disguised himself as
one of these Lirds, sin1ulated its gait, stopping every
no\v and again to preen his feathers, or to peck and

1 Livingstone says that in the case of wounds poisoned by the N'gwa,
the caterpillar itself mixed with grease was rubbed in as an antidote.
Here we seem to have an anticipation of the principle of the Pasteur
treatment.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

277

fecll, till he found hinl
elf l1linglillg \vith the herd,
and could let fly his poisoned arro\vs \vithout exciting
suspicion. .L\lthough, under these circulnstances, he
could haye ulade a heavy bag, he never took nlore
than he really \vantec1, for he \yas' a provident hunter,
and killed for food, llot for sport. For large ganle
the Bushluen combined together to set traps, digging
\vith great labour carefully concealed
pitfalls, or suspending a heavily
\veighted weapon over the path to
the ,vater pools.
'rhe pursuit of large game ,vas the
occupation of the men, but there \vas
also a chase of small game, and this,
as \vell as the collection of vegetable
food, \vas the ,york of the ,vornell.
No one \vho has travelled over the
!(aroo can have seen \vithout surprise
the lllollstrous ant-hills ,vhich disturb
the irregularity of the plain: the
" eggs" of the ants, or nlore properly
tel'n1Ïtes, knO\Vll to the \vhite nlun a:-;
Buslnuan's rice, \vere a food they
Ij
w. liÜ,-,],he Bush-
could fall back upon \vhen other woman's 'Kihi or
resources failed. Provided \yith a digging stick,
(After Ratzel.)
digging stick-that is, a stick pointed
at one end and \veighted by a perforated stone
at the other (Fig. ] 70 )-the ,vonlen \vould ullearth
large quantities of these" eggs." "Then sufficient had
lJeen obtained, they ,vere cleaned by sifting a ,,-ay the
accompanying sand, an<l theil, \yith the addition of a
little fat, l'oaBted over a fire until they tUl'ned a nice
brO\Yl1. Cooked in this ,yay they are
aid to IUL\ye heen
delicious eating.

r lfl
t.. l

I ,
\
) , "
t,:

' ·

!,.,
.t" ,ì :'

. ' '\ "
II
" I I .
I

,II
I
, \j
f
!
f .

27 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Locusts ,vere a ÜLvourite dish, and the swarms of
these great insects ,vhich darken the air in their flight 1
were looked for,vard to as hringing a tìme of plenty.
They were not only eaten fresh, but preserved for hard
times hydrying and pounding up into a po\vder. Thiswas
boiled into a sort of porridge, or n1Ïxed ,vith honey and
n1ade into a cake: in the latter form it \vas appreciated
even by Europeans. Frogs and serpents \vere dainty
eating: poisonous serpents \vere decapitated before
being cooked; their flesh has the flavour of chicken.
The vegetable kingdom was ransacked for all that it
could afford, even the seeds of ,vild grasses \vere
collected and stored for \vinter use. 2 IIow short a step
it seems frorn this to agriculture; Lut to take this step
requires qualities that the Bushmen never possessed.
and inconsistent \vith his unconquerable love of a wild
life.

kind of bread \vas made out of the pithy
interior of Zamias, or of the root of Testudina'ria
elephas. In sunllner, when "'
v.ater is rnore than usually
scarce, the Bushnlen satisfy their thirst with the acid
juice of melons, \vhich gro\v plentifully, even in the
desert, at that season; but if \vater is to be found they
may be trusted to find it. In some cases they are driven
to obtain it fron1 ,vet sand, and this they do Ly rneans
of an ingenious filter-pump; a hollo\v reed is \\Trapped
round \yith a tuft of grass at one end (Fig. 171 , B);
this is inserted into a hole n1ade in the sand (Fig. 171, A)
and the \vater sueked out. But the process is slow ana
laborious, and it is often \vith l)leeding lips that the

1 I once mistook them for smoke pouring in black clouds from a
forest I supposed to be on fire.
2 Since it is the W0111en of primitive hunting tribes who collect and
store the seeds, is it not possihle that it was also a woman who was
the first agriculturÜ;t 1 For an affirmative answer, see Schurz, U1'-
yeschirhte de'/" K r lllt1I1', Leipzig. l!)OO, p. 232, and E. Hahn, Vas Alter
der/' ]Ienschlichen K1tll1a, Heidelberg, 1905, p. 31.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

279

Bushman thus provides for his suffering ,vife and
family. "7 ateI' \vas-and perhaps still is-carried in
ostrich eggs sOlnetimes elaborately atlorned ,vith incised
lines, sometÏ1nes engraved ,vith figures of anin1als

.. , . .. .... . ... .. .
. . . :. . : : .
.
.. . .
.
. ; .: ; . ' : : . : . ' :. : ; ' : : . ; :
. '
,
,
,

, ,
,, : , : . : . f .
. . . : : : .
: ' .. : . ' . :
! . ,
. . . .: . ' . ' . ;: : i
. : .

. : . i . ' : :: . : .
.;{to{.u
i .
,
cJli
::}f ;!J
ì{

:

B

Fw. 171.-The lower end of the Bushman filter-pump. The end of the reed
is supposed to be seen through the grass. (After Passarge.)

(giraffes, gnus, zebras, elands) and hunting scenes, or in
pa.rt of the intestine of a zehra or the paunch of a gnu.
It is pleasant to find that these hardy hunters ,vere not
unacquainted \vith cheerful stimulants: they bre,verl an

J
of
,

:
"
m
-, , . ,:;

II "t" ,). '. ';
--.:: _ .-

:FIG. 17
.-A Bushman's Pipe. (After Sparrma)).)

excellent mead froln ,vild honey, and for tobacco
they Hul)stituted hen1p, \vhich is t;aid to he potent
sllloking (Fig. 17"2). 'rhe honey ,vas obtained Ly robLing
the wild bees, often ,vith the assi
tance of the bee-cuckoo,

280

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

,yho was in the habit of betrayiug the nest, in the \vell-
founded expectation that the Bushn1an, ,vho ahvays
dealt honourably, both \vith friends and foes, \vould
re\vard hinl \vith a share in the booty. After a good
day's sport they held a feast and spent the rest of the
evening in dancing and singing.
The Buslllnen carried their love of art into every
departnlent of life. 'Ve have already adnlÏred their
paintings,1 but, like the Aurignaeians, they also
engraved anilnal figures on the rocks, not, ho\vever,
by incÜ;ed Jines, but by punching holes, so that
the resulting line \vas "dotted." 2 A case has
heen recorded, ho\vever, of an antelope gray en in
relief, and another actually dra\vn \\Tith incised lines/
and still nlore recently important discoveries have been
lllade of deeply incised designs, \vhich have Leen

1 There is a fair alnount of literature on the subject. I take this
opportunity to give here some additional references :-J. Barrow, up.
cit. pp. 193, 260; G. Fritsch, op. eit. and Buschman Zeichnungen,
Zeits. f. Ethn. 1878, X. p. 15; A. A. Anderson, up. eit. "Y 01. I. pI.
opposite p. 196, and frontispiece to Vol. II.; Bartels, "Copien von
Felsenzeichnungenen del' Buschmäul1er," Ze"its. f. Eth1/;. 18H2, XXIV.
p. 26; F. YOU Luschan, "Ueber Buschmänner l\ialerei in dem Drakens-
berg," Zeits. f. Ethn, 1908, XL. p, 6ö5, pIs. ; C. G. Buttner, "lHalel'ei
in Damaraland," Ze'its. f. Ethn. 1878, X. p. 15; A. J. C. l\Iolyneux,
" Notes on some Rock Paintin
s in the Tuli District," Proc. Rhude:}ia
Sci.
Is. 1900, 1. pp. 7-9, pIs. ; .1". 'Y. Girdler Brown, "Rock Painting

at Jahenda," Proc. Rhodesia Sei. As. 1903-4, IV. pp. 86-87; Franklin
'Vhite, "Some Rock Paintings and Stone Implements, \V orId's .Yie,v,
l\latopos," Proc. RhodesilL Sei. As. 1905, V. ; Schloema.n, " Felsenzeich-
nungen del' Buschmänner bei Pusompe in Nord Transvaal, etc.," Zeits.
f. Ethn. 1896, XXVIII. p. 220; M. Helen Tongue, Bnshnwn Paintinus,
with a Preface hy H. Balfour and Notes by E. D. Bleek, Oxforù, 1HOU ;
O. Moszeik, Die 11Ialereien der Bllschmiinner in S1td-Afriea, Berlin, UH 0 ;
J. P. Johnson, Geological and A1'chcwloyieal Notes, Oranyia, London,
1910, pp. 70-90; S. S. Dornan, op. cit. pp. 439, 445-7.
2 I shall not readily forget the surprise with which I came upon the
figure of an antelope outlined on the surface of a roche uwutonnie which
was glaciated during the upper Carboniferous epoch: this was near
Riverton, on the Vaal; Stow mentions a finely sculptured eland in the
same locality.
3 L. Peringuey, "On Rock-Engravings of ....\nimals and the Human
Form, etc.," Trans. South ....lfrican Phil. Soc. 190ö, XVI. p. 401. It
llmy be noted that some of the Aurignacian drawings are puintillés.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

281

finished by punching out the surface included ,vithill
the outline, so as to produce a kind of intaglio. One of
these (Fig. 173, 1) representing an elephant on the nlarch

I

2

l
'w. 173. - Elephant sculptured ill sunk relief, from HOllth Africa. (x lõ
ahout. After l>cringuey, ana a plaster cast. ) 2.
'oreHhortelletl figure of
a rhcbok, painted ill yellow (oblhllle lines) and white. (x t, from
'Villow (
rove, Cape Colony. After Tongue.) 3. A giraffe from Houth
Africa. (x 11 about. After Pcringuey.)

is n, pcrfect triu111ph of realistic art; every feature is
faithfully rcproduced, and by the rcndcring of the lÎ1uhs,
especially by the back\vard lJcnd of the off forefoot

282

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

anå the thro\vn out hind leg, the swinging gait has
been so successfully caught that \ve seenl to see the
great aninlal actually walking. The giraffe (Fig. 173, 3)
belongs to the saIne series. \Vhether these sculptures
were painted or not Dr. Peringuey 1 does not tell us, but
engravings are known which ,,,ere cel"tainly conlpleted
in that wa y, just as they ,vere in ..AJ tanlira and else-
,y here.
It has been asserted that the Bushmen painters and
the Bushmen sculptors belonged to ciifferent branches of
the race, but this is open to dou ht.
Their dress, though scanty, \yas well adapted to thcir
roaming habits, and not altogether \vithout its elegances.
Around the ,vaist they \vore a girdle from ,vhich was
suspended a scarcely adequate little apron in front and
an appendage, kno\vn as the jackal's tail, behind. The
,voman's apron ,vas nlade of threads or strings of beads
and someti11les hung do\vn to her feet. .A caross or
t:;hort nlantle of springhok's fur, cut and ornanlented in
different fashions, \vas \varn over the shoulder. At
night ,,,hen the Bushman curled up in his little nest to
sleep this covered him like a hlanket. Great care was
expended on the preparation of the caross; the skin
,vas first cleaned of all fat and superfluous material by
scraping ,vith a flint implement, it ,vas then rendered
soft and supple by stretching, rubbing between the
hands and tra11lpling \vith the feet. They had skin or
fur caps, 1110stl y \vorn by the 11len, but sonletimes also
hy the \VOlnen,2 ,vhich differed in fornl ,vith the taste of
the "'"earer, but on the whole ,vere not unlike a helmet 3
or an Egyptian fez. 4 \Vhen out ,valking they wore
1 L. Perinp;uey, "Rock Engravings of Animals and the Human Figure
found in South Africa,'J op. cit. 1BOU, Vol. XVIII. pp. 401- 419, pIs.
2 Barrow, op. cit. vol. i. p. 23:3. 3 Barrow, loco cit.
4 Stow, op. cit.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

28 3

light leather shoes or sandals. Both sexes adorned
themselves \vith beads n1acLe from fragments of ostrich-
shell; the shell \vas broken into little angular pieces,
a hole was drilled in each piece \vith a flint borer, and
then the corners \vere rounded off and the edges
slnootheLl away (Fig. 174). Necklaces of these \vhite
beads look \vell against the \varm tint of the skin. A
pretty effect was obtained by stringing little discs of
dark leather alternately with the \vhite beads. Certain

\V.

2. @ @
:}. (),

L.

1 A.

}'w. ] 74.-Stages in the manufacture of bushman's beads. 1, lA, thð flint
borer; 2, angular fragment of shell; 3, 4, 5, intermediate stages leading
to 6, the finished bead.

districts possessed a reputation for lnaking these beads,
\vhich \vere a regular article of commerce.
For social gatherings they n1ade an elaborate toilet;
the \VOn1en sprinkled their head and neck \vith a green
po,vder obtained fron1 copper ore, and dusted glittering
scales of n1ica or threads of asbestos over their hair,
\vhich \vas first dressed with a red ochre pon1ade. The
n1en painted themselves with red, yello\v, or black, in
various designs, such as chevrons, diagonal bands, zeLra-
like stripes, etc., after much the same fashion as the
Àustralians; and they put on their anklets, bearing
leather (;apRules \vith little pebhles inside-the 13ushn1an
hells-\vhich made a rattling noise in the dance. For
some dancés they \vore large ball-shaped rattles also,
which \vere fixed to their shoulders; these \yere jerked

28+

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

at the proper intervals to punctuate the tÍlne. The
\VOlUen \yere fond of perfunles ana used to carry a bag
of al'onlatic po\vder about with theln.
In some districts the Bushnlen lived in huts (Fig. 175),
in others, in caves, \vhich they regarded in a real sense

. ,

/

.'

/

\

..\

:FIG. 175.-Part of a Bushman's kraal in:the .Micldelyeld, showing huts; in the
middle of the forcgroUlul a IUlllter returning with a young antelope thrown
oyer his shoulder; he is dressecl in a caross, and canies his bow and
quiver. Two assegais are seen stuck up against the foremost hut, their
usual position when not in USt. Several of the figures are seen with
characteristic hats. (After 13urchell.)

as their home. Dornan, writing of these caves ill
Basutoland, says they \vere the rallying points of the
various clans, to whieh, ho,vever far they might \vander
a\vay, they invariably returned, bringing bac]
lively
tales of thcir hunting exploits. 1 StO\V \vas inforlned hy
1 S. S. Dornan, "Notes on the Bushmen of Basuto Land," Tnots.
S. ...lf1"ican Phil. Soc., 1909, XVIII. pp. 437-450.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

28 5

several old Bushnlen tbat all the great caves, i.e. those
inhabited hy the head chiefs, \vere distinguished by
paintings, which represented the tribal enlblenl, such
as the eland, hippopotamus, ostrich and other animals. 1
Their huts (Fig. 175), light, sinlple, and portable, \vere
\vell adapted to a hunter's nlode of life. A fe\v bent
sticks formed the fralne\vork, \vhich \vas covered \vitlt
Inats nlade 'of reeds laid side by side and neatly se\vn
together. The \vhole structure, \vhich \vas as nluch a
tent as a hut, ,vas helnispherical in shape, about four
feet in dianleter and only three feet in height, but to
conlpensate for this the ground \vithin 'vas excavated
into a kind of nest. Opportunity for adornment \vas
found even here, for the mats \vere painted with broaJ
stripes of red ochre.
The Bushulen were intensely fond of nlusic/ and had
made greater advances in this art than any of the other
races of South ...\frica; appropriate music and song
acconlpanied each of their nunlerous dances. Of their
nlusical instrunlents, \vhich included a reed pipe and
drunls, especial mention Inay be made of the four-
stringed harp \vhich had heen evolved out of the bo\v,
and of a cOlnbination of t\velve bo\vs \vhich fornled a
prinlitive dulcilner.
The dance 3 afforded the Busllll1an an opportunity for

1 Stow, up. cit. p. 3:3.
2 Pa:isarge has also remarked upon this, and contrasts the rich l11elo-
diouR voices of the Bw;;hmen with the harsh and discordant voices of the
]{affirs. It is very plea:iant, he says, to listen to the slow, sad songs of
the Bushwomen, singing uver their work.
3 The best account is by Stow, pp. 111-120; on pp. 103-106 if; some
additional information from which [ a1mtract the following. It is an
account of Stuw's interview with an old Rushum,n and his wife, the last
SUITi,'ors of an extirpated clan, who still lingered on in the 1l10mltaÌn wilds.
'rhe old man had with him his bow and arrows, and was proud to show his
skill in working with his hone awl and other .implements; his wife was
very intelligent and evidently well versed in the folklore of her people.
On heing shown cupie
of sume cave paintings, they expresseù great

286

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

a c0111hination of nlusical and histrionic po\vers \vhich
\vas precisely suited to his genius. I fence \ve find
him passionately addicted to this art, which he had
developed into a great variety of forms full of easy and
graceful nlovenlents. l\Iany of the dances might well
be termed ballets, the performers, dressed to take the
part, nlimicked the life and habits of their friends,
the animals; thus there was an anlusing dance of the
baboons, another of the frogs and a very poetical one of
the bees. There ,vas also a general nlasquerade in
which each perfornler represented a different kind of
aninlal. 'fo another class belonged the hunting dances,
and those associated ,vith productive rites. One of the
latter \vas a reetl or pipe dance, and, to judge from the
description, the sound of its fluting must have been
pleasant to the ears of the great god Pan.
According to Burchell their revelry \vas ,veIl con-

delight, eXplaining what they saw, and dwelling upon them as "our
paintings," "our own paintings," "the paintings of our nation." They
came to a copy of a dance picture, and the old lady at once exclaimed :
" 1'hat ! thut is a grand dance! It is the 'Ko-'ku-curra !" She said it
had gone out of fashion when she was a little girl, but was danced in the
days of her grandmother's grandmother. "I know it!" she exclaimed,
" I know the song!" and then swaying to the tune, sang the upper line
given below :-

=3

- -i-:

-

:3 - -:x
I =1 _3

' =-=

ß
-. ---l
- li ---I-
..:.
..:._-- -.--+-.-I=-=-:EE

-0
----- - --li- -.--.-- --.-- - --li- -.-- -

'Ke . 'ka - 'kì - 'koo - 'ka - 'ta - 'ta,

'Ke - 'ka - 'ki - 'koo - 'ka . 'ta - 'ta..

-/9- -G- -G- -G-

=-:=E=--- I -
---= t --3:=--
-:=E ===I==
- =I =-- =t::- - I)

-===-==---= __r: == ==--=--== ==--=--=--=I==c==I==----O
---- -- ----- --- -- -- -----

Um . - - u - - - e,

U m - - - u - - - e.

At this the old man was deeply nloved and kept touching her arm, saying,
" Don't! Don't!" As she continued, he said: "Don't sing those old
songs, I can't bear it! It makes my heart too sad!" She still per-
sisted, warIning with recollection of the past, until at last the ol(
man
himself could no longer resist, and accompanied her as shown In the
lower line. Afterwards she gave the names and music to other dance
pictures.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

28 7

ductecl; there \vas no rude laughter, no drunken jokes
nor noisy talk.
The folk-lore of the Buslunen is not un\vorthy of
their art. Bleek,1 to \VhOJll \ve are indebted for rescuing
n1uch of it from ohlivion, asserts that it is rich and
varied. 'Vhat he has recorded makes 6,600 columns of

ISS. and fills 77 quarto volumes. "T e look forward to
l\liss Lloyd's forthconling ",'"ork on the subject for a full
account of this. Bleek has scarcely published more
than the headings, from which \ve select a fe\v as
exanlples :-Nan1es of the Stars and Constellations;
Prayers to the Sun, 1\loon and Stars; Bushman Rites
\vhen Canopus and his grandnlother Sirius appear;
l\Iyth of the Dawn's IIeart (Jupiter); The Origin of
Death; The Liun Jealous of the Voice of the Ostrich 2 ;
The Jackal's To\ver; The Anteater and his
I usical Pet;
the Lyux; Bushn1an Doctor and Sorcerer; A Prin1itive
Race that Preceded the Bushmen; l\Ien Turned into
Stars, Statues and Trees by the glance of a
Iaiden ;
The Cat's Song (a poen1); The Return Irome (a poem).
l\lany hunting stories are included; of one the headings
run as fo11o\vs :-A nlan accidentally \vounded hy
another; the \vounded lnan begs the others to speak
gently and not nngrily to the one \vho has shot hÜn; the
dying lnan's last speech to his \vife; the \vido\v's huncnt,
an old nlan's spee()h on the faithfulness of WOlllan ana
her hushand's trust. Bleck's u1aterial al
o includes a
n1ap of the country inhahited l)y the Flat Bushn1en,
dra\vn by one of them,
nd genealogies of his Busluuan
inforlnants; some of these extend back for five genera-
tions, and one includes more than
50 nanles.
1 \v. H. 1. Bleek,
1 Brief Account vi the Bnshwrtn Fvlk Lure and vther
Texts, London, 1875, 20 pp. folio.
2 Livingstone tells us that the ostrich roars su like the lion as to deceive
anyone but a native.

288

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Gl:eat effect is given to the animal stories by 111aking
each kind of animal speak its o\vn language; this is
accon1plished by systelnatically transmuting some of the
sounds of the Bushman tongue, generally the charac-
teristic clicks
\vhich are changed into more familiar
consonants; thus, in the Tortoise's language the clicks
are turned into labials, in the Ichneumon's into palatals,
dentals and sibilants. The language of the Blue Crane
is made by ending the first syllable of ahnost every
,yord by a double t. Here \ve may mention, by the \vay,
that Passarge cites one old Bushn1an \vho professed to
be able to understand the actual language of the
baboons.
Sonie of the Bushmen's stories have been published
in full; we must content ourselves \vith a single example;
it was obtained by
Ir. J. 1\1. Orpen froin the same
Qing vlhom \ve shall n1eet with later expounding a
mythological picture (p. 295), and it explains ho\v
the baboons came to have tail". " 'I(aang sent Cogaz
to cut sticks to make bo\vs. 'Vhen Cogaz can1e to
the bush the baboons (who then \vere men) caught
him. They called on all the other baboons to gather
round, and asked VtTho had sent him there. fIe
told them his father had sent hin1 to cut sticks to
make bo\vs. '
'Ì.h I' said they, 'your fa t.her thinks
hin1self cleverer than \ve are, he \vants the bo\vs to kill
us with, so ,ve ,vill kill you.' Then they killed Cogaz, and
tied hin1 up to the top of a tree, and they danced round
it, singing" Kaang thinks himself clever.' 'ICaang was
asleep at the time, but when he awoke he found out by
his magic \vhat had happened, so he \vent to the
baboons. 'Vhen they saw hin1 coming they left off
singing "I(aang thinks hinlself clever,' and sang
another song. But a little bahoon girl said' Don't sing

IX

THE BUSHMEN

28 9

it that \vay, sing the \vay you \vere singing before,'
and 'J(aang
aid 'Sing as the little girl \vishes.' So
they :sang and danced as before. ' Ah !' said 'ICaang,
, that is the
ong I heard, that is what I \vanted, go on
dancing until r return.'
rhen he \vent and fetched a
bag full of pegs, ana \ven t hehincl each one and drove à
peg into each one's baek and gaye it a crack and seui
thenl off to the mountains to live on roots, beetles, and
scorpions. That is ho\v the baboons canle to have tails
and their tails hang crooked! "
Our kllO\vledge of the religious beliefs of the Buslunen
is singularly deficient. It could not \vell be other\vise.
For the collection of sound data inforn1ation must be
supplied fronl a trustworthy source-a Bushnlan initiated
in the religious n1ysteries of his race, for exanlple-to
a trust\vorthy recipient, that is, a skilled European
ohserver fan1ilial' \vith the Bushnlan language. But 1
do not kno\v of any published conversation bet\ycen
t\yO such conlpetent persons. 'Vith fe\v exceptions the
i(leas recorded are those of any ordinary uninitiated
Busillnall taken at hazard. .As these people p1'ohably
llifl'ered frolll one another in spiritual insight as luuch as
\ve do al1l0ng ourselves, \ve shall expect to meet \vith
very nliscellaneous and sometimes conflicting vie\vs, as in
fact \ve do.
Still there is evidence of various kinds, much of it
obtaine(l l)y .L\rl)()us:sct aHa VauInaH, \yhich sho\ys that
the Buslllllen ns a race \vere not IJehind other hunting
folk in their feeling for the unseen. They recognised a
suprenle po\vcr, '[(aang, the l\Iaster of all things, \vho
nlade all things, \vIto :-:;ends êUHl refuses the rain, \vho
gi ve:s life and takes it a\vay. In tbe \vords of the tlis- \
tinguished authors just lnentioned, they
ay : " Úuue Ie
voit point tIes ycux, luais on Ie connaît danH Ie cu
ur,"
u

29 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

and in their prayers they call upon hinl saying, " 0 !
, I(aang, are we not your chilrlren
"
rrhat they believed in a life after death is sho\vn by
their funeral custonlS. The hod y of the deceased \vas
painted \vith red ochre and grease, covered with s,veet
snlelling powder and buried, facing the east, in an
oblong grave. 1 His hut was cast into the grave ana
consunled with fire, and in sonle tribes his bo\v and
staff ,yere laid by his side. The grave \Va8 then filled
up ,vith earth, and generally, but not in all districts,
stones \vere thro\vn on it by the mourners, and after-
,yards a stone was contributed by every passer-by till a
cairn was raised. The clan shifted its kraal to another
place, far R\Vay fronl the grave, because, it is asserted,
they were afraid of ghosts; hut this wa.s not the only
reason. Bleek in his account of the Busillnan folk-lore
records the statelnent, InaJe in the course of a story,
that they renloved to another place" in order that the
children should not be thinking of their father and
t . t "
\van lng 0 cry.
lâvingstone,2 after l'cillarking that in their super-
stitious rite
t.here \vas nlore appearance of \vorship than
a!llong the Bechuanas, add
that at a Bushn1an's funeral
on the Zouga they addressed the dead and requested
him not to be offended, even though they \vished to
ren1ain still a little longer in this ,vorld.
One of their proverbs, so
\rbousset and Daun1a
ten
us, \yas " Lefan ki boroko," i.e. Death is only a sleep.
Of course àll this is only one side of the picture;

1 Stow has made a slight slip here. In <1 uoting from Arbousset, he has
a.ttributed to the Bushmen some funeral customs which are really those of
adjacent Negro tribes; they are adduced by .Arbousset in contrast to
those. of the Bushmen. Stow has also mistranslated ., parfmnés" as
" embalmed." In the Kalahari, according to Passarge, the hurial is in a
round grave and in the contracted position.
2 Li \7ingstone, Ope cit. p. 165.

IX

THE BUSIIMEN

29 1

there ,vas no doubt a good deal of na tUl'e ,vorship, the
purer beliefs "Tere adulterated ,vith grossly nlaterial
ideas and equally gross custonlS disgraced their religious
rites. But in this respect the Bushn1en are not
singular.
It is curious to ohserve how ,videly spread is the
belief in presentinlents. The Bushmen have it; they
say that they feel in their ho<1ie
that sOlnething is
going to happen; it is a beating of the flesh \vhich
tells them things. Those ,vho are stupid do not under-
stand, and disobey these ,varnings; they get into
trouble-a lion eats them or sonle other misfortune
overtakes them. I
None of the .African races are distinguished for
chastity, and all that can be said for the Bushnlen in
this nlatter is thftt they ,vere not so bad as their
neighbours. Passarge remarks that the relations
bet\veen the sexes, as he ohserved then1 in the l(alahari,
might have been nlueh \vor
e; there ,vas no prostitu-
tion, for instance, a vice \vhich is comnlon anlong the
Bantus, nlost open and shameless a1110ng the flcrero,
and ,videly prevalent alllong the civilise<l peoples of
Europe.

Iarriage ,vas celebrated hy a l'elllal'kable cerenlony.2
The consent of the bride having been obtained and the
approval of her parents, ,vho received SOlne kind of
present, a. day ,vas fixed for the trial of the event: an
the neigh1 J ours round about ,yere invited to a feast,3 and

1 Bleek, op. cit. p. 17.
2 Described by l\1iss Lemué,
()te::; of c. s. Orpen, (luoted by
tow, op.
cit. p. 96.
3 According to Passarge, the Bushmen of the l{alahari required the
young man to gi,'e proof of his powers as a hunter hy killing a giraffe, a
gnu, or some other hig game, and it was this, his trial hunt, that furnished
the meat for the feast. Nothing is said of the attack by the relatives.
Passarge, up. cit. p. 105.

u 2

29 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

,vhen they had all begun to make Inerry the young man
took the opportunity to seize the bride; this ,vas a
signal for her rela ti ves to set upon hin1 ,vi th their
digging sticks; they gave hinl a sound beating and a
general fight ensued. If the young man could manage
to keep a tight hold through all this the issue \vas
decided; he ,va
a nlarried Illan. This is perhaps
connected ,vith the fact that the husband ,vas obliaed
ð
to marry outside his own clan. l PolyganlY existed, Lut
,vas not much practised.
A birth ,vas celebrated by a feast, dances and song,
aR also was the narTIe-giving day.
Boys were admitted to the status of n1en after a course
of training and an initiatory ceren1ony. Like the
Australians, the Bushnlen perforated the septum of the
nose, \vearing a quill for a nose peg, aud it is said that
the act of perforation ,vas one of the initiatory rites.
"r e nlay recur for a nlon1ent to the Bushman's
paintings in order to point out a fact of considera},le
inlportance in connexion ,vith the cave paintings of
Europe. \Ve are told 2 on the authority of the Busllll1en
thenlselves that it ,vas not any man of a trihe ,,,ho ,vas
c01l1petent to make a painting: it \vas only those \'.'ho
,vere specially gifted, and \vhen an artist had adorned
the ,valls of a cave \vith his polychron1es no one ,vould
dare to interfere \"ith then1 so long as he ,vas alive, nor
indeed so long as his 111Cmory lasted. [t \yas only ,vhcn
his name had passed into oblivion that a llC'V aSl'il'ant
for fanle ,vouIcl venture to Inake fresh dra,vings ovcr
the old ones. In some caves as nlany as five distinct
series of paintings are to be seen one over the other.

1 See A. van Gennep, Les Ritps clp Pas::5agp, Paris, 19ÜU, 288 pp., in
particular pp. ] 78-182.
:l Stuw, up. c-it. p. 26.

IX Tf-IE BUSHMEN 293
As regards the interpretation of the paintings, Stow 1
strongly nlaintained that they are all Rilnply æsthetic or I
historical, and if a 111 ythical lueaning attached to any
of them, this, he thought, 111Ust have been added as an
afterthought. Dr. IIahll is, if possible, even lTIOre explicit:
he ,vas ,veIl acquainted ,vith the tribes in the Orange
district, and of these one, the Annin, ,vas at the tinle he
,vrote still given to rock painting. The old people, he
tells us, nlen ètnd \VOn1en, teach their children, and they
exercise their art for the pure pleasure of representation.
The paintings, he adds, have nothing to do ,vith the
religious custOll1S of the Buslllnen. 1
There can indeed be little douht that some, such as
the fan10us cattle raid, for instance (Fig. 152), are chiefly
historical; others again, such as the representations of
animals, seem to he pure ,yorks of art, anclnothing has
been elicited froln the Bushnlen which ,vonld suggest
that they are in any ,vay connected ,vith S}Y11lpathetic
Inagic. In no rase do any of thenl appeal' to have been
concealed frOlll 'VOlnen and the uninitiated.
On the other hand, there are others, certainly of a
very different character, ,vhich 1 cannot help regarding
as truly III ythical. StO\'" hi11lself has given a clear
description of one at least. In order to understand
this, ,ve nlay first point out that aluong the Bushmen
dances there. ,vas one, the 1110st fanlons, iudeed, of all,
,,,,hieh ,vas directly ordained IJY 'I(aaug hinlself-,vho
"ras the superior persou in a trinity of gods-and it ,vas
danec(l in his honour. This 'vas the
Io'konla or dance
of hluod, so-ealle(l hecause it often happened that in its
delirious perforn1anee one or other of the dancers ,vould
fall to the ground with Llootl strean1Ìllg fron1 his nose.
It is interesting to observe that the \VOlUen ".ho gathered
1 T. Hahn, Zeits. f. Ethu. 1
79, XI. pp. 307-308.

.

294

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

round to revive this yictinl of the god used to place t\\TO
reeds oyer his back in the forin of a cross, \vhich was
a conlnlOll Bushnlan
Ylnbol, and an initiated man
conjured froin hinl a foreign hOlly, the pretended cause
of his complaint. l By excessive indulgence in this dance
some nlen ruined their heal th, and \vere then spoken
of as "spoilt" by the :\Io'kolna. Such sinners ,vere
punished by 'IC3ang, ,vho had them carried off to
a Inysterious place situated under ,vater, \vhere they
\vere transfornled in to beasts and other\vise chastised.
"T e can no\v perceive ho\v singularly to the point
is the discovery nlade by StO\V in the l\Ialutis, near
the source of one of the trihu taries of the Eland's
river, \vhere he found a picture, painted on a rock
shelter, which represented this very nlyth in detail.
On one side are the \VOn1en engaged in the dance,
and near at hanel three satyr-like deillons, one of \VhOll1
is bearing a \va y t\VO Ini
era l)le \vretches to their doom;
on the other side the sinners are seen in their place of
torment; they are already transformed into beasts, at
least as far as their heads, and are :::;ecurely pinioned
with
\VO stout sticks. One of theln '!(aang has seized,
and is holding hilll in a very painful position \vhile
adlninistering a sound thrashing \vith a heavy" kibi" or
digging stick.
The Illythological nleaning is not ahvays so patent as
in this instance, and can only be interpreted Ly the
illitiate.1. Thus 1\11". J. Orpcll had a copy of one paint-
ing \\Thich several oltl Buslullen to \\'hOlll he sho\ved it
described as t\VO hunters .1isD'uised ,vith tlle heads of
o
rheboks chasing a jackal, hut one of the illitiatetl, Qing

1 \Ve have already alluded to the extraction of foreign bodies by the
medicine-men of ...lush-alia; the same art is practised among the North
American Indians and other primitive people.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

295

by neHne, recognised in the two h un ters the ill ythological
personages, Hag\ve and Canate. "'fhey are all under
\vater," he adde<1, " and tho8e strokes are things gro\ving
under \vater. They are people spoilt by the
Io'koma
dance l,ecause their noses bleed."
"T e cannot regard the next picture (Fig. 176)
\vithout \vishing that (
ing \vere here to interpret

.

''', "
. ,
\ . \
. .

. ,
, '

.. ....
:..;.
:
:;
;: ':

,.'

:FH
. 176.-
lythical Bushman painting, from the lliggardsberg. The human
figures are painted in brown, reù, and yellow, the insects in blue with
graduateù tints. (After Prozesky.)

it, but \ve can plainly perceive, even unaided, that
it nlust illustrate SOlne n1yth. 1 The four strange-
looking n1ullsters \vith toothed arms appear to be
part 111en, part insects; possibly Inen disguised as
insects for a religious dauce; aud the particular
insect \vhich they suggest to IHe is the .1\Iantis. 1\1 y
fricnd and colleague, .Prof. Poulton, \vhose advice 1
sought on this paint, also thinks there is a good deal of
)Iantis feeling about thenl. But the 1\Iantis \vas regarded

1 The original occurs ncar l{onigHberg, 011 the slopes of the Biggardsl,erg,
a range of mountains running out from the Drakensberg ; a copy in watcr-
colour was made hy II err Prozesky, and exhibited by Herr Schloemann at
a meeting of the Anthropological a.nd Ethnographical Society of Berlin.
See Zeits. f. Ethn. 1896, XXXVIII. p. 909.

29 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

by the Busll1uen as a living syn1 bol of the great god
'I(aang; it forins a centre of a vvhole cycle of folk-lore,
and, still n10re Ï1uportant fron1
I. Reinach's point of
vie,,,, it \vas appealed to for success in hunting. l\Iost
apposite is the story :\1. Arbousset tells us of å father's
dying speech to his son. It runs thus :-" )Iy son,
when thou goest to the chase, seek \yith care N'go [the
name for a l\lantis and also a caddis-,yorlnJ Rn(l ask food
fron1 hÏ1n for thyself and thy children. l\Iark after thy
prayer if he n10ve his head, descriljing an elbo\\T, and
that very evening thou shalt hring to thy Il10uth a
portion of game, ,vhich thou shalt hold bet\veen thy
teeth, and shalt cut it \vith thy knife, \vith thine arn1
bent, describing an elbo,v, like our N'go." I
It seelns difficult to believe, but it -is asserted that all 2
the Bushn1en dances ""ere religious. " They are to us
,vhat prayers are to you," is a saying attributed to one
old hunter. If so, all dance pictures n1ay be regarded
as n1ythological, as ,yell as the allÏlnal-headed figures
(Fig. 177), which
saye for their agility, recaH the
Egyptian god .Lln u bis.
Let us now pass in revie,v the stone and Lone im-
plen1ents of the Bushmen, cOlllparing then1 at the saIne
tin1e with the Palæolithic implen1ents of
urope.
l\lost of the stone in1plelnents which I collected
Inyself at Riverton on the 'T aal are extreinely rough

1 The l\Iantis is really a very extraordinary creature, anù it has given
rise to some very (lueer notioJJs, not only among the Bushmen, hut pious
Europeans. rrurning to 1\1. Fabre's delightful studies (.J. Ii. Fahre
JJoe1lrs des Insectes, Pari::;, 1911, p. 83), we read: ". . . Un l1aturaliste
Anglais du seizième siècl
, Ie nlédicil1 Thomas l\loffet, nous raconte que
les enfants ?garés dans In. campagne s'adressent à let l\Iante J?our
retrouver leur chemin. L'insecte consulté, étendant la patte, indique la
direction à suivre, et-ajoute l'auteur-presque jamais il ne se trompe !,
Ces belles choses-Ià Hont dites en latin avec une adorable bonhumie."
2 Passarge adn1Ïts that most of them were, but assert.s that ::;ome were
danced for pure pleasure.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

297

and uninstructive, but 1\11'. J. Johnson, ,vho has investi-
gated several prehistoric settlen1ents in Orangia, has
found a large nlunber ,vhich present a characteristic
fornl, and Sto,v has descrihed some which were in actual
use hy the Buslllnen in his time. The n10re inlportant
are the follo\ving :-(1) 1\ disciforn1 scraper, described as
thick, Hat, rudely circular, and frolll 2t-3 inches in
,vidth. It ,vas held Let,yeen the finger and thulnb, and

!4'W. 177.-Al1imal-hcatlcd men in dancing postures, from South Africa.
(After l\Ioszcik,)

used for <lressing skins. The description "Tould apply
to sonl
scrapcrs figured by J ohnsun, 1 ,yhich are not
dissin1ilar to
Iousterian fornls, such as occur in the
Lo,ycr
\urignacian of Europe. 2 (2) A spoke-shave,
nearly Hat \yith a deep selnicircular notch, used for
roullcliJ}g alHl cleauing 1.o\\"'s, the ]uuHlle:-; :u1l1 shafts uf
clubs, spears, all<1 harpoons. 1 haYè Hot succeedetl ill
finding Hl1Y illustrations of this. (3) Long, thin Hakes,
triu1nle<l at 0110 or hoth ends, ,vhich closely resen1 hie
1 .J. P. .f ohl1son, op. ('it. p. 62.
2 L. Hanlon and J. BouYHHonic, "Station préhistoriclue de la COUIll ba
del Bouïtou, près ßriye, Corrèze," B'ull. Sue. sci. hist. et arch. de la Corrh(J,
1907 -8, pp. 54.

29 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Solutrian and l\lagdalenian fornls (Fig. 178, rt, d).l
(4) Scraper-planes (grattoir-rabot), "Thich are not unlike
the keeled scraper of Aurignacian age (Fig. ] 78, c, e').
(5) l\Iinute flakes, some resembling Solutrian and others
Tardenoisian forms (Fig. 178, b, c, f). (6) Arrow-
head
(Fig. 178, g, g'), \vhich, allo\ving for the fact that
they are chipped out of a different stone (Lydian stone,
jasper, or chert), are remarkably similar to the" pointes
à peduncle" of the Solutrian. 2 (7) Grooved sandstone

é

FH
. liS.-Bushman stone implements from Orangia,
(x about t. After.J ohnson.)

,/1
,. ,
, .
. .
I .. I
I .. i

g

cylinders, about 2-! inches in (1iameter, and 3 inches in
height, \vith several deep longitudinal grooves do\vn
the sides, used for rubLing do\vn bone a\vls and arro\v-
heads. These find their nearest parallel in the l\Iag(la-
lenian. (8) Perforate(l stoneH ('tikoe) used for weighting
the 'kibi or digging-stick. These \verc luade \vith iufi nite
pains out of a sandHtone or hard igneous rock; the
perforation \vas ground out day by day \yith Lydian
stone and ,vater. (9) Stone lllortars, about six inches
1 L. Bardon and J. Bouyssonie. "Station préhistori<-l ue de Château de
Bassaler, près Brive, Currèze," Bull. Soc. sci. hi:st. et arch. de la C01'1'è;-c,
1908, pp. 19.
2 Bardon and Bouyssonie, loco cit,

IX

THE BUSHMEN

299

in diameter and eight inches high; these \vere \vorked
into perfectly regular shapes, and the hollow interior
,vas ,veIl finished and smooth. The labour this involved
must have been truly appalling.
The bone in1plements include (1) an a"yl of bone or
ivory, about four inches long, one-fifth to one-sixth of
an inch thick
and tapering to a point at each end.
\Jl
the se\ving of the Bushn1en ,vas done \vith this; needles
\vere as unkno,vn to thenl as to the Aurignacians; they
are first n1et \vith on the horizon of the Upper Solutrian.
(2) Arro\y heads; these, \vhich have been already de-
scribed, are not unlike some .L
urignacian points. (3)
A hone harpoon "yith long, sharp barhed points was llsed
for fishing. 'fhis \vas a highly prized possession, ranking
\vith the 'tikoe and poison stone. Barhed harpoons
are not kno,vn in Europe till the
Iagdalenian age.
(4) A pipe for sn10king; this \vas a tubular hone about
three 01' four inches long. ( 5) A bone \vhistle, also a
tuhular Done. Such bones are not uncon1illon in the
l\lagdalenian.
'Ve n1ust not omit to n1ention that the Bushmen nlade
a coarse kind of pottery, sometinles adorned ,vith incised
lines; sÏ1nilar pottery is said to have been found in the

Iagdalellian deposits of Belgiunl.
The arro,v straightener, \vhich is rather widely dis-
trilJutcù in
turignacian deposits (Castlemeule, p. 220,
Crô
lagnoll, Solutr
, aud Ruth, as ,yell as in Belgiun1),
\vas not kllO\Vn to the nusllllleu; reeds such as they used
for shafts do not rell uire straightening, nor, if they diLl,
cuuld they be straightened by nlechanical means. The
pussession of the arro,,, Htraightener by the Aurignacians
sho,vs that those huntcrs made their shafts of \vooel.
If \\ye except thc 'tikoe and the stone n10rtars, the
Bushnlcn in1plements, speaking generally, are Upper

3 00

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Palæolithic in character, and sonle are Aurigna
ian. The
con1n10n u
e of hone exelulles the l\Iousteriall, ,vhile the
possession of ba.rbed harpoons and other implelnents of
an advanced type lllay be fairly attributed to the in-
yenti ve faculties of the race. These cannot have 1 ain
idle throughout the long interval which has elapsed
since the close of the ...
urignacian age.
A certain anlount of governlllent had been established
among the Bushnlen; there \vere head chiefs to the
tribes and sub-ehiefs to the families or clans; the
hunting-grounds of each fanlily were strictly delimited,
and the boundaries 'v ere faithfully observed. It is said,
as ,ye have already pointed out, that the head chiefs had
their residence in great caves, and that the paintings in
these were the emLlazonnlent of the symbol of the tribe.
All that \ve learn about the Bushmen impresses us
,vith their great intellectual ability. Johnston mentions
one individual he DIet, who conversed fluently in Dutch,
spoke 1110re English than many Boers, and ,vas thoroughly
cunversant ,vith IIottentot, Ochi-herrero, Ochi-mpo, and
several Ball tu dialectB. 1 They ,vere distinguished for
their hospitality to strangers, and for the unselfish \vay
in 'v hich they divided th eir food. They loved their
country and showed an unfailillg devotion to their chiefs;
they possessed all the noblest of the pritnitive virtues,
and, not least, ullfiinchillg bravery allel unquenchable
love of fl'ecdoll1. It ,vas this last ,vhich callIe to be
aCCoullte<l to theln as their greatest Cl'ilne.
rhey founel
it inlpos
ÛlJle to IJceon)e slaves to strange Inasters in
their oWlllaud. Equally impossible \VaR it for a hunting
race to mail1tain its existence in proximity to an
encroaching agricultural people of European blood. A
terrible \\'a.r of externlination ,va.s waged a.gainst them
1 Johnston, "Tribes of the Congo," }'Iem, Anthr. Inst. 1884, XIII.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

3 01

hy the Boers. 1 rrhe stories that are told of this \var are
shocking to our hun1anity; and \VO cannot refuse a
tribute of adll1iration to these hrave people, \vho in
almost every instance preferred. death to surrender.
Ahnost the only exception recorded is that of a chief
\vho, surrounded by foes, replied to repeated calls to
yield hy arro\vs froJH his ho\v; at length, as these ran
short, he accepted quarter and delivered hituself up,
\vhereupon his brains \vere in1n1ediately blo,vn out.
The last to be killed in this \var was one of the painters.
Upon his body there \vas found a leathern belt \vith
t\velve little horns strung to it, each containing a different
pign1ent. 2
"{ e have spoken of the Bushnlen in the past tense,
for they are practically extinct; a n1iserable ren1nant of
inferior character still lingers un in the J{alahari desert,
but even this is slo\vly d\vindling a\vay under the terrible
hardships of an unfavourable environnlcnt.
As wc hase seen, the Bushmen \vhen \ve first kne\v
then1 inhabited the southernn1ost part of .L\frica, \vhile
the Aurignacians occupied in'the remote past at least a
part of Europe. If then the European .Aurigllacialls,
or some tribes of then1, \vere the parent stock of the
Bushn1en, they lllust have traversed the whole length
of Africa before arriving at the Cape; and StO\V, \vho
possessed an unrivalled kno\vlcdge of the Bushnlcn,
\vas led by independent investigatiun to conclude that
they nlust have n1Ïgratecl froln the north soutln\
al'ds;
he has even gune su far as to indicate their route.
One branch uf the race kept more to the \vestwartl side

1 "The extprmiuatiou of the Bushman was fur a long time regarded
by the Ca}Je Government as a lllatter of State policy." \V. H.
ro()ke,
" Science in South .Africa," 1905, p. H8.
2 Here we are reminùeù of the" paint-tubes," of the
\urignacians,
p. 232.

3 02

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

of the continent in their journey south, the other kept
more to the east (Fig. 17!J). StO\V asserted that the
western branch were the painters, the eastern the
sculptors or engravers, and that where they came in
cont.act the two arts were intermingled; precisely as in
Aurignacian Europe.
'Vhether the sculptors and painters ,vere as sharply
separatc(l as StO\V supposed nlay he open to (1 uest.iun,

_.&.

FIG. 179. - Tho routes taken by the Bnshmen in their migrations from the
Equator southwards to the C&pe of Good Hope. (After Stow.)

but that the original hOlIle of both lay sunle\vhere in the
North is extrenlely probable; all the evidence which
has since come to light points plainly in that direction.
Rude signs painted in red ochre hayc recently been
found by leoch 1 on the right side of the \Tictoria N yauza
south of the Kagera river, i.e. in the region \yhere StO\V'S
lines representing the Bushmen's nligrations conlmence
on the nlap (Fig. 179). But rock engravings have long
been kno Wll 11luch further north than this; in the \Vadi
Telésaghé, near l\lurzuk, for instance, 25 0 north of the

1 R. l{och, "Anthropologische Beobachtungen ge]egentlich einer
Expedition an den Victoria Nyanza," Zeits. f. Ethn. 1908, XI. p. 4ß7.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

3 0 3

\Tictoria N yanza, deeply incised outlines of animals
were discovered by Barth 1 ill 1850; one striking picture
extending along the foot of a cliff represents a dense
cro\vd of cattle in very various attitudes, all Inovillg in
one direction. Barth gives a sketch of this, but renlarks
that it does but scant justice to the original, ,vhich is
"really beau tiful." Another sho\ving a Lun and t\\'o
hull-headed Inen arnled \vith bo\v and arro\v is singularly
Bushnlan-like in feeling and execution. .L
s
Ioszcik
rightly renlarks, an unprejudiced person can scarcely
doubt that this is the work of the Bushmen. 2
A little earlier than Barth, Felix Jacquot published
an account of incised drawings which he obseryed at
Tiut andl\Iogh' ar in the :.;outh of Oran. 3
A great number of additional discoveries have bf\en
nULde nlO1'e recently in northern ..lfrica ; south of l\Iurzuk
incised dra\vings are kno\vn in rribesti and the region
of the northern
ruareg8 (Adger),4 and north of it they
extend through ....\Jgeria into
iol'occo, fronl Constantine
by .L\ïn Sefra to Figig.5 Some of these dra,vings repre-
sent extinct anill1als such as Bubalus antiquus (Fig. 180)
or aninlals no longer inhabiting these regions, such as
the ostrich, elephant, and rhinoceros. Neolithic Ünple-
nlents have 1een found at the foot of the engraved rocks.

1 H. Barth, Tnuel:5 in Af,'ica, London, 1837, vol. 1. p. 197 -20U.
2 1\loszeik, op. cit. p. mt
3 See Ii'. Jacquot, "Dessins rupestres de lVlugh'ar (Sud Oranais),"
Re1'. ]lens. de l' Éeole el' .d,tfhr. 1
'06, p. 289.
4 Duveyrier, referred to in L' Antht,. 1
02, xiii. p. 510; E. F. Gautier,
"Gravurcs rupestres sud-Oranaises et Sahariennes," L'...lntht'. IH04, XY.
p. 4Uõ; F. Foureau, ]Jocumenls scientifiques de la mission SuharÙ>nne,
Pal"is, 1 noõ.
5 G. B, 1\1. Flamand, "N ute sur les Stations nouvelles ou peu connues
de Pierres écrites du sud-Oranais," L'_lnfhl". 18H2, III. p. 145; "Les
Pierrcs écrites (Hadjrat l\lektouhat) du nord de l' Afri<-lue et spécialement
de Ia région <1'ln Salah," U Anfhl'. 1H01, XII. p. 5:15, and "Hadjrat
l\lektoubat ou les Piel'res écrites," Sue. .l' Anthl'. dp Lynn, 1902,48 p. 8"0,
and L' Anfhr, 1902, XIII. p. 510.

3 0 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Ancient petroglyphs also occur in Egypt, as for
instance in the \Vadi 1 [alnnla.nat bet\veen Edfn and
SilsiIis. 1
It \vonId thus appear that mural dra\\Tings, paintings
or engravings, having many features in COlnmon, nlay
be traced from the Dordogne across the Pyrenees ...into
Spain, and heyon<l the }Icditerranean into :\lorocco,
Algeria, ()ran, and Egypt, over the Sahara, pa8t the
Victoria N yanza, and thence on through Llhodcsia, the

FIG. ISO.-Deeply incised dra\vings of Bnbain.'1 antirjlt1t8 from the Col frEr
Richa, Aflu,
outhern Oran. Reproduced from a photogr
ph whi(.h i

slightly (listorted, owing to its heing taken at too short a range. (After
:Flamand, L'Antltr.)

Transvaal, and Orangia, to the southernnlost extrelnity
of Africa.
If, as their unity in subject and treatnlent suggest:..;,
these are all the \vork of the Buslll11en or related tl'ihe
,
then they afroi'll precisely the kiud of evi(lence ,vhich
our hypothesis demands, an<l SOI11e of the Aurignacia.n
people have really, as ,ve supposed, passed in a slo\v
migration across the ,vhole of the broad territory \vhich
intervenes hetwecn Dordogne and the Cape. That the
1110vernent ,vas towards the South is shown by the faet

1 G. ll. M. Flamand, op. cit.

IX

THE BUSHMEN

3 0 5

that the dril\vings beconle increa:-;ingly younger as ,ve
proceed in that direction. In France they are of
Upper Palæolithic age, in the North of Africa
eolithic,
and in the South they are l'eeellt. Fronl this again it
follo\vs that the migration must have occupierl a long
interval of tÏ1ne, during which the earth experienced
more thau one change of climate, and some of the
animals \vhieh the artists took a special plcasure in
depicting, such as the mamnloth and the ancient
Bubalus, becanlc extinct.
'Ve o\ve our know'ledge of this great Inigration to a
fortunate accident: had the passion fur art which
possessed the BU3hnlcn been less strong or less enduring,
it ,voldd prolJably have remained unsuspected to all
tin1e. It would be strange indeed if this were the sole
migration of its kind, the chances are that it i
hut one
anlong others, ::;ome of \vhich nlay nut be beyond our
po"wer to discover.
As we glance back over this inquiry our eyes
naturally turn to the scene in the cavern of AltanlÏra,
and rest there \vith pleasure on the little Senorita de
Sautuola and her ,vonderful "Toros" \vhich started us
on our long and adventurous investigation.
.Ltnd last a ,vard of fare\vell to the Buslunen. "rhe 11lore
\ve kno\v of these \vonderful little people the IHore \VC
leaI'll to ac1nlire and like thenl. To many soli<l vit.tues-
untiring cllergy, houndle
s patiel1ce, and fertile inven-
tiOll, steadfast courage, devoted loyalty, aua faIn i] Y
affection-they added a native refillenlellt of n1allllcr:-;
and a rare æsthetic sen
e. \Ve n1ay learn from tlH ì nl
ho\v far the finer excelleucef) of life nlay be attained in
the hunting stage. In their golden age, before the
cOIning of eivili;.;ecl man, they enjoyed their life to the
full, glad \vith the gladness of prinleval creaturcs.
x

3 06

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. IX

The story of their later days, their extern1inatioll, and
the cruel manner of it, is a tale of horror on \vhich \ve
do not care to d\vcll. They haunt no 11101'0 the sunlit
veldt, their hunting is over, their nation is destroyed;
but they leave l)ehind an inlperishable men10ry, they
have imn10rtalised themselves ill their art.

Cllr\prrER X

THE SOLUTRIA
AGE

DURING this period the fabrication of Hint Ï1llplements
attained a perfection ,vhich ha
evok<:d the admirat.ion
of all archæologists. 80n1e of the best "
ork recalls that
of .. the Neolithic epoch, anti has never been excelled
except by the knives of the late pre-historic period in
Egypt.
The art reached its culmination in the Upper Solutrian;
deterioration then set in and continued till a fresh
clin1ax \vas reached after the Palæolithic epoch had con1e
to an end. 'The earliest exan1ples of the Lo\ver Sol u-
trian are comparatively primitive arro\v-heac1s (Fig.
181, 7), ,vhich already possess, ho\vever, a ,yell-developed
tang (fléche å peduncle) and thus n1ark an ad vance ill
this method of attaching the head of the arro\v to the
shaft.. 'These are inlmediately succeeded by the beauti-
ful Ílnplen1ellts (Fig. 18 t, 1, 2) knO\Vll frolll the shape
of their ou tlilles as laurel-leaf and \villo\v-leaf points
(poÏ1des eu jènillc de lcttl1"ieJ" et de sCf/l,ze); they are
evenly flat and renutl'kahl y thill, so thin in S01110 cases as
to lJe translucent; hut the charactcr ,vhich especiaHy
distinguishcs thenl is the beauty of the secondary flaking
(Solutrian retouch). III this process thin scale:-) \vere
split ofr ,vith great regularity, leaying long, nearly
307 x 2

3 08

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. X

parallel, furrows \vhich run from the edge of the im-
plement up towards the nliddle; both siltes have been
dressed in this way. SOlne of the fincst cxanlples,
\vhich appear to have been buried ill a ., caehette," were
discovered in nlaking a canal near \T olgu (Saône-et-
Loire). The unusual size of these-one is as nluch as
0'35 nletre in length--and extreme thinness has led to
the suggestion that they were votive offerings not in-
tended for conlnlon use, and it is asserted in confirnla-
tion that one of them ,vas painted with red ochre.
The larger forms of the leaf-like points, SOInc of \vhich
are not unlike the broad-bladed assegais of Africa, \vere
used as spear-heads; the snlaller as arro\v-heads.
'rhe suggestion that some IJe\v nlethod of flaking had
been introduced in l\Iousterian times nlakes itself still
more strongly felt in the case of the Solutriau retouch.
The 111ethod of flaking \vas certainly not that used for
the rougher sort of inlple111ents.
It \vas probably the result 110t of Llo\vs but of
pressure. It is difficult to understand othcr\vise ho\v
such delicate laminæ can ha ve been produced. 'fravellers
have fL'om time to tinle brought hOine accuunts of the
employment of such a 11lethod by existing races; thus
I\.rause in describing the Fuegialls, \vho arc very expert
in the dressing of flint, renla.l'ks that the fine flaking is
produced by pressure skilfully applied by Ineans of a
piece of bone---all old harpoon deprived of its point often
serving this purpose. l'he Eskirnos of Alaska, \vho
empluy the saIne proeess, 111ake use of a picce of rein-
deer's horn 1110unted in a handle of fossil ivory. But no
existing tribe is able to obtain quite the sanie perfection
of retouch as \vas possessed hy the Solutrians of
Palæolithic Eueope. 'fhe \vork of son18 nlodern forgers
in our o\vn country sometimes attains a high degree of

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or tt ......

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s. b c 8

:FII;. ]S1.-
olutrian flint implements. 1. The largest known complete

olntrian point, pointe en feuilIe de laurier, from V oIgu, Rigny-sur-
Arroux (SaÎHlc-et- Loire). (x k ahout.) 2. Pointe en feuiIle de smtle.
(x
.) :t Hnmll point('d tl;
ke, (
rottcs <It's Baoussé- HOURSt'S. (x 5.)
4. Poiute:'t cran, (
l.()tte ,l'Eglisc, :;;t J\lal'tin (l'E
(.idcllil, Dordogne.
(x
ahout.) .1. Hon'r, (
rott e tl' EgliHc. (x t.) (), Double-pointed
horer, (hoUe d' Eglisc. (x i about.) 7. Tangcd arrow-head, La, :FOllt-
]{ohcrt, (
orrl'ze. (x
- ahollt.) 8. Douhle scraper, Grotte d'Eglise.
(x -ï-.) (N o. 7 after Bardon and Bouys
onie, the rest after G. and A. de
1\lortillet. )

309

3 10

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. X

merit, but it does nut approach the Solutrian; indeed
these practitioners, \v hen shown goud examples of the
laurel-leaf point, have admitted their inability to make
even a colourable in1itation.
The leaf-like point
arc found in both the Lo\ver and
Upper Solutriall, but another ehal'acteristic fornl-the
shouldered point (pointe à cran)-is restricted to the
Upper stage. This (Fig. 18], 4) is often spoken of as
" typique" to distinguish it froIn the less developed
Aurignacian shouldered point. It is dre
3ed on one side
only, and its Inargin is sometin1es coarsely serrated.
rrhe shoulder is ahnost always on the right hand
(the inlplenlent being plaeed on its fiat face "Tith the
point forwards).
Besides these especially characteristic forms there are
others \vhich belong to the genera.l class of scrapers,
drills and bl1rins(Fig. 181,3,5,6,8), as,veH as minut

flakes, the precise purpose of which is unknO\Vll.
Bone and ivory continued in use throughout the
period: arro,v-straighteners, smoothers and simple
spear-points ,vere occasionally made of these n1aterials,
and, as \ve have ah"ead y seen, the earliest bone needles
are Inet \vith on the Upper Solutrian horizon. A
ingle
instance is kno\\Tn of engraving on bone. Evidently
a good deal of painting ,vas carried on, for IUlnps of raw
pign1ent, ochre, and graphite, are frequently nlet ,vith in
the Salutrian hearths.
The horse \vas one of the nlost abundant anÏ1uals of
the age, hut the fauna and tIora as a w"hole show that
the clin1ate wa
not so genial as in Aurignacian times;
the cold, 'which \vas aftel'\\Tards to tlonlillate the l\l
'gda-
Ienian age, ,vas already beginning to lnakc itself felt.

CH1\.p r rER XI

l\JAGDALENIAN .MAN

IN caVCR \vhere the succession of deposits is cOll1plete a
con1paratively thin layer of loaln, often not 1110re than
t\ycnty to thirty inches in thickness, and son1eti111es llOt
even that, i
all that separates the l\Iagdaleniall stage
fl'Onl the underlying Solutrian; yet the change in the
general character of the industrial art is c0111plete.
The flint i111plenlents are less elahorated, sinlpler in style,
and often lacking in finish; the cl(}gant Solutrian laurel-
leaf points havc disappeared, and \ve 111eet instead \vith
long thin Hakes, like those of the _tustraliall aborigines
(p. 181), aud splinters \vhich have been converted by a
minimu111 an10Ull t of rll'essing 1 into scrapers, gravers,
dril1s and other sin1ple tools (Fig. 182).

1 The marginal dressing of Palæolithic flints has been minutely studied
of late, with the result that it is now often possible tu determine the
epuch of an implement hy uh:-}ervatiun uf its edge alune (see Bardon and
Buuyssonic, " Uutils écaillés par percussion," R"l'. de l' É('ole d' A ntht'o 1906,
- xvi. p. 170; il,. "La Grotte de la Font Robert," Rull. Suc. ,..fi., hi.
t.,
et flJ'ché()[()!1i(jlll' de [fl Corrè:.e, l!JOH; ilJ. "La Coumha.-del-Bouïtou," Bull.
SOl'. sri. (/p CUI'1"è:e, IHf;7 -8). R. R. Schmidt, "Entwicklung dcI'
palåolithischen
teint.echnik," JlfllUlIl...., iHiO, I, }
rgiimmngshalld, p. U8,
gives the following sUllllllary :-fllwllean, the retouches are coarl'e, broad,
cOllchoidal, leaving strongly marked concayities.
kheIl7(,(1ll, the re-
touches are also ccmcllOidal, 1mt llalTower, longer awl finer. In the
LOI("(,t' J[""....f('rifu/, they are similar to the Upper _\cheulean. Upper
J[uw';fcrirllt, "stepped j7 retouch, short, scaly retouches following one
behind the other, awl hecuming smaller as they approach the edge.
.A 1( ri!Jllw'i((Jt (i) "channelled" retouch; I:;trong, regular furrows extend-
ing ovcr the whole ma.rgin of the flakc, (ii) "Aurigllacim. " rçtoqch; th

311

3]2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

It is not to these flints, however, that \ve must look
for the distinctive character of the
{agdalenian inrlustry ;
they still played an important part, not directly as
\veapons of the chase, but rather as the implenlents by
\vhich those weapons were 1l1ade.

'he ne\v kind of n1aterial \vhich had previously conle
into uðc-bone, reindeer's horn, and n1amllloth's ivory-
possessing very different properties froll1 tiillt, ana
requiring a different kind of workmanship, effected a
revolution in the arts. The arn1S it furnisht'd to the
hunter increa
ed in the number and conlplicatiun uf
their fornls, and lle\V kinas of inlplenlents "yere devised
\vhich added to the conlforts of daily life. 'rhe stiululus
of discovery led to rapid progress in the new industry,
ancl the deposits in the caves reveal three stages in its
developnlent
succeeding one another in a detinite order
fro 111 the sinlpler to the more eonlplex: thus as the
characteristic of the first stage \ve have the silnple point
(Fig. 183), of the second the harpoon \vith a single
row of barbs, and of the third the harpoon \vith two
ro\vs of barbs, one on each side (Fig. 184).
'rhe siInple forn1s of arro\v-head and spear-head which
cnme in with the first stage, but persisted throughout
the remainder of the period, are cylindrical rods of
various din1ensions, terminating at one end in a
conical point, and at the other in a hase for attachUlent
to the shaft. The hase is fashioned in scveral diH'crent
\\Tays: very cOlnnJonly by slicing off the hcad obJi<luely
to its length, so as to afford a surface for makillg a
simple splice \vith the shaft (Fig. 183, 1,8); sometinlcS,

f'craping end of a flake is rounded hy fan-like retouches. SfJlutn.nn,
" scaly" retou('hes, fine, thin scales are flaked off frOln the whole surface.
llIauda[enia1t, the edge is rarely dressed O\Ter its whole extent; a
" nihhling" retouch which grows smaller as the age draws towarùs it/;;
close.

XI

MAGDALEN IAN MAN

3 1 3

though alulost exclusively in deposits of the first stage,
it IS excayated by a \vedge-shaped fissure (Fig. 183, 3),

--- ,
r-...."

::-
':. -

.-I

. .

-.....:.

"';;::::- .,.
...."

a
---:
: 3

h
/ n
-

..-
:t-
k :0

1
'

.

'

.

,
"

c

ì
d ,

"

:FJt
. IH:!.-
Iag(lalenian flint implements (all x
). (t, b, end scrapers';
c, ,z, awls; (, scraper; f, fJ, pen-knife flakes with saw-like hase; h, burin
or graver; i, 1..', I, denticulated flakes; 'rn, parrot's beak burin; '11, hurin ;
0, lateral hurin. a, c, d, i, 'II, From Laugerie Basse; b, y, k, from La

lacleleine; e, from Cre') l\:lagnon ; J, 1, from Les Eyzies; It, from Gorge
(I' Enfer; 'In, from the Abri de Honey, Dordoglle; 0, from the Grotte de
Noailles, Corrèze. (All after ReI. Aquit, except a, after Girod et

lassénat; 11, m, 1" after G. and A. de l\lurtillet, and 0, after Bardon and.
Bouyssol1ie. )

....;

c,yidclltly il1tc]1(led to fit un to a Hhaft \vith a corrc-

puudillgly \vedge-
haped cxtren)ity; in gcncral style

3 1 4

ANCIF
NT HUNTERS

CH. XI

this recalls the Aurignacian point, from \vhich it
is distinguished by the greater robustness of its
bifid extremity; n10re generally this last relation is
reversed and the ba.se forms a solid \vedge, \vhich \vas
prolxthly inserted into a slit at the end of the shaft (
'ig.
183, 9, 10). In a fe\v rare examples the \vedge is
eonvertetl into a tongue by vvhich a shouldered joint
i
produced, lJut the shoulders are al \vays round, neVCl'
square; thero is no better joint, so far as security is
concerned, than the square shoulder: it is the kind
exclusively adopted by the Eskinlo anrl sonle other
hunting tribes at the present day, but it \vas not
invented in l\lagdalenian times. 'rhe union uf the
head with the shaft \vas no doubt secured by thread
of
sincw tightly boulHl round the joint. Finally there
are sonle siInple points \vith a hase \vhich truncates
the head transversely (Fig. 183, 6,7) alHl SOlne \vith a
pointed ba
e (Fig. 183,
); perhaps \vith a vie\v to
providing a loose joint, so that the head 11light readily
break off in the \vound, its conuexion \vith the shaft
being maintained by a loose cord.
Both arro\v-hearls and spear-heads, especially the
latter, are usually adorned \vith son1e sin1ple incised
design, such as a series of transverse lines, zigzags, or
seroll ,vork. rrhese, as Lord A vebury has pointed out
in the case of Eskinlo \veapons, served nu doulJt as a
nleans of identifi
ation. Su
h nlarks of o\yuership arc
conlnlonly Inet with on the arro\vs of existing \vilcl race
;
they provide a useful arbiter in the settlelnent of
disputes, sueh as arise fruln tilne to tinlC iu ha.ttlc or the
cha.se. III the illustration (Fig, 2
3, 011 t he right), taken
fronl a rlra \\Ting nuule Ly au E:--;kitno, t \Vo EskiulO
hunters are represented as quarrelling over the eal'ca
e
of a \;valrus w hieh oue of the)}} has slain; ill their anger

I
\
\ I 1;1 t
;1\ \i
I
I III
3 !J 4
1 2
\
,
1'1
I I
I

, , I
, : I,
. I
I.

" '(
/(11
ì l : II
'.:.Ir

a

7

8

I

.é

':l
---
1 -
I

, 5

9

JO

Fu:. 183. -l\lagdalenian spear-heads and
arrow-heads. 1. In iyory, from the
Grotte de la, Ga,rcnne,
aillt
Ial'l
el. (After Brenil, L' A nl hr. x
circa,)
2. In rt'lIHleer horn, from Laugerie BaHse, Rcliq. A(luitawe. (x
.)
iJ. From Laugel'ic BaHHe. (AftCl' (:ir()(l aIHl .àIaH!:!énat. x
.) -1 and .).
.From the cave of .MaHzycka, near OiCI"W, Poland. (After OHHOWHki.
x
.) 6 awl 7. From the Frcwlelltal cayc, Schaffhausen. (After Karsten.
x ahtlUt
.)
t From Bn\'Hscmpouy. (After' l)ictte awl de la Porterie,
I./_lllthr. x
.) 9 and 10. From Salpétrière. (After Cazalis ùe
:Fonùouce. x lIT.)

315

3 16

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

they seem to have forgotten that the arrow hears the
owner's n1ark. There are other cha.racters of a different

ð

\
, II
1\ fZ\'

I I

',
!
(: ,

I
. , ., I

.
C
I
,

B ;
,
A - -- .1 E F
D

FI(
. 184.-Barbed harpoons from the .Middle (A, I:, C, D) and Upper (E, F)

Iagrlalcnian stages. A, from the Grottc du Roc <In Courbet, Brnniquel
(After Cartailhac, L' A nthr. x -1.) E, from San l\larcel. (After BreniI,
L'Anthr. x
.) e, from Bruniqucl. (After Cartailhac, L'Authr.
x -1.) D, from Salpétrif
re. (After Cazalis de Fondouce. x.g..) };, from
Kesserloch, near Thayngen. (After :Merck. x t.) F, from Rruniquel.
(Aftpr Cartailhac, UA'JIlltr. x i.)

kina (Fjg. 186) illHeril>cd on \ycapons or othcr hono
objects, \vhich have been interpreted by Piette a.
son1e

XI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

3 1 7

kind of script. It is possible that these also are o\vner-
ship nlarks. 'Ve Inust be carcful, ho\vever, not to push
this explanation too far, for it is no\v kno\vn that the
n1arks on the \vcapons of sonle existing hunting tribes,
as for instance the Eskirno, are often intcnded to indi-

I i

I ..'
1
.t

" 1 "

IJI
II

.'II\

\:

jll

III

'1
"

.'\

\

I} .

0.;
; .:

\J

FIG. 186. - Problematical
characters, supposea by
}>iette to he primiti\'e
writing. l<'rom Roche-
her tie r, Vilhonneul',
Charente. (After Piette,
L' A ut/u'. H)ü;). p. 9).

Fw. 18.3. - Harpoon heaas
with perforations for
attaching a thong. From
Castillo, H a Jl t a II a e r.
(After Hermilio Alcal<le
del Rio.)

ate not o\vncrship hut the totenl to \yhich the O\Vl1er
beloI1gs (Fig. 187).1
Son1c of the siInple points are
longitudinal groove, SOllletimcs
channel; it has hcen :-;uggestcd
been intended to carry poison.

seored w"ith a deep
called the blood-
that this nlay have
III this COllllcxioll it

1 E. 'v. Nelson, uThe Eskimo about Bering
trait," Rep. BUrell'll of
A lIt. Et It noloyy, 1899, Pt. 1, p. :124.

3 18

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Inay be mentioned that SOIne of the interior tribes of
British North America 1nake use of poisoned arro\v-hc:uls.
The poiso118 are of various kinds, that obtained fronl the
fangs of the rattlesnake::; being the 1110St connnonl y used.
and the Inost deatH y.l
The sin1ple point presented itself almost readY-lnade
as one of the prongs of the reindeer's horn; the,harpoons
of the succeeding stages required 1110re elaborate work-
n1anship. "fhe form with uniserial barbs often ends
Lelo\v in a coni
al point \vith a flange on one side only
(Fig. 191, 3, 4), and in SOlne cases t\VO or three of these
hpads may have been bound together at the end of the
shaft to forn) a Lident or trident for spearing fish. In
SOllIe \vell-made eXêtluples fronl Castillo, in Santander, a

-

<

'<.

FIn. 187.-Simple forms of the raven totem in use among the Eskimo of
Bering Strait. (After E. \V. Nelson,)

perforation exists near the brlse-no doubt intendecl for
a connecting thong (Fig. 185).
The harpoons \vith biserial barbs take a great variety
of forms, and near the base frequently s\vell out into an
annular ridge, or t\VO opposed lubes, before tern1Ïnating
in a blunt cone (Fig. 184, A). This, again, is Ruggestiyc
of a loose union \vith the shaft, and in one instance the
upper angleR, \vhere the lohes spring fronl the hea(l, are
deeply incised as though to afford a notch for a con-
necting thong. The double-barbed harpoons of the
Azilian stage, which succeeds the .&1:agdalenian, are per-
forated with a fairly large hole, obviously intended for
the passage of such a thong.
1 c. Hill Tout, British NUJ"th America, p. 132: London, 1907.

)tI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

3 1 9

No bows have been discovered in any
lag(lalenian
dep()
its; this \Ycapan, if it existed, as it ahuost ccrtainly
did, \YHS in all probability nHule of \vood. SOlne of the
sinlple bone-points are of such conlparatively snutll size
that they could not have served for spears, and can only
be interpreted as arro\v-heads.
'Vhatever doubts may be entertained as to the exist-
ence of the bo\v, there can be none as to the" propulseur "
or spear-thro-,ver, an instrulllent still in USe ;\ffiong

.

_. .,

z--

",...;. , ..,
-
,,
..L' "
''1)
if " .
'11
&( "';&'
(t .,UI\.
, I\.

'\
,

30

,
\

FIn. ISR.-The upper figure shows how the spear-thrower is usc(l hy t]l{'
Eskimo, the lower one hy the Australian.

several wilJ hunting trihcs, ineluding Sün1e \vho at the
saIne tiule are also in possession of the bo\v. 'rhe spear-
. thro,,"er reduced to its sinlplest terms is a stick \vith a
reeurved tooth at one end; the spear is lairl parallel
\vith the stick, its butt-end resting against the tooth.
It is differently held by different races; the Eskiu10
rest it bet\veen the root of the forefinger and thulnb,
the ends of thcse digits holding the spear (Fig. 188).
By a s\veeping nlovenlellt of the \vrist and forearm the
spear is diRchal'ged, and as the fingers close over the

handle of the thro\ving-stick this is
wept for\varels with
great force and rapidity, follo\ving and at:eelerating the
spear in its flight. Several l\Iagdalenian spear-thro\yers
have been discovered, chiefly in the caves of Dordogne ;
as many as thirty-four examples ar

known from the l\Iiddle l\Iagdalenian
of Laugerie Basse. 'fhey are caryed
in one piece out of Done or ivory, and
adorned \vith engravings or finely
sculptured after some animal fornl.
One of the finest specinlens is that re-
presented in Fig. 18Ð-a spiritecl study
of the forepart of an ibex. In its
skilful rendering, its vigour and truth,
this is a nlasterpiece of art: to put it
to common use \\rould to our eyes seem
nothing less than a. desecration.
.A solid ivory cylinder (25 cn1. long
and 7 em. thick), the pnrpose of \yhich
is probienlatical, \vas founel in the löss
at Pi'edmost in
Ioravia, fronl a sup-
posed Solutrian horizon. It closely re-
sembles in form the din1Ínutive ivory
bolas \vhich are used by the Eskimo to
catch birds, but it is of n1uch great.er
size, as large indeed as the \veight for
a "grandfather's clock" and of nluch
the sanie shape.
'rhere are several objects alnong the
l\lagdalenian bonc implenlents to \\Thich
it is difficult to assian a use. ()lle of the most in-
o
teresting of these is the bâton de cornmandeme1tt, as
it is ternled by De l\Iortillet (Fi
. 1
O). In its
situ pI est fornl this is a rod of reindeer's horu, perforated

3 20

t

.
i
I I
."

' ."
, ..

t...
; " \ '(.'

:: ...' ..
, \.
:

, .:
. .)

..../l
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.
. ;1)
. .r;;j
; fli f..;

. "\

.
.

.

'

1
I.

! f '
J I
f,

',1;" \ . ,',
.,1". '.

. ' ,
"1 '.'
.

I ...,
,1" ,',

.' ,.:-

,
. ,...
I ::
. J

,
.j
.

" , ; (
.""

r. '
. ' ..\
-- . $

, '
t

. .....
f I \
.:

f,.'':'

\ ,! .

,. ..\
\" .:
l'
\
;
\1

. !

I'
: ,)fo

Fw.lS9.-Throwing
stickin iyory,from
the l\lag(lalenian
of ::.\1 a>; d' Azil.
( x
. After
Piette )

ANCIENT HU NTERS

CHAP.

XI

MA(;DALENIAN MAN

3 21

with one or 1110re cylindrieal holes; vcry C0111nlonly
it consists of a part of the stenl of an antler bearing
one of the tines or the ba
e of a tine, and the hole

.
\ .}:....
. .

. .,4..
I' I
'r ".

.:

.-".

B

Frn. IHU.-1'he
[ag(lalenian búlon dc' rommandeme71l ancl an Eskimo's arrow-
straightener. A, c, E, from Laugerie Basse; D, from La l\1tuleleÍlw.
(.\, 0, aftcr A. (Ie :\Iortillet. x ?r; C', }:, after Brcuil, L'
lHtltr. x;f ahout ;
ß, E:.;kimo arrow-straightencr in walrus ivory, after Boyd Dawkins. x
).

is drilled through the expanded region at the angle
of In'anchillg. Son1ctimes it is carved into a RÏ1nple
syull11ctri('[ll forin devoid of Ol'IHtlTICnt, at uther:::; it
y

322

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

assunles a more elaborate character, and is adorned ,yith
incised designs. Tn several instances the extrernity just
beyond the perforation is sculptured to represent two
heads adossée (Fig. 190, A), a nlotive not infre<luently
met ,vith in primitive art. In one instaHce, on the
other hand, the t\\'O heads, ill this case of nuu11n10t.h, ar(

opposed face to face.
De Mortinet's explanation of the bâton de coml1
ande-
ment is in1plied in its name, translated "sceptre " by
some English writers. One of the commonest forms
(Fig. 190, D) bears some resemblance to the club carried
by some North American chiefs, and. kno\vn among them
as a pog-a-magan, but this always lacks the charac-
teristic perforations. By other authors it has been
variously interpreted as a tent-peg, a drum-stick, a 11lagic
rod, a trophy of the chase, or part of a horse's bridle;
but perhaps t11e strangest suggestion of aU is due to Dr.
Schoetensack,1 who imagines that it was used aR a rude
kind of fibula. "fhis view has Lecn hailed by Dr.
Klaatsch 2 as a "glucklicher gedanke," and it scen1S to
be ,videly accepted in Gernlany. "rhat a people ,vho
had achieved such a mastery over the earving of bone
and ivory as the l\lagdalenians, and ,vho sho,ved BO
keen a sense of the appropriate in art, should have
fastened their garments by such a clun1sy device seeins
at least unlikely, and expert hunters \volùd scarcely
choose to start on the chase with a piece of bone about
a foot and a half long Jangling round their necks. The

1 o. Schoetensack, "A quoi servaient les 'bâtons ùe commandement,' "
L'Anthr. .V 01. XII, p. 140, pI iii. 1901.
2 H. Klaatsch, JVeltall und 3Ienscheit, edited by II. I{raemer, VoL II.
Berlin, no date, p. 276. Prof. Engen-and (G. Engerrand, f:;ix leçuns de
Préhistoriqne, Brussels, 1905, p. 145) states tha.t the Eskimo still use
similar objects for the same purpose. This, howmTer, is not the case.
An innocent" suggestio falsi" conveyed by Dr. Schoetensack's illustra-
tions is, no doubt, responsible for this error.

XI

MAGDALENJAN MAN

3 2 3

lagdalenians were quite capable of making respectable
buckles or fibulæ, but they probably fastened their dress
in quite another fashion. A. more plausible ex planation,
as it seems to nle, is that proposerl by Prof. Boyd
Da\vkillS,1 who haR compared the Lâton \vith the
Eskinlo's arro\v-straightcller. F01. SODle reason this vic\v
has nut been very favoul'ahly received by anthropologists
either at honle or abroad,2 p08sibly-though reasons arc
seldom given-because most of the Eskimo arro\v-
straighteners exhibited in our museums have been
brought froln Greenland or other regions where this
instrun1ent has obtained its most perfect form and
development. Such examples are generally of COlll-
paratively small size, skilfully carved out of ivory, and
especially distinguished by the fornl and other characters
of the perforation intended for the insertion of the arro\v.
This is invariably lozenge-shaped (Fig. 190, B), and, as

Ir. II. Balfuur points out with just insistence, it passes
obliquely through the in1plenlent. Both the form and
direction of the perforation ensure a good grip of the
arro\v-shaft, and distrihutr it in such a n1anner as to
n1inimise the chances of bruising the shaft <luring the
operation of straightening. In the l\lagdalenian itnple-
ment, on the other hand, the hole is alw'ays circular or
cylindrical, and takes a straight course, at right angles
to the t\VO faces. This difference, \vhich impairð to some
extent the usefulness of the l\lagdaleniall implen1ent,
seemed to llle at one tin1e to offcr a fatal objection to
thp. identification suggested by Prof. Da\vkins 3; but it
no\v appears that the Greenland. forin, with \vhich \ye

1 'v. Boyd Dawkins, Once Jlunliny, London, 1874, p, :
;)5.
2
ee 1\1. Hoernes, Del' Dilll1'inle JJlensrh Ù" Eltl'upa, I
runswick, 1903,
p.72,
3 Prof. Dawkins (loc. cit.) attrihutes the ùifference largely to friction
due to use. I am afraid this explanation is not suppurted hy the facts.
y 2

3 2 4

ANCIENT HUNTE RS

CHAP.

are 1110st fanliliar, is not universal alTIUng the Eskimo.
Boas has figured au exalnple froll1 Baffin Laud, in \vhich
the hole is cylindrical, and apparently takes a direct and
not a.n oblique course. Between this and the l\lag-
dalenian bâtons there is no essential difference; both are
arrow-straighteners. 1 There are some other
Ia.gdaleniall
in1}Jlelnents (Fig. 191, A, B) perforated by several holes
whieh I should have regarded as problenlatical, but for

- .
. -

- - -

-;

#j,-;..;,.t:1.'
'_.. ,'. ",

t!r;
:!
'

: _:<

;:
:1.::
I

..t. .
"'-."

c

B

Fig. 191.-A. and B. l\lagdalenian shaft-straighteners. c. EHkimo shaft-
straightener. A. from La )'ladeleine. (After Reliq. Alluit.) B. from La

Iaùeleine. (After A. de .Mortillet.) c. from Baffin Lam!. (After Boas.
All x 1-.)

the fa(
t that Boas also describes a picce of bone, sin1ilarly
perforated, as an arro\v-gtraightener, and expressly
mcntions that it is provided \vith several holes of
various dianletcrs in adaptation to the va.rious thicknesses
of the arro\v-shafts 2 (Fig. 191 c).
Although the Greenland arro,v-straightener is a much

1 Or 11lOre strictly "shaft" straighteners, for in many cases the holes
are too large for arrows though well adapted to lances. See ((Idea, p. 220.
2 Franz Boa.s, "The Eskimos of Ballin Land and IIudson Bay," Bull.
Ame)', .J..\[W5. N(d. Hist. Vol. XV. p. 84, fig. 117, New York, 1UOl; ,Yo J.
Sollas, Nature, Vol. 74, p. 372, fig., 190(t

XI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

3 2 5

supcrior instrument to the l\Iagdalenian, yet a rel11ark-
ahlê resen1blance may son1etÏ1nes be traced in their
decorative form, the heads ado::;sée already referred to
as a n10ti ve in l\Iagdalenian art being a frequent feature
in the Eskimo exan1ples (l1-'ig. 190, B). [n both cases also
the handle of the straightener is frequently incised \vith
line engravings representing animal fornls.

.

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{ .... : .:. ". .t; ", .........

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3

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Jù

}'I(;. 192.- ROlle implemcnt:;; from thc .i\Iagclal(,lliall of Kent's Hole, Torquay.
I, Awl;
, pin or taa-poo-ta; :3 and 4, fragmcnts of harpoon:;; with
uniHcrial harhH; 5, part of a harpoon with hiRel'ial harh:;;; 6, a hroken
ILCCC lIc. (x 1\. After
ir John EntIls.)

AR eounecte(l ,vith the ('hase, \ve nU1.y n1eution the l)olle
pillS not nnC0111nlouly ulet ,vith ill )Iagdalcniall (leposit

(Fig. 192, 2). rrhese, though inappropriately thick,
are supposed to have served for dress fasteners; hut it is
extrenlely unlikely that a people, ,vho \vere evidently
adepts in the art of SC'Villg, \vould sho\v so great a
disregard for valualJle skin garluents as to drive such

3 26

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

rude pegs as these "pins" through them. 'Ve shall
find a more probable explanation by refereltce to the
Eskimo, \vho possess sÜnilar pins (Fig. 193, 2, 3), \vhich
they call "taa-poo-ta J " and use for skewering together
the sides of the \vounds inflicted in killing seals or
other large anin1als, \vith the object of securing the

, ,/\
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,.'
,oj

. ".;:."
. .,fa

a

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, :
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I,

,
:!

f:l

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Il ':
liY; ':'!Jt
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q,ffi j ', jl"I

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:';; ii"
'II
....
q"l ,. '" ;I ,
tj;;::
,
'h' ;:.

b,'; !!:
"'.'
(
II," P:i:
,1
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j
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,,
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, .\1,Wii:tf'-'

,......

2

f

3

FIG. 193.-Bone implements used hy the Eskimo in East Greenland. 1, a set
of taa-poo-tas carried in a leather case or quiver; 2, the central taa-poo-ta
of the set, which partly by reason of its larger head helps to keep the rest
in place; 3, one of the other taa-poo-tas; 4, part of a buckle. These
with other implements are all carried attached by leathern thongs to a
leathern bracelet. (After I:--\ollas.)

blood, not a drop of \vhich is \villingly lost. 1 The
Algonkian Indians, \vho live illlall<1, next to the Eskinlo,
have the saIne cuStOll1. Occasionally the Eskimo nlake
use of a hone plug instead of the "taa-poo-ta"; it is
inserted in the \vound as a kind of stopper (Fig. 194, 2). 2

1 'v. J. Sollas, "On SOUle Eskimo Bone Implements from the East
Coast of Greenland," Jonrn. Anthr. Inst. Vol. IX. pI. vii. 1880.
2 F. Boas, loco cit.

X[

MAGDALENIAN MAN

3 2 7

An Ivory peg figured by Piette from Brassenlpouy,
with the renlark "use ul1kno\vn," may perhaps have
served the san1e purpose (Fig. 194, 1).1
'Vhistles nlacle fronl the phalange of a reindeer, such
as are in use among .North A merican Indian tribes, have
been found in 1\lagdalenian deposits of several caves
(Fig. 197, i).
rrhe l\Itlgdalenians v{ere evidently fishernlen as ,vell
að hunters. Sorne of the l,arbed harpoons \vere doubt-
less used for Rpearing fish, hut the hook and line ,vere

1

FIG. 194.-1. Ivory peg from Brassempouy. (x !. After Piette, L'Anthr.)
2. 'V ooden peg used by the Eskimo to stop the wounds ma(le hy their
spears. (x!. After Boas.)

not UnknO\Vll; sonle curious little bone inlplenlents \vith
prong-like har1Js (Fig. 195,1,2,3) have heen interpreted
by the _\bbé Breuil as fish-hooks (Fig. 195, 4).
nlall
rods of ùone
harply pointed at each end (Fig. 197, u, e)
also served the salne purpose; similar rods, ,vhich are
kno\vn as " gorges," are still in use anlongst the EskÜllO
and other trihes at the present Jay. The gorge ,vhen
1 Piette, L'Anthrop. Vol. VI. p. 135, fig. 6.

3 28

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

s\\Tallo\ved ,vith the bait enters the fish lenoth\vise but
b ,
\vhen pulled upon after\vards by the linc it turllS round

i 1\
\ \
I i i .
' I. I
ill :
,i fl.
\ i r !
. \Ji/

!
I"
.,'
.
i 1

2

3

4

FIG. 19.3.-l\lagdalenian bone implements, supposed to be fish-hooks. 1, from
Foutarnau{l, Gironde, x nearly
; 2 and 3, from Bruniquel, xi; 4,
supposed mode of attachment. (After Breuil, L'Anthr.)

- -

"-
"-
"

,
,
...

"-
..
"
,
\
...
\
,
\
I
I
I
I

Ell';'. H)6.-A perforated stone, prohahly used to loa(l a digging stick, from
Salpt'tril'l'e (after Cazalis de FOlHlouce, x
). That the 1\[agdalenian
,,,"omen contributed the vegetables to the family meals i

mgge
te(l hy the
discovery at :-;alpétrière of a perforated stone vcry similar in size and
shape to those used hy the Bushmen and most other hunting trihes to
give weight to their digging sticks. Many other stones excavated 011 one
or both sides,1 hut not perforated, have been found in :!\Iagdalenian
deposits elsewhere, anfl it is possible that some of these are unfinished
ring stones, ahan(lollc<l by their owners in a time of panic.

,
\
.
.
.
I
,
I

I
,
,
,
,

,
I
I
I

andlyillg atlnvart the guUct hol<18 its victÏ1n as firlnly
as a haole

,
,

,
,"

;"

1
ee Reliquiæ Afl'llil<tnictC, pI. A. XIII.

XI

MAGDALEN IAN MAN

3 2 9

1\ variety of evidence lea(ls to the conclusion that the
clothes of the
lagdalenian people ,vere made fron1 the
skins of aninuds killed ill the chase; the reindeer
probably furnished
onle of the \Varlllest and most
resistant to the \veather. That these, after dressing ana
trinuning, \ycre sewn together is suggested Ly the

\
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I
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; I
I!I (
,;I
.,
.1
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.
C
e

f g

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i

E'w. H)'i.-.Mag(lalcnian implcmcnts. all hut h in l,one or ivory; a, arrow-
hmul; ú awl c, gorges; c, a hodkin; d, I, !I, ncedles, !I with a broken
cye; h, a gruo\'ed pieec of sandstone for ruhhing down hone ncedlcs; i,
perforate(l phalangc of a reindcer uHe(1 as a whistle; (l to e from (
arellne,
x
, after Breuil;/ aJ\(1 g. from J>onlogne ; II, from
laHHat, Al'il'ge, after
ReI. d1luit. x
; i, from Bl'uni(lUe1, after De
lul'tillet. x
.

a1)undaut 1Jo11e llèedlc
,vhieh are l'ullllÙ strC\Vll through
l\lagdalellian deposits (11'igs. 192, G; I 97, d, 1, g;
198, 1). The needles are relllal'kal)ly ,yell 11lade,
straight aua slender, \vith sharp points and round 01'
elongated eyes. l'hcir variety ill size-the length
ranging froIH 37 to 72 n1nl.-
eems to sho\\' that the

33 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

scan1stress \yas particular as to tbe finene
s of her \vork.
I n making a needle the first step ,vas to obtain splinters
of honc fron1 a reindeer's shoulder-blade, or to cut Btrips
out of the cannon-hone of a horse or deer; these
,vere then scraped into shape ,vith a flint flake, rubbed

"1
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I.
II
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k' 'C'" ,lit, It::/!I I }
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{"I' '
lli l l
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5 -
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4

FIG. 198.-ImplementR from the ca\Tes at Creswell Crags. 1, hone needle;
2, hone awl made from the tibia of a hare; 3, notched hone; 4, flint
lmrin ; 5, part of figure of a horse cngrave(l on the smoothed
mrface of a
rih. 1-3, From Church Hole Cave; 4, 5, from Robin Hood Cave. (All
nat. size. ]from Sir John Evans, after Boyù Va w kills.)

S11100th and pointed by a grooycd piece of sandstone
(Fig. 197, h),aud finally drilled by lneans of a delicately
chipped flint awl. The a\vl ,vas no doubt nlounted in
some manner, probably by binding it with sinc'\v 011 to
a rod of ,vood or bone. In drilling holes for shaft-
straighteners a large flint borer ,vas necessary, and the

XI

MAGDAl_ENIAN MAN

33 1

question arises \vhether any accessory apparatus \vas
used, such as the bo\v drill, so C01111110n among 11lany
prinlitive people at the present day. The Eskimo use
an ivory bo\v drill, and if a sill1ilar inlplement had been

o """.-
.. . .
c C c (, ().c
c ()
(', (; ('- (
.u v-
()('{. ()
v-(
L'

(' ("I
f

(' {' t ('

,-- ,
{, () f, f1.-

(:(1 (; (; c. r; .7
{ () CJ {. ('
(., {' c (! t:
(; {, fj (:1

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2

3

I'
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n
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.p
i I;
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I It 5

FlC
. Um.-)lagdalenian implements from the mammoth ea'-e of \Vierzchoyie,
PolalHl. 1, Handle in reinùeer horn for attachment to a cord-similar
halHlles arc in URe among the Eskimos and the natives uf Vancou,'cr
IslalHI ; 2, an ivory plate pittefl amI perforated; 3 and 4, Ï\"ory pClHlallts ;
5, mammoth rib with a handle c<trve(I at one end, proLahly used as a
f'now-serapcr. (1-4, x k; .3, x l-. After Count J. Zawisza.) 1

kllO\Vll to tho .l\lagdalolliall 111011 \Ve ll1ight expect to find
exan1ples preserved in the cave deposits; nOlle, ho\vever,
haye so far heen idcntified. The bo\v is not the essential

1 Count.J.
awisza, "La. Ca,.erne du l\lauunuuth en Pulogne," .L"1Iém.
Sue. ....1 nthr. Paris, 1
73, Y 01. I. p. 4::SU, pIs.

33 2

ANCIENT HUNTEI{S

CHAP.

part of the bo\y drill, but Inerely a n1echanical refine-
n1ent, ensuring that the bo\v string is n1aintained in
uniforn1 tension. The string, t\visted round the borer,
Inay be en1ployed alone, its ends being held one ill each
hand and pulled alternately in opposite directions. This
sin1p]e Inethod of obtaining rotation, \vhich still survives
anlong various \vild tribes, Inay have been used by the
l\lagdalenians; though it is by no means impossible that
they had already invented the con1plete Lo,v drill.
Indeeù, aluong the nun1erous ivory rods of the l\lag-
dalenians, there are sOllle, to ,vhich as yet no purpose
has been ascribed, that closely resemble the Eskimo
drill- bo\v, as for instance the fish -like rod sho\vn in
Fig. 200, d. In style and artistic n10tive this is
thorough ly Eskinlo (cf Fig. 200, e to Ii). I t is per-
forated at the tail end by an elongated hole, but there
is no seconù perforation; this, however, is also the case
\vith son1e Eslámo drill-bows. On the other hand,
similar fornls, destitute of a hole, are also used by the
Eskinlos as sine\v t\visters for bo\v strings, or as chisels
for ,vorking in ,vood or splitting \valrus hides, or again
as handles for bags. The rectangular rod sho wn in
Fig. :20'0, a, b, c, has been described, no doubt correctly,
as a l\lagdalenian chisel; it is certainly far more like a
chisel than a drill-bo\v.
])onlestic utensils are not llunlerou
. l'he nlost inl-
pOl'tant yet di;:;covered, aud its Ì1nportance is great, iR a
shaìlo\v bo\vl, llHLlle out of a pebl)le of fiue close-graiuea
sand
tone, \vhich ,vas found in th.. cave of La l\lollthe,
DOl'dognc.1 It lay ill a
lagdalcnian deposit, which \vas
separated by a layer of stalagmite frotn the overlying

1 I
lllile Rivière j "La lampe en gris de In. l\Iouthe," Bll11. de 1((; Soc.
L' A nthr. de Puri.." 18HU, p. 554, and "DeuÚème note sur la litmpe de la
J\Iouthe," op. ("it. HJOl, p. G24.

XI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

333

Neolithic stratun1. It is ovn 1 in outline (Fig.
o 1) and
produced at one side into a kind of shelf or handle; the
base is engraved \vith a rough sketch of the head of an

oo

Æil
O

a

]
F

. I _"
'.__
'__'__' _ _
I
=--:-
- . - ---

b

c

{ -
- - /)V/

-:-

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. -=---
._

d

-=
.

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= -
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e

a
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- Q
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_-' b:

o g

-

-

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=
-

-::

FJ(
. 200.-l\lagdalenian and Eskimo implements in bone and i\-ory. ft, b, c,
An ivory chisel seen from two faces, a, I), amI one side, r, from Haint
)Iarcel (after Brenil, x
); d, an Ï\Tory rod with a ti!-!h-like head, from

Ias d' Azil (after Piette, x
); e, Eskimo sinew-twister in Pitt-Ri\'crs
collection, Oxford (x !); f, Eskimo chisel for working woo(l, from
lkogmut, Bering Strait (after Kelson, x i) ; g, ERkimo how-drill, from
Norton Sound (after Hoffman, x
); II, Eskimo rod for fastcning a hag,
from Agiukchugumut, Bering Strait (aftcr Nelson, x
).

334

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

ibex. It has been interpreted as a lalnp, and it is
certainly not unlike son1e of the stone lanlps used by
the Eskimo to warm and light their ,,
inter houses. It
has evidently been used, for at the bottonl of the bo\vl
there still remains son1e carbonaceous n1attel'. 80111e of
this \vas submitted to 1\1. Berthelot for chenlical
analysis and he reported that it Hluch reseluhles the

A

B

FIn. 201.-A, a sandstone lamp from the l\Iagdalenian of La l\louthe (after
Ri vière, x !); B, an Eskimo stone lamp for comparison, from Kadiak
Island (after Hough,l x!).

residue left by the con1bustion of animal fat, such as
suet or lard. 2
"T e. have already made a passing allusion to the fact
that the lnural paintings which date fron1 .ttul'ignaciall
times are generally found in ren10te recesses of the
caves, far from the entrance, \vhere the light of the sun
never reaches. Various explanations have been offered
for the problen1 \vhich thus arises; artificial illunlination
1 'V. Hough, "The Laulp of the Eskimo," Ann. ReI). Smith::;vnÙlIl
Instil'lite, 1896 (1898), pp. 1027-1057.
2 Berthelot, C. R. Ac. Sci. 1901.

seemed the most likely, but ,vas met by the objection
that no sian
of smuke were to be seen on the waIJs of
\::)
the caves. The discovery of lan1ps, for others have
l)een found since the one discovered at La l\Iouthe,
con1plctely disposes of this difficulty, for no sn10ke is
given off hy the Eskilno lalnps ,vhen they are propcrly
tended (see p. 360). rrhe ibex on the bottom of the
lan1p of La l\Iouthe resembles in style an ibex ,vhich is
engraved on the wall of the cave; the suspicion that the
mural decorations of the caves did
not cease ,vith the Aurignacian age
seems therefore not to have l)een
,vithout foundation.
Another inference Inay he sug-
gest.ed hy these lan1ps. If they
illun1inated the ,valls of the caves
sufficiently well for the artists to do
their work they must have en1itted
a cOllsideraLle an10unt of heat; the
primary purpose of the Eskimo's
lan1p seen1S to he the pl'oduetion of
heat (see p. 360) ; thus the caves nlay
have Leen converted into cOlnpara-
tively comfortable ,vinter quarters.
Per:-;onal OrnalTIents have been founa in great variety.
In adl1ition to the teeth of bear, horse, and reindeer,
sea-shells, aild even fossils, all perforated for suspension,
,vo encounter pendants of various fornls carved out of
bOlle or ivory, S0111e of \vhich are of especial interest on
account of their ]!recise resen1 blance to sinlilar ornanlcnts
in use among the Eskimo, ,vho attach then1 to needle-
cases, housc\vife bags, and sornetÍInes as tassels to their
dress. Long, thin bone or ivory rods also uccur, vcry
carcfully shaped and bearing incii-;cd designs; SOllle of

XI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

335

A

B

FI(
.
O
.-A, An ivory
pendant from an
Eskimo chatelaine pre-
serve<l in the Pitt-
Rivers .Museum, Ox-
fora (nat. size); 13, a
Himilar ohject, but
broken, from Kulna,
:Mora via. (x
. After
Hoernes. )

33 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

them closely rosen1blo in forlll and ornan)cnt the hair-
pins still in use alllong the Eskirllo. ...\ sl1lall Lrokcll
ornament ,vith little pit-like nlarkillgs (Fig. 20:Z, B),
found ill the !-'lagrlalenian of ICulna, l lVloravia, recalls
some objects of unknown use \vhich the Eskinlo \VOlllen
carry attached to their" houso,vives" (Fig. 202, A).
'rhe art of thn period is nl0:;;t fully expresF;ed in
sculpture and line engraving. At the sanle tilne it

b

9
d

@
a 9
08

@d
e

-
FIG. 203.-Ivory carvings by Palæolithic men and the Eskimo. a, a tuhe
carved in the form of a woman, by the Eskimo of the Lower Yukon,
Bering Strait (after N eh:;on) ; b, the Venus illlpudica of the Aurignacian in
Laugerie-Basse; (', a belt fastener, supposed to represent a tish, Eskimo
of Nunivak Island, Bering I"5trait (after Nelson) ; d, a pendant in form fJf
a beetle, Eskimo of Bailin land (after Boas) ; (
, a pendant representing a
"lady-hii'll," from the Magdalenian of Laugerie-Basse; l, part of an
ear-ring, Eskimo, from Nulukhtnlogumut, Bering Strait (after Nelson).
All x
, except d, whieh is x nearly i).

seems to be generally assumed that some of the later
paintings on the ,valls of caves already referred to
really belong to the l\Iagdalenian age, and as ,ve have
just seen with sonle reason. The lint' engravings,
sonletinles deeply cut, sonletimes faintly scratched in,
are frey'uently met with on the sided of l)one inlple-
Inents, nlore rarely on stones; towards the clos
of the
1 J. IÜ1Ïes, GHsopis r;nn:ejniho Spúlken v Olo1H/llci, taf. xiv.

XI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

337

period the designs becoIne conventional and geometric,
but the earlier drtnvings, ,vhich are fortunately
the n10
t numerous, are faithful delineations uf the
contelnporary anill1als; one of the earliest discovered
is the famou
mammoth (Fig. 204) fron1 the rock-
shelter of La
Iac1eleine, ,yl1Ïch has al\vays been regarded
\vith especial interest, not only as an evidently faithful
portrait of an extinct anÌInal dra\vn from life) but as
confirlning in an unexpected n1anner the conclusion
obtained frolll other eyidence that Palæolithic luan ,vas

Fw. 20-t..-
lammoth cngraycd on i\Tory, from La :Madcleine.
(x
. Aftcr Lartet ana ChriRty.)

farniliar \vith this anilnn 1 in the Ii viug statc. None of
the characteristic features of the n1all1111oth have escaped
the artist's observation: the profile of the head, the
great curved tusks and s\vinging trunk, the coating of
long hair, the mane, the little eye and large, half-opened
1110uth, and the peculiar gait indicated by the position
of the knecle
s hilld-legs haye all been rendered ,yith
convincing truth-so nluch so that ,ve nlust apologise to
the artist on adding that the fidelity of his sketch is
confirlned by indcpCIH1cllt evidcnce, nffol'ded hy the
con1plete and ,yell-preserved speeinlP118 uf the 111anll11uth
found in the froze])
()il of Sibcl'in.

z

33 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. XI

The reindeer is a favourite subject, and has provoked
son1e of the cleverest sketches. A famous masterpiece
is the well-known "Reindeer grazing, of Thayngen"
(Fig. 205), which was found in the cave of Kesslerloch,
near Schaffhausen, S\vitzerland; another the " Reindeer
running, of St. 1\iarcel" (Fig.
06, A); and a third the
111ale reindeer following the fen1ale (Fig. 207). The horse,

Fw. 20;). - The reindeer grazing, from the Kesslerloeh, near Tha.rngen,
Switzerland, engraye<l on a shaft-straightener. (Original size. After
.Merck. )

supposed to be Przevalsky's species, is frequently
represented, and its frisky colt is dra\vn in characteristic
attitudes (Fig. 210, 4). Several studies are know11
of the bison, and one in particular from Laugerie
Basse (Fig. 208, 1) is of special interest, since it repre-
sents, behind a grazing bun, unconscious of impending
evil, a 1\iagdalenian hunter, crawling 011 the ground
,vith a spear in his right hnnd which he is about to

1
71111
i. ÃM ---- U
j.

I
I
I -

ø
-

c

Fw. 206,-A. Thc running reimlecr, cngraycd on hornblende schist, from
Saint .Marr'el. (x -to From Erenil, L'.lnthr.) ß, Deer] and salmon
iu('isc<l on a piece of horn from Lorthet, Hantes Pyréll('es. (After Piette,
L'...1'11thr. 1
9-l, Vol. V. p. 144, fig. 15.) c. The stag (Dervll8 e1aplw.'ö),
on hone, from Lorthet. (After Piette.)

1 l\Ir. II. O. Forhes, in an intere:-;ting letter tu NHhu'e (191U, Yol.
3,
p. 12J), suggests that these are intended Îor (fernl:; meYfl('e1'OS, the great
Irish deer.

33D

z 2

34 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

thro\v. l'he hU1l1all figure is not ,veIl Jra \Yl1, 80 that no
trust\yorthy conclusion ean Le deduced fronl it ; it sho\vs
a large, pO\\Terfullo\ver ja\v \vith an angular chin, and a
curiously peaked roof to the skull; a hatching of sin1ple
lines represents the hair of the hea(l, an(l since sÏ1nilar
lines are distributed over the legs and body it has been
conjectured that these parts of the body also \vere hairy.
Sketches of several other naked hunlall figures are
kllU\Yll--aS, for instance, the fe11une (t1t Ij'enne fron1

"

FIG-, 207.-The "following" reimleer, engraved on slate, from Laugel'ie
Basse, (From Breuil. x
.)

I
augerie Basse, \vhich agaill sho\ys indicatiolls of a
gro\yth of hair over the thighs aud ah(lolUen (Fig. 208, 4).
r1 Lroken arro\v-straightener frolll La l\iacleleine bears a
sketch of a standing hunlan figure, evidently naked:
it is diagran11llatic, hut faithful, and sho\vs a con1plete
absence of any tendency to stcatopygy (Fig. 208; 2). 'rhe
profile of a lnan-like forn1 found at
ias d' -L\zil is dis-
tinguished by such an extraor<1illary projecting face
that Piette thought it nlight represent an anthropo-
n10rphic ape; it has a projecting 111uzzle not unlike that
\vhich \ve Inay attribute to N canåertal lnau, but is

XI

MAGDALENIAN MAN

34 1

,vithout any other features of l'e;3clnLlance (Fig. i08, 3).
A hun1an face ,vith very obli(!ue eyes (Fig.
09) cut all

..--
2

1"11:.
oS.-J. ..:\lan ;-;tnJking a hiHon, on reilHlcm' luwn, fl'Om Laugerie Ra:-;se.
(Aftm' A. de
lortillet. x ahout
.)
. .Mall carrying a stick, 011 a
fl'agnwJlt of a httton, fl'om La .Ma(ldeiue. (Ahout original Rize.) :l Al'e-
like man, on hone, from :\las (1'
h:i1. (x
. Aftm' I)iette.) 4. Femme au
renne, 011 in)}'.)', from Laugeric Basse, (x f. After Piette.)

34 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH.XI

a.piece of reindeer's horn found in the cave of Roche-
bertier recalls the faces ,vhich figure on the doorposts of
some of the houses of the North American Indians. Of
the renlaining aninlal forll1s ,vhich find representation
we Inay mention the ibex (Fig. 210, 5), Saiga antelope
(Fig. 210, 3), seals (Fig. 210, 8), bear (Fig. 210, 2),
,voolly rhinoceros (Fig. 210, 6), ,volf (Fig. 210, 9),
chan10is (Fig. 210, 4), a goose (Fig. 210, 1), a s,van
(Fig. 210, 7), trout, pike, and sahnon. An adlnirablc
dra\ving of salnlon, in various attitudes, lazily disporting
themselves in the ,vater, is reproduced
in the illustration (Fig. 206, B).
Drawings such as this are rare;
other instances are the reindeer
grazing and the follo,villg reindeer.
These a.re not nlerely studies of
isolated animals, but genuine pictures
distinguished by an attenlpt at com-
position. Perhaps ,ve should include
in the same category the interesting
sketch of ,vild horses (Fig. 211) gal-
loping in troops, as wild horses do,
and follo\ving their leader. There seeln to be seven-
teen horses in one òf the troops of the figures, and
nineteen in the other. Przevalsky's ,vild horse has
been observed in troops of froln five to fifteen (aU
nl ares), each led by a single staHion.
The sculptors in bone and ivory afford son1e of the
finest examples of )Iagdalenian art; the bone dagger
fronl Laugerie Basse, with its life-like rendering of the
reindeer, artistically adapted to forn1 the handle, is fi
famous exanlple (Fig. 212, A). rrhe saIne
ave has
furnished several other daggers; one has the figure of a
mammoth for the hilt (Fig. 212, B), another that of

"

_r

8

'

--= --
--

5

/?/ ;;1- /./
./ / 1'
/.
- 7

'-
''\., - . .
,. . ,.' ''-''
' t. ....\\ ,\ J

,. .......\. ,t".
,,
, ".

'
z ,

r-

Fh:. 210.-1. (
008C on rein,lecr horn, from nourc1an (nearly original size).
2. Bear on a pehble, from o.onr(lall. 3. Saiga antelope on a stone, from
(ioul'dan. 1. A colt on hone, from Lorthet. 5. Chamois on hone, from
Isarl1. (3. Head of woolly rhinoceros on stalagmite, from nourdan.
7, f-;wan on a pehhle, from Uour(lall, 8. Seal on hone, from Gum'dan.
9. 'Y olf on stone, from Gounlan. (....\.ll after Piette, L' A utltr.)
343

344

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

son10 great carnivore. Some of the sculptured figures
,vhich have been regarded as the handles of daggers are
possibly not of this nature; tlie Ahbé Breuil believes
that they ,vere all intended simply and solely as images
of the animals they represent, and he is inclined to
think that 11lagic influence \vas attributed to them:
there is no doubt a considerable amount of truth in this
view, and it may very \vell apply to the sculptured
11lan1n10th found in the cave of Bruniquel already
referred to (Fig. 212 , B), bu t scarcely to the reilldeer-
hilted dagger of Laugel'ie Basse. As another instance
of an aninlal fornl carved \vithout any apparent ulterior

FIG. 21 I.-Two Troops of Horses, each with its leader, engravc(l on a slab of
stone, from Lc C
haffaud (Vienne). (After Cartailhac, L'Antltr.).

purpose nlay be mentioned the head of a nlusk ox,
found in the l(esslerloch, near '1'hayngen, S\vitzerland
(Fig. 212, D). l\Iost of the sculpture, ho\vever, is decora-
tive; as additional instances ,ve nlay cite a pendant
carved ,vi th the figure of a Saiga antelope, and the ibex
,vhich is sculptured in so llHtsterly a 11lanner on the
spear-thro\ver 11lentionec1 on p. 320 (Fig. 189). "fhe
adossed heads of lJison at the extrenlity of an arrow-
straightener 11lay also be recalled here.
The objects sho\vn in Fig. 2] 3 present special points
of interest. ,!'he dra wings in the t,vo upper figures
(Fig. 213, 1, 2) occur on opposite sides of a stone

XI

MAGl)ALENIAN MAN

345

pendant, and this association is in it
elf
suggestive. 'rhe first c1ra,ving represents
running at a gallop, and the second if-as

"

extl'cnlcl y
an aninlal
,ve have a

D

F[(:.
12.-
\. Da,ggcr of rcilHlcer horn, from Langel'ic BaRse, (x ahout ;\.
Aftet' l{,eliq. Aquit.) The wholc po::;c of the c<lrycil reindccr inc\-itahly

mgg(,Rt8 an artiRtic a,claptatiOll for URC as a ,laggcr-halHllc, n.
Jalllllloth
('alTCll out of rcimlcer's horn, from Uruniclucl. (x
. .After &-\.. de
'\lortillet,) c, Hor
e'8 heall ill hOllc, from
aillt
larccl (Ahout original
Rizc. After llreuil, L'
lllthr.) }) Hc;ul of musk ox in hOllc, from tlH'
Kcsslerloeh. (Original size. A fter
J ere1\:. )

34 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

right to assume-related to it, some kind of vehicle,
\vhich can be no other than a sledge. 'fhat this is its
tru e nature has already been
suggested by Sir A.rthur
Evans, l and a careful ex-
an1ination \vill, I think, leave
but little roon1 for doubt 011
this point. The al1in1al IS
not a dog, but sonle kind of
deer, and on cOll1paring it
\vith actual galloping reindeer
as represented by I(ennan, 2
the resemblance is found to
be so close that it is difficult
to detect any difference; the
sketches might aln10st lJe
superposed Euclid fashion.
Bu t in this same clra \ving of
I(ennan's the reindeer are
shown dra\ving a sledge, which
3 4 5 in its esson tial characters
FIG. :2I3.-Various .l\Iagùalenian agrees \vith the supposed
relics. I, 2, a stone pendant
on one Ride (I) a reindeer (?) sledge of our illustration;
galloping, on the other (2) a h I . 1 . 1 .
sledge (?), from Saint :Marcel, t e two ongltuc Ina pIeCeS
lndre (after Reinach, x!); (F 213 2) d
3,4, a bone scored with tally(?) ig. " rising up\var s
markings, from La Grotte du as they extend forwards, cor-
Pape, Bra.ssempouy (after
Piette, x
); 5, a churinga respond \vith the runners,
or bull-roarer, in ivory, from <1 nd the transverse curved
f;aint
rarcel, lnclre (after a
Breuil, x i). bars \vith bent \vooden rods
arched up\vards, \vhich form the seat of the modern
sl edge.

1

!I

=

;

2

1 Cited by Breuil, L'Anthr. 1!.>02, XIII. p. 152.
2 George Kennan, 'rnd-life ,in Si
)eri(f,.,. New Y <;H'k and LOlld(:
l,
9
U,
plate entitled "Á\ race of wanderIng h..orak rellHleer teams, facll1g
p. 212.

XI

I\tIAGDALENIAN MAN

347

During a recent visit to the l\IuSeUI11 at Bergen,
N or,vay, I observed a rude sledge fronl I(ing 'Villiam
Land which nlight almost have served for the
illustration (Fig.
13, 2) presluned to represent a

Iagdalenian sledgp.. I t was made of unhe,vn drift
,vood and looked like a large clumsy laddcr. Piette has
figured sonle other ßlngdalenian ladder-like forn1s and
interpreted thenl as signs used in prinlitive ,vriting;
they nlay very well have been intended for sledges.
'fhere are differences in detail in the representations
of the two sledges, l\[agdalenian and nlodern, but not
n10re than can he accounted for by differences in artistic
rendering. 'Ve may therefore conclude ,vith good reason
that the ..\Iagdalenians had already invented the sledge,
and learnt to harness the reindeer.
The hollo,v bone scored ,vith transverse Inarkings
(Fig. 213, 3, 4) appears to be a kind of tally and recalls
son}e of the
tustralian lnessage sticks. The nlarks on
the left of Fig.
13, 3, look as if they were intended to
indicate tens, and on counting the lines on the right
hand side these ,vill be found to an10unt to forty in an,
or four tens corresponding with the four divisions on
the left; at the same time it n1ust be adnlÏtted that
the correspondence is not exact in detail, nine, ten, or
eleven sn1a11er lines occupying the spa,ces of the larger
divisions,
The last figure (b-'ig. 213, 5) has been interpreted as
a hull-roarer/ an instrulllcnt of 111agic 2 (p. 198), still
,vidcly dissen1Ïnatcd al110ng primitive raccs, including
the Australians, Bushmen, and the EskÜno.
l'hc cngra vings and caryedfigures illustrate in a relllark-
a1)le 111allllCr the natural history of the l\Iag.1aleniall
1
\, B. (;ook, " Les galetR pC'intR du l\Ias d' .Azil,H L' A nthr. l!)O;
, XI\T.
p. üù3.

Å. C. Haddon, The Stud!} of JlaH, London, 18
8, p. 277.

3+8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

age; and their cvidence is ill cOlllplete harnlony \vith
that derived fro III a study of the associated bones.
l'he fauna includes among others the following: Reindeer,
stag (Ce}'vus elaphus), the great Irish deer (Ce1'vus
rnegCtce1'os), bison, horse, ass, musk-ox (no,v confined to
Arctic North America), Saiga antelope (no\v confined to
the steppes of Russia), glutton (no\v distributed over
lands bordering the Arctic Ocean), Arctic hare (Alpine
and Arctic rcgions); piping hare (Lago1nys pusillus, an
inhaLitant of the .L
siatic steppcs), lenlming (restricted
to the northern parts of Europe. It is a eolder fauna than
that uf the .L\urignaciall or Solutrian; the horse has
dinlinished in numbers; the reindeer increased, so much
so indeed that this concluding phase of the Upper
Palæolithic ,veIl deserves the name of the "reindeer
il,ge." The species of the tundra ,vhich disappeared, or
alnlost disappeared, during the steppe clinlate of the
Aurignacian and Solutrian have returncd. Europe is
again subjected to the rigours of a sub-Arctic clilnate.
This recurrence of cold conditions corresponds proLalJly
to one of the nlinor glacial episodes ,vhich interrupted
the recession of the ice in the post-Glacial period.
.A.t an early pcriod in the study of Palæolithic renlaillS
observers \yere led by the presenee of the cold-loving
species of the tundra to look to the Arctic regions for the
surviving representativcs of reindeer men. Pruner Bey
,vas ono of the first to identify the l\Iagdalenians ,vith
the
Iongolians, though on S0111c\vhnt insufficient ground
.
lIe ,vas follo\\-ed Ly IIanlY/ ,yho asscrted that it is
solöly an10ng ..,l.rctic peovle, Lapps, Eskin1os, an<l
Chukchis, that ,ye find thc same customs, "
eapons, and
ÍInplcnlel1ts as thosc of the l\lagdalcnian agc. rrhCBC
raccs, he rClnal'ks, continue dO\Yll to our O\Yl1 days, ill
1 E. T. lIamy, PrÙ;.., d" PaléuJlfúlo!Jie Jl/t'nwine, Paris, 1870, p. 3()G.

XI

MAGDALEN IAN MAN

3+9

the circull1polar regions, the age of the reindeer as it
existetl in I?rance, Belgiunl, and S\yitzerlalld.
A sinlilar view \vas suLse(}uently expressecl by
Dupont,1 \vho pointed to
E::lkin10 as the one rare
\yhich ll1akes so cloHe an approach to the l\Iagc1aleniall
in the character of its art, ilnpll'nlcnts, ana nlode of life,
that we lTIay fairly say the age of the reindeer still con-
tinues in the Arctic regions. ...\ little later the Ban1e
opinion found an ardent supporter in Prof. Boyd
Da\vkins, 2 ,yho suggested that the )Iagdalenian had
fo11o\yed the reindeer as these had foIIo\yed the nlelting
ice sheets in their retreat to the north. This is a COll-
elusion, however, ,vhich has been strongly contested,
especially of late years. Laloy renlarks : "Cette théorie
est ahsolulllent cOlltrédite par les faits" 3; Steensby,
the latest \\Titer on the origin of the Eskinlo, disnlisses
it W
fantastic and Ï1npossible. 4 ::\1. Joseph Déchelette 5
in his valuable Inallual disnIisses it in a fe\v \vords:
"C'est en yain qu'un a lloté certains traits d'analogie de
l'art et de l'industrie . . . te11es analogies s' expliquent
aisément par In, parité des cOIHlitiolls tle la vie
nUl,térieJ Ie."
For nlY o\vn part, I hardly think the facts can be so
siu1plyexplained. To take but a single instance. 'Y.e haY

already Reell ho\v three races renlotc fronl one another
in space (North .L\lueriean Indians, Du
hnIcn, an(l
Australians) all possess the saIne curious custOlll of
lllutilating the fingers. It is scarcely likely that so
1 1\1. E. Dupont, L'][u1}t1IU' pnulant le,') ((yes de In picrre, Brussels, 1872,
p. 21l.
2 \V. Boyd Dawkins, Clue I l" nl i ny, London, 1874, p.
f):1 d ."('(1.
3 Laloy, U_tllthl'. UmR, 'Tul. IX., p. 5
ü. This author is mistaken in
sserting that in Grcenlawl decuratiun is confined to lines ana points.
-1 H. P. Stecnshy, Om l'.;,,,l'imol,'1tlt1(J'(,H,
()/JI'indrls(', Copenhagen, 1HO;),
1'p. 1-219. This wCll'k contains a very full hihliogra.phy.
!í .J. Dl"dll'lette, l\[wmel d' 1/'I'héuloy;" PI'chi,,,turi'll(l', I'll'. Paris, 1HOH,
p. :n2.

35 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. XI

strange a proceeding ,yas evolved in i
esponse to the
environnlent. The nlotives aHeged are various, but
probably the idea of sacrifice is the nlost fundanlental

It would be not a little relnarkable, ho,yever, if this idea
found independent expression in the sanle extraordinary
fashion in three several instances. I cannot help
thinking that it is far more likely ,ve have here a case
of borro\ving froln a comnlon source; and we have seen
that the custon1 once prevailed in Southern France,
\vhere, as \ye allege, the ancestors or ancestral relatives
of these races \\Tere at one time to be found. The vie\v
\vhich 1\1. Déchelette sustains entirely ignores the
evidence derived fronl skeletal renlains. In face of
such conflicting judgenlents it becon1es necessary to
exan1ine this question in 801ne detail. If \ve can find
an existing race \vhich 111ay fairly be regarded as the
lineal descendants of the l\Iagdalenians, we shaH have
connected two dissevered ends in hlllnan history, thus
linking together by a single explanation the fate of one
race and the origin of another; but the very conscious-
ness of our desire for continuity n1ust \varn us against
too facile an acceptance of testinlony.

QII.ttPTER XII

THE ESK.I:MO

As a useful prelinlinary to our inquiry we Inay begin
\vith a brief sketch of the habits and mode of life of the
inhabitants of the North Anlerican tundra. The belt of
barren land "\vhich is known as the tundra borders the
Arctic Ocean both in the Old 'Vorld and the New: it
supports a scanty vegetation of 11losses and lichens,
together "\vith a fe\v trees, such as the Arctic willo\v,
d\varf birch, and t\VO species of conifers, "\vhich are
chiefly found in the neighLourhood of lakes and water-
courses. To\vards the interior the tundra is succeeded
by a forest ZOlle characterised by pines and other conifers,
hut including patches of \villow, poplar, and birch.
Beyond the forest follo"vs the great prairie or steppe.
rfhe nlen who inhabit these regions are the Red Indians 1
and the Ef;kinlo, 2 both alike 11lembers of the - Leiotrichi,

1 A pedantic ohjection has been raised to the use of this name on the
ground that it is applied to a ppople "\"ho are neither Indians, nor red :
" red," however, is a term with a very wide 11leaning, and there is a good
historic reason for " Indian" ; the nomenclature is consecrated by usage,
and cannot lead to any serious misconception.

As in the case of many a Scottish clan, the Eskimo owe their name to
their enemies, in their case, the adjacent Indians: it means "eaters
of l'aw Besh," though as a matter of fact the Eskimo generaHy cook
their food, unleRs prevented by necessity. Their own nallle for them-
selves is llllluit-i.e. men.

351

35 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. XII

the great group of straight-haired n1en. The Eskinlo
occupy the l
rctic coast fron1 Grecnland to .AJaska., and
even beyond, extending into the Aleutian Islands and
the extrcllle north-east of .1sia, as far as lColyuchin Bay 1
(Fig. 214). 1
hey number, all told, according to lCurl
IIasserfs estimate ll1nde in 1891, about 40,000 indi-
viduals. The Chukehi and JCalllchadals, charactcl'iscd
by sill1ilar habits and 1110de of life, hut belonging to

FI(
, 214.-Distribution, past and present, of the Eskimo. J.>a,st distribution
shown by dots, present by blal'k wash. (After t;tcensby.)

[l different race, are fonnd in ICan1tchatka and the
north-cast extrelllity of Siberia.
"Therever they occur the Eskinlo are distinguishrd hy
a re111arkable uniforlllity in bodily characters, hahi
s,

1nplen1ents, language, and Blode of life. Yet they haxe
no national unity, and c01l1plctely realise the anarchic
ideal of gOYern1l1ent; they are ,vithout chiefs, and eyen
the "a"ngakok" or 111edicillC- Ulan possesscs far less
authority or influence than his nearest honlologuc, the

] ,,
. ][. DaB, JflHr1Z. R. Oro!!r. Sot. Yol. III. p. 3()8, 1881.

'"
-.

\

, .. . ' \ J.
. i \

i..
:I'
"
f .'

, . .. f

4

-
...":- t.

.-" --

......

\
\

..

ì

. ,

1\
I

."

Fw 21,).-Portraits of l'ohu' Eskimo. L A Ulàll l1amc(1 Unllol'iark, ahout
:
.) years of age, dressed ill tunic, trousers, amI hoots, but without gloves;
2. _-\ man named
Ia!-1aitsiak, about !),j years old, a great" angakok." 3. A
WOlllan, Kiajllk, about !)O years ollÌ, full faee. -1. The same ill profile.
The Polar E
kimo inhabit North- \\T e
t (h'eenh"IHl; tl1(.'Y are the most
northern people 011 the glohe. (After Stccllshy.)
8[)3

.-\ A

354

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

Asiatic shanlan. l'he only differentiation of lahour is
that between nlen's ,york and wOlnen's ,york.
Sonle fifty dialects have been distinguished in their
language, but the nlost unlike of these, i.e. the dialect
spoken on the east coast of Greenland and that on the
Asiatic side of Bering Strait, do not differ nlore than,
say, English and Gernlan. 'rhalbitzer,l the latest \yriter
on the subject, rClllarks that the Eskimo language, so far
as it is kno\vn, stands apart from all others. No one
has yet succeeded in discovering any language, either in
Asia or alllong the Alnerican Indians, ,y hich nligh t
possibly have been originally related to it.
Their physical characters bear the sanle testÏ111ony,
and stalnp them as a race apart; their resen1blance to
the l\Iongolians, though nlarked in n1any reslJects,
is no greater than lnight be expected to exist be-
tween t,vo races which are l)oth included within the
Leiotrichi.
The Eskitno (Fig. 215) are of short stature, the n1ean
height of the Greenlanders being 1621 mm. Their hair
is absolutely black, coarse, and straight like a horse's
nlane. Their skin is reddish-Lro,yn in colour; snlooth
and full to the touch, like a negro's. 'rheir eyes are
dark bro"Tn; the orbit is ,vide and high. The face is
long and orthogllathous; the nose both long aü<1 narro,,":
it is indeed the nlost leptorhine as yet observed. The
head is long, high, and ,vall-sided, ,vith a pent-roof-like
sumnlit. The cranial capacity is great; accordillg to
Duckvlorth, 1550 c.c., thus surpassing SOlne of the most
ci vilised peolJles of Europe. 2
1 'v. Thalbitzer, A Phonetic Shuly of the .Esl,"hno Lnnguage, l\ieddelelsCl
om Grpnland, Hcfte 31, Copenhagen, 1904.
2 BrIerly, however, from an examinatIOn of seventeen skulls found in
Greenland, obtained an average of only 1
57 c.c. J. DÙerly, JUllrn.

XII

THE ESKIMO

355

The I nc1ians, \\
ho succeed the Eskin10 to\yards the
interior, occupy a broad belt of ,vood anù tundra
stretching right across the con tinen t; they are di viåed
into t\VO great. races-the l\Jgonkian on the east and the
Athapascall on the w.cst. In nlode of life there is a
considcraLle an10unt of resen1blance het,veen the Eskinlo
and these northern r ndialls ; and 80Hle of the Algon kians
pOSSC3S very sinlilar hodily characters, except as -regards
stature, the Algonkians being a tall people. They are
also less (lolichocephali
, though to\vard
the east
they make a clo
e approach to the Eskilno in this
respect. 1
'fhe other auin1als \yhich inhabit the tundra and thc
pine "roods arc the fox, ,volf, Lear, and Inarten;
s(luirrels, hare, beaver, and beaver-rat; the n1usk
ox (Fig. 69), \y hich is restricted to the tundra, and
never entcrs the ,vooels (Fig. 21 G); the 1110untain
sheep, \vhich is found in the Rocky :l\Iountains the elk
or 111008e and the reindeer. There are also ahundant

A nthJ'. In.,,t. l!)OH, V 01. XXXVI. p. 120. For an account of the hrain
see Chudzinski, ""rrois encéphales des ES(lUimaux," Bull. Sue. d' Â nth';".,
Pfu.'is, 1881, sere 2, Vel. IV. p. :-H2, and A. Hrdlicka, "An Eskimo
Brain,"
lm, .J nth';". lnnl, p. 434.
1 r:ehe taxonomic position of the American races may be indicated by
the following attempt at clas
ification. The Leiotrichi include two
groups, one chal'acterised by finer and the other hy coarF;er hair (Deniker,

'Essai d'une Classification des Races IIumaines," J:"ll. Soc. d'AHthr.
1RHn). \\
e will distinguish them aR the Leptocomæ and the PachycolllH-'.
The Pachycolllæ may he Rubdivided into the l\IolJgoloids, with a slUall
and depressed nose, and the .Americans, with a large and salient nose.
The \lllerican
then fall into the following- groups:
Dolichocephalic; long face; short stature. . EHkimo
l\lesaticocephalic ;" " Fuegian, Botocado
Brachycephalic; nose a(!uilille ; tall or medium
height . . Redskins (the Eastern
A 19ou kians are doli-
choceJ Ihalic)
. Patagonian
. South _ \ lIle1'ican Indians.
A A

Brachycephalic; nor-;e straight f tall .
01' upturHcd 1. :-;hort

35 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP

1.11131.
S ".

:/0

Q

..0
rn

Q)
Q)

w
s..
Q)
......,
<+-0
<
T
\!3
....-4
\.L. 01
0 ë

z

I

<::)
'?

,yater-fo,vl, and the "
atcrs s,varn1 \vith fish, especially'
sahn0n, sturgeon, pike, and the \vhite fish (CUJ'(
gonu,

ctllnu;). The last-nanled., nluch esteelIlcd for its fine

XII

THE ESKIMO

357

flavour, contributes largely to the sustenance of the
Indians during the ,,'"inter; it is the chief food of the
Ojib\vays (.Algonkian), ,vho call it the" reindeer of the
,vater. "
The passage of the sun across the equator sets a great
part of this anÏ1ual \vorld in 1110tiull. The reindeer, on
which the very existence of Juan depends in' these
inhospitable regions of the north, leaves the forest lJelt
at about the end of )fay and travels north\vard over
the tundra in search of fresh vegetation. It nlarches in
herds nunlbering many thousands of individuals, reaches
the nlargin of the Arctic Ocean just before the winter
ice breaks up, and finds a passage over this to the
islands lying off the coast, ,vhich furnish its Inost
northerly feeding-grounds. There, isolated froln the
continent after the disapp3arance of the ice by the open
sea, it enjoys the short Arctic 8unln1er, and fares ,veIl,
growing sleek all<1 fat, till on the approach of \vinter it
turns south again, crosses the sea as soon as the surface
is covered \vith fresh ice, and regain
its hon1e in the
\vooels. In these annual oscillatory lllÍgratiuns it is
exposed to continual danger: ,volves are never very
far off; frolll the ,vooels through the t.unelra the Indian
fol1o\vs the herds as far as the linlÌts set by the Eskimo
occupation, or if farther at his o\vn peril; beyond this
Iin1Ït the hunt is contillued by the Eskinlo hin1self.
rrhere is no close tinle for the reindeer, but it is luore
particularly during the return journey, ,vhell the anilual
is in good condition, aud acco1l1panied by its lle\vly-
foaled young, that its flesh i
suught. III the ca
e of the
reindeer both Eski1110 and r llllian pursue the SatHe
lncthods of capture: it is \vaylaiel at spot::> ,vhere its
trail crosses a river, or it is driven by noi
e anel alarn1s
in the dircctioll of cOllvergent stone fences,. \\Thich

\

35 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

extend for great distallces, and lead to a lake or \",ater-
course, \vhere the hunter \vaits concealed in hiR birch-
bark canoe or his kayak, ready to dispatch victilll after
victÏ1n \vith his spear. By this latter llletbod, \",hen the
plot is \vell arranged and the herd llOt too large, not a
single anilllal \vill escape. rrhe reindeer flesh is the
favourite nleat of Indian and EskilllO alike: every part
of the aninlal is eaten, even the contents of the stolllach ;
the blood iB boiled, and lllakes a rich bro\vn soup,
greatly esteellled as a dainty; sonletirnes the half-
digested vegetal)le food fronl the stonlach is nlixed ,vith
the lJluod before boiling-a \yelCOllle addition in a
region \vhere plants edible by luan are scarce or
altogether absent. The 11larrO\V is extracted fronl the
bones, \vhich are then pounded sl11a11 and the fat hoiled
out.
The autumn hunting affords a rich store of reindeer
Ineat, \vhich is dried and set aside as provision for the
,vinter. l"he lllode of curing, at least alnong the
Indians, is as fo11o\\'"s: The flesh is first cut in thin
slices and dried in the sun, or over the snloke of a slo\v
fire. It is then pounded het\veen stones, :)1lC1 finally a
quantity of lllelted fat-about oue-third of its bulk-is
pourerl over it. The result is the well-kno\vn peulnlican.
If carefully proteeted fronl damp it \vill keep good for
several years. l"he horns of the anill1al arc used to
ll1uke fishing-s}!eal's and fish - hooks, ice-chisels, and
other inlplelnents. l"he skin is carefully dressed, cut
into shape, and 11lade up into "vinter elothillg. A shin-
bone, split longitudinally, is used as a scraper to relllove
superfluous hair and fat. The undressed hide furuisl}cs
a substitute for rope. It is cut into long strips of
various thicknesses and t\visted into thongs for deer-
snares, bo\v-strings, net-lines, fishing-nets, and snow-

XI[

THE ESKIMO

359

shoes. rrhe tendon of the dorsal muscle is
p]it up into
fine threads for sc\ving. During the abscnce of the
reindeer-i.e. for about eight or nine months of the
year-the Indians of the tundra live chiefly on \vhite
fi
h, \vhich is caught by hook or net: in \vinter, "Then
all the lakes and \vater\yays are thickly frozen over, the
nets or hooks are introduced through holes broken in
the ice.
The Eskiulo hunter, \vhile possessing nluch in conlnl011
\vith the Indian, is distinguished l,y greater aptitude
and by special Inethods of his own. lIe represents the
triull1ph of human adaptation to the changing con-
ditions of a rigorous clinlate; by the variety and in-
genuity of his implenlents, \veapons, and devices he has
brought the art of hunting to its- very highest state of
differentiation, and in the exercise of this art he stands
suprenlc anlong all the hunting races of the \vorld.
In sunlnler (July to Septelllbcr), when the sea is open,
he lives along the coast, dwelling in tents Inade of
rcintlcer skin or BearS skin, and hunts the seal \vith
harpoon and bladder from his kayak, llsing a spear-
thro\ver to hurl the harpoon. In sonle localities, as at
Point 13arrow, he also goes a-\vhaling at this seåson.
rrhc \vhales migrate to\vards the north at the beginning
of SUlllnleI', and return about the end of August, llloving
soutll\vards to the l\lackenzie: on the return journey
they are attacked fronl unliaks (large skin-coycred
boats), contaiuing as nlany as t\velve 111en, all arnled
\vith harpoons. "Then a ,vhale appears, as nlany har-
poons as possible are cast into it, and endctLyours arc
luac1e to drive it to,vards the shallo,v water off the
shore.
rhc ,vhalc is valued not unly for itH flesh and
blul,ber, but for a variety of useful purposc
: thrcalls of
" I I 1 " d r k . ..
\v Ut C )011e are use lor 111a
lng nets, Its Ja\v
berve

3 60

ANCIENT HUNT:EI
S

CHAP.

as runners for sledges, and ,vhen ,yood is scarce its ribs
are used for r rafters or tent-poles. Fishing is also
carried on in the inland \yaters, chiefly by children,
,vornen, and old n1en : the fish a"re taken by hooks, nets,
and barbed spears or harpooÍls. In dangerous places,
such as rapids or "\vhirlpools, the sport requires great
skill and nerve, . and is undertaken by able-bodied
hunters. f
ird
are shot with a fowling spear, or
captured by a kind of n1iniature bolas: their eggs are
collected by the children.
In autumn (August and Septelllber), w"hen the rein-
deer are on the home"\vard road, the best h un ting of the
year begins, and a heavy; tax is levied on these anin1als,
to provide not only fqr present eating, but - also a
sufficient store for the ,vÍnter seàson.' Salrnoli fishing is
also actively pÙl
suèd, all.d large 'quantities of these fish
are preserved for future use: .
At the beginning of ,vinter (October), the Eskin10 go
into their "Tinter house, a solidly constructed dwelling
capable of -cóntaining several falnilies. It is SOllletimes
built of stones, sOffi.etimes of tin) bel", and in each case
thickly covered OVer with a layer of earth. The wooden
house is ingeniously designed, ,vith a skeleton of upright
})illars and r transyerse halks, to '
rhich the boards
forlning the walls and roof are affixed. The tin1ber is
furnish
c1 by drift\yood found on the coast: in son)o
localities this c1rift,vood IS so scarce that it may take
three or" even five years to collect as Inuch as \vill build
a single hou::;e or provide the frarnéwork of a boat. T t
is said that these ,vinter houses are the hest, that could
be devised, under the circunl stances, to meet the rigours
of an Arctic climate. They arc entered by a long
covered passage, and warnled by blubber lanlps: these
(Fig. 217) are sinlplc variolu;;]y 'shaped bò,vls of soap-

XI[

THE ESKIMO

3 61

stone, sandstone, or other rock, in \vhich bluhber, usually
obtained frolll the seal, is burnt. The houses are so
proof against cold that, \vith these lanlps, a tell1perature
of 20 0 C. is u1aintained. Speaking of the Greenland
houses, which are built of stone, Hans Egede remarks:
" I cannot forbear taking Notice, that though in one of
these I louses there be ten or t\Vellty Train-Laulps,
one docs not perceive the Stealn or Snloak thereof to fill
these slnall Cottages: The Reason, I inlagine, is the
Care they take in trimnling those LalnpS-yiz. they
take dry l\Ios
, rubbed very snlall, \vhich they lay on
one Side of the LaInp, ,vhich, heing lighted, burns softly,

FIG.
17. -Eskimo lamp. a, Flame from the moss; b, melted bluhber;
c, lumps of blubber; ,z, e, dish to catdl drippings from the fat. (After
Steensby. )

and does not cause any Sllloak, if they du not lay it un
too thick, or in LU111pS. This Fire gives such a lleat,
that it not only serves to boil their 'Tictuals, but also
heats thcir Rooms to that Degree, that it is as hot as a
Bagnio. But for those \vho are not used to this 'Vay of
firing, the Sn1c11 is very disagreeable, as ,yen by the
N lllllhcr of Durning Lî11nps, all fed ,vith 'frain-Oil, as on
account of divers Sorts of ra\v
leat,
--'i
hes and Fat,
\vhich they heap up in their IIahitations : but especially
their Urine-l'ubs sn1ell 1110st insufferably, and strike

0118, that is not ö'ccustonlcd to it, to the very l-leart." 1
On entering into \vintel' (luttrtel's the EskÎ1no begins
to rc\yard hiulself for the labours uf the year: reindeer

1 Ha.ns Egcdc, .A d(l.'wriplion of arel'1llwtd, London, 1745, p. 117.

3 62

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

meat, seal's blubber, and dried salnlon furnish forth a
long succession of Gargantuan feasts, which continue as
long as the provisions last. "Then they give out-and
in good tilnes this \vill not be till the darkest days are
past-hunting n1ust perforce begin again. By this tinle
the ground has long been frozen hard; rivers, lakes, and
the sea are covered ,vith a continuous sheet of slnuuth
,yinter ice. IIares nlay no\v be trapped; the 111usk-ox,
\vhich Hever leaves the tundra, is an easy prey, but
never catcn, cxcept as a last resort; the

rctic bear Inay
be engaged in fight, and this calls for all the skill and
courage shared by the t\;VO men \vho undertake the
conlbat. But the nlain food of many Eskinlo tribes,
both no,v and all through the greater part of the year,
is provided by the seal. rrhere are four kiuds of seal in
the Arctic Ocean, and t\VO of thCll1 extend north\vards
bcyonLl the Arctic Circle, as far as Grinnell Land. One
or other species i8 fairly plentiful up to lat. GOo N.; its
favourite haunts are deep fjords, covered for nine
nlonths of the year with snlouth ice. It nlakes holes in
the icc in order to obtain air to breathe, and in SUllllller
it cra\vls up through larger holes on to the ice to hask
in the sun. In spring it feeds its young in a hole under
the snow, and ,vhen the sno,,,, has IncIted a\vay it
returns to the ice. The walrus, which affords a fa vourite
food, is far less \videly distributed. It is 1l10St dainty
in its choice of a dwelling-place; the sea nlust not Le too
deep, the bottOll1 must he covered ,vith abundant s}}ell-
fish, and certain relations Blust exist bet\veen the sea-
currents and the ice.
In late \vil1ter and spring, the Eskinlo, for the nlost
part, leave the lalHl and spread in small groups over the
ice, travelling lJY dog-sledges along the eoast, and
never ren1aining very long in one place.
rhey live at

XII

THE ESKIMO

3 6 3

this tÏ1lle in sno\v houses, \yarnled hy bluhber lanlps,
and hunt seals, chiefly by the" Inaupak " Inethotl-that
is, the hunter sits dO'VIl by the side of all -air-hole and
\vaits till a seal COlnes up to breathe, \\Then he dispatches
it \vith a harpoon: as the year ad vances, the "a.rpok"
lllethod is also used, the scal in this casc bei ng killed as
it lict; hasking at Iniclc1ay in the sun.
The dress of the EskÍlno, \vhich is llluch the same for
the \VOnlell as the lllCll, COllBists of short trousers and a
tunic ending ahoyc in a hood to cover the head (Fig. 215).
'rhe trousers are s0111etiInes continuell do\vn\vards into
stocking feet. (Jf boots, \vhich arc ,veIl nlade, they
ha ve a great variety, to be ,yorn according to the
\veather. Shoes "\vith very ingeniously eontrivell solcs
are lllade for "Talking un the ice. Fur gloves or 111ittens
are also ,vorn. ..A.11 overall for use in ,yet \"eather is
lunde frOll1 the intestines of the seal. The intestine is
thoroughly eleaned, inflated with air, and hung up to
dry. It is then carefully fla.ttened and roHed up tight,
like a spool of ribbon. ,rhcn required for use it is slit
up longitudinally, andlllakes a strip about three to five
inches \\'ide. The 111argin is pared, and several Etrips
are se\v)} together into the desired forin. rrhese overalls
are extrenlely light, not above six or sevcn ounces in
,,"eight. 'fhe transpareney of thc seal's gut ren(ler;:; it
useful for other purposcs: it n1akes an excellent sub-
stitute for glasð as a ,,,,illdo\v-pane.
'rhc Eskiul0 ,veal' their dress only ",hen out of dool'H;
ill thl\ir honses they go stark naked, and the first
hospitality offered to a yisitor is an invitation to
strip.
N ot\vithstallding the hardships of the struggle \yhich
the Eskinlo \vage ,vj tll reluctant Nature for their cxi;-;t-
ence, they "'cre at one ti111C l)y no InCiHl:-:; a Ini
er(1)le

3 6 4

ANCIENT HUN1'ERS

CHAP.

race; thei n1ade then1selves cOlnfortaLlc in a frozen
region \vhere other men \yould have perished, took a
healthy enjõyment in life, and were distinguished by
11lany estimable domestic and social qualities. The
intrusion of the white man has brought ,vith it its usual
evil blight-poverty, sickness, selfishness, and loss of
self-respect. It ,vould be beyond our province to give
instances, but one case \vhere a different result 11light
have been expected 11la y be ci t cd fronl Rink. He
\vri tes :-
"011 approaching these places [Ny Herruhut and
Lichtenfels] the visitor, 011 being told that each of thenl
contains about a hundred natives and t\VO or three
n1Ïssionary families, will be at a loss to Inake out ,vhere
the former have their abodes. rrhe mission lodges are
pretty spacious, and for Greenland even sta tel y in
appearance. The stranger \vill probably be surprised on
being infornled that these buildings are only inhabited
by missionaries, because he discovers nothing like human
d\vellings anywhere else. Then his attention will be
called to sOlnething resemùling dunghills scattered over
lo\v rocks and partly overgro\vn \vith grass, and he \vill
be surprised to learn that the native population live in
these dens." 1 At one time these people had good
\vin tel" houses.
The nunlher of Eskimo is din1inishing, especially in
Greenland, and if the raee should hecon1e extinct, the
country \vill renutÎn uninhabited, for \vhite nlen a.lone
could not live there.
Detailed descriptions of the implemûllts
\veapons, and
miscellaneous possessions of the Eskin10 may be found
in the ..:lnnual Reports of the Bureau of Etbnology,
puhlished in "T ashillgton: a brief enu111cl'atioll will
1 H. Rink, Danish Greenland, London, 1877, p. 181.

XI[

THE ESKIMO

3 6 5

Huffice for our purpose. 'rho kayak, lll11iak,
aln1011-
fork, l)ird spear,
pear-thro,ver, bow (Fig. 218) and
arro,v, bird bolas, and skin ten t
are chieß y used in Sluniller;
clog sledges, harpoons (Fig. 219),
spears, winter houses, and bluLber
lalnps during the \villter; besides
these there are Lo,v drills, arrow
straighteners, needles and ncedle-
cases (Fig. 220), bone pins, tool-bags
,yith bono handles, buckles, hel t

FIG.
l
.-The Eskimo
bow. (After Ratzcl.)

I,

'
:';d
, '
!

,,
..

.

Ii,.
I, ..

rtT' ..,I

'- '
.t

:t.
. ", ;

[t ib
'
t

.j
J; .

1

"4 ;. 'i. _
'" 1

"

: I

, tI .
.: \1,
r :'

Ii

.Il
,.
. 1
I 'f'

.1

., \) .
t

' ,
r ,.
i'.
.
flV
'

\

Fll
. 21f).-1. A snow scrapCl'. 2 and 3. Harpoon
hcad of ivory with a flint point. (AftCl' noa
.)

fastenpr
, snu\v. picks, hair cOlubs, and a vast yariety
of other n\iscellancons objects (Fig. 2
1).
'rhe adja
ent r ndians pOKsesB the birch-Lark canoe in

3 66

ANCIENT IIUNTEI{S

CHAP.

two fOr111S, a larg(>r corresponding to the EskÏ1l1o's
umiak, and a snla1Jer
ol'responaing to the kayak, ,vhich
is son1etill1f1S covered in for as nlllch as three-<l uartcrs of
its length; S110\V shoes, sledges for traveHing over sno\v,
dra\vn hy 'YOrnell assisted by dogs, the Lo\v and arro\v,
spear- thro\ver, ice-chisel,
fish - hooks, nets, and fish-
ing-spears: to. ensure
their recovery the arro\vs
are son1etinlP-S attached

/
l'

r'---
"r!.. "
T'I ,; "'j
, . ' ,,:7,
"1 \ 111
I. '
. -'1 01 \; III'II!I: , . : .
'

I\\ 'II'
1 ",: ;
. "1\ \
.; II "..'
", \'\),..11 1 . ':
'.1,\\11\' ,'
' '
'i:.;
:.

;
;:.;/.

'J

;'.-;

0"_) .';..
.-.'.
; "...

. .
" 1 ::';',',
". "I

-.... .
.t.
. . . .

o

b

Fro. 22U. - "Tomlen needle-cases, 1 Hatfi n
Lawl Eskimo. To one of them a
pair of thimhles is linked over an
ivory bar. (After Boas.)

.-.-

.' .:.:" !
:..
:.: ...

FIG. :!:!l.-An ornamcnt for the
hair with pClHIants of rcin-
deers' tceth. Baffin Land
Eskimo. (After Boas.)

by a long threa<1 to the ho\v, and a line held at
one cnd in thc 11an<1 is S0l11etÏ1nes attached to thc
fishing-spcar. In son1C cases, indeed, ns a1110ng the
Ojib\vays and Shoshones, a l'lH1Üllelltarj: harpoon

1 In King 'Villiam Land the ERkimo UHe a hollow lung bone as a
needle-caRe; a Rimilar neeùle-case still containing its ncedlcs has heen
found in a l\Iagdalcnian dcposit.

XI[

TIlE ESKIMO

3 6 7

(Fig.
2
) \vas at one titne in use, p1'oyitled \vith a point
,vhieh becallle detached from its innnediate union
\vith the shaft 011 entering its yictitll, a connexion
ho,yever being still secured hy a long intervening
line. The EskÜno harpoon (Fig. 219) is a furth0r
develoPlllent of the saIne device: it is (listingllished
frun1 all others hy the introduction of an additional
n10valJle segn1ent het\veel1 the detachable point and the
shaft (not sho\yn in the illustra tiou). 'rhe ill terlllcdia te
piece is articu]ated \yith the shaft
by a ball-and-socket joint, and held
in position by two stout thongs
of reindeer hide \vhich pass through
holes drilled in it and the shaft.
If now ,ye turn to the 1\1 agda-
lenian Ünplements, ,ye nlust adnât
that a large nun1ber of those most
characteristic of the Eskimo are not
to lJe found an10ng theIne The
sledge, the kayak, and the full y
developed harpoon are all missing,
and since in each of these bone or
ivory occurs as an essential part,
they should have left S0111e trace of
FIn. 22':!.-A rudiment-
their existence, had the l\Iagdalenians ary harpoon used by
I )OSSessed thenl. 'rhiR ar.gulllent docs the ..1Iaskans. (After

Hel. Aq.)
not apply, ho\vever, to the birch-
hark cal10e ana ,vooden sledge of the inhabitants of
Eastern Siberia or of the Athapascans and Algon-
kians of North ....tnlerica, for, as ,ve have seCB, \vouel is a
l)crishaLle nHÜcl'ia1. rrhel'o is indced good reason, aR
,ve have a]ready sho\vn, for Bupposiug that the :ß[agt1a-
IClliauf; lnade use of a ,vooelen sledge (Fig. 213, 1, 2).
'rhe Hlcc1ge, the kayak, and the harpoon of the
EskiIno are all highly spccialisecl illstrUltlCnt:.;, and ,ve

3 68

ANCIENT HUNTEHS

CHAP.

should scarcely expect to find the remote anee::;tors of
the race in full possession of the eonlpletely developed
EskiIno culture as it no\v exists.
'Vhen \ve examine the various kinds of objects \vhich
are cOffinlon to the EskÍlno and
lagdalenians, ,ve can-
not fail to remark a surprising anlount of resemblance
bet\veen thell1 in detail. There is no essential difference
between the nlore prin1Ïtive Eskin10 arro\v-straighteners
and those of the l\Iagdalenians; the bone arrow-heatls
are often strikingly sÜnilar) and this sin1ilarity extends
to those used by the Indians, especially as regards the
character of the ownership lnarks;
the bone hairpins of the l\lagda-
lenians nlay be matched among those
of the Eskinlo, and the lobate ivory
pendants, sonletinles heart-shaped,
which both races possess, are alnlost
iclen tical in size and fornl. These
are used by the EskÏIno as orna-
mental a]?penllages to fur bags,
"house\vives," or clothing. Other
little pendants of unkno\vn use an10ng
the Eskimo (Fig. 202) resen1ble the
l\lagclalenian in eve.ry respect, and this is a very ÏIn-
portant fact. It is reselnblance in trivial detail
,yl1Ïch impresses us quite as nluch, if not lllore, than
rescnlblance in general design. rrhe sno\v scrapers
(Fig. 219), if \ve are correct in our interpretations of
the 1Iagdalenian implenleut sho\vn in Fig. 198, are
similar in both races.
The ivory ".lissoir)) or
lnoother of the EskÜno
(Fig. 223) is represented in the l\[agdalenian industry,
but it also occurs earlier in
\urignacian deposits.
Not lnuch stress can be laid on the hone needles, for

Fw. 22:3. - An ivory
smoother used by the
Eskimo of Point
F ran k 1 i n, \V cst
Georgia. (Pitt-Rivers
C n., Oxford. x!.)

XII

THE ESKIMO

3 6 9

these are of almost world-\vide distribution, but the
bone pins or taa- poo- tas seenl to be more characteristic.

rhe barbed bone spear-head of the l\Iagdalenian nlore
closely resembles that of the Eskimo than of any other
people; that in use among the Fuegians is simpler and
ruder in form; but it is by no n1eans certain that the
Fuegians should be omitted fronl this comparison.
The spear- thro"rer is conlnlon to the l\lagdalenians,
Eskinlo, Indians, and nlany other races, including the'
Australians, and thus does not count for luuch; nor
should \VO omit to point out that the form of the
l\Iagdalenian implemcnt is very different fron1 that of
the EskiIllO.
The sculpture of figures in the round presents nlany
remarkable analogies, the reindeer, luanlmoth, and musk-
ox of the 1Iagdalcuians finding parallels in the \vhales,
seals, and bears of t.he EskÌ1uo, though, on the ground
of art, superiority lllust be allo\vec1 to the nlore ancient
race. The saIne is true of the line-engravings, with
\vhieh both adorned their in1pleluents. The l\Iagdalenian
sketches arc always the 1110re realistic, the Eskinlo the
nlorc conventional. There is also a difference in nlotive.
rrhe I\Iagdalenian artist \vas an artist for pure love of
art-he took pleasure in the graceful form and attitudes
of the reindeer and delighted in representing it; thc
EskÏ1110, on the other hand, is more interested in story-
telling, his dra\vings sho\v a strong tendency to\vards
picturc \yriting, and alnlost achicye it (Fig. 224). The
difference will bc perceived at a glance on conlparing
the figure of. a feeding reindeer fronl the l{.esslerloch
(F"ig. 205), "rith the dra\vings engraved on an Eskinlo
arro\v-straightener prcserved in the Dritisll ßluseulll.
(Fig. 190, B). In the one our achniration is aroused by
the truthful outline and nrtistic feeling of the sketch;
B B

37 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

in the other our pleasure is less æsthetic, but perhaps
more intellectual: \ve are ÏIl1pressed by the skill \vith
which the aniInals are gelleralised-the detail js as
sparing as in Egyptian hieroglyphs and the sYlnbolisa-
tion is just as correct-hut our chief interest is in the
evei1t vvhich the drawing records. In the one case the
oLject of the drawing is a reindeer, in the other, a rein-
deer huut. The hunters, disguised \vith reindeer horns,
are stalking the unsuspecting herd. This difference is
essentially sin1ilar to that vvhich we have already
observed in the case of Solutrian and Bushn1an art,

.

A

.,.
} . "",1:. ø.

ß-

I

j Jr

FIG. 224.-Drawings on Eskimo bow-drills. On the left a man gathering
berries, in the middle two boys playing football, on the right hunters
quarrelling over possession of game.

though the Bushn1en have retained to a greater degree
a love of realistic representation.
'Ve should perhaps scarcely have expected this or<1er
of developll1ellt, though IlO\V that it is suggested good
reasons can be fuund for it.
Children often display a relnarkable aptitude for
rough portraiture; the illustration (Fig. 225) records thr
spontaneous efforts of an untaught English girl at the
age of seven or eight. They are ac1nIitted by their
victinIs to be excellent caricatures, but the artist sho\ved
no signs of unusual ability \vith her pencil in later
years. A stage of imitative art nlay thus occur in the
childhood both of the indiyidual and the race.
On a general revie\v of the facts it \vould appear that,
allo\ving for the long interval \vhich separates the
I\laadalenian fronl the EskÏ1no ill tÜne, there is a
b

XII

THE ESKIMO

37 1

sufficient degree of sin1ÌJarity het\vecn the products of
thcir industry and art to furnish a jyrÌ1na-j'acie case in
favour of an alliance by culture. 'rhe cvidence is indeed
very strong, though not perhaps hy itself cunvincing;
and if, proceeding a stcp further, ,ve begin to speculate
on the consangaiu ity of the t,vo races, \VO are nlct ,vith
geographical difficulties, not to nlcntiun others, ,vhich

-
.t' ,

t

, ... .
't r;:./"'"J:t., \
4' - '\ .
'r

J...Y"::-
lJ";h
:('

-
.. i"'" I J, I#'

r I
1

J

--

"" -

_ -'L

'\>J\

.l>t.'>
., )

In .

FIG. 2
j.-Photographs of portraits drawn hy an untaught girl
seven or eight years of age.

arc an1p1 y sufficicnt to justify those ,vho 111aintnin a
sceptical at ti tU<1 e.
There Htill renlains, ho\yever, one class of evidence to
,vhich as yet ,ye have nladc no allusion: it is that
relating to the bodily charlt(.tcristics of
lagl1al('nian
Ulan. Sueh of his skeletal rCl11ains as arc preserved in
our llluseunlS \yere, until recently, surprisingly fc\v;
l11ltny 11101'0, no doul)t., have Leen Cllcoulltel'ecl by
explorers of caycs, hut uufortunately lllLlUY of thesc
per:-;ons \yore llHn'c lntcnt on cnriching their collectiolls
\\Tith "curiosities" than on scielltifie investigation, HIH.l
we have to tlepl()l"e, in con
c(ll1(,ll('c, the IORs of
ß B 2

37 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

n1uch precious 111aterial, ,vhich has been ruthlessly
destroyed hecause it \va
not fitted to adorn a cabinet.
Of late years, however, the systelnatic excavation of the
caves at I\lentone under the generous patronage of the
Prince of l\10naco has put us in possession of several
,veIl-preserved skeletons, so that our kno\vledge of one
part of the l\Iagdalenian population of Europe has nO"\v
been placed on a secure basis.
rrhe material at our disposal indicates the contem-
poraneous existence of t\VO distinct races, one represented
by the giants of l\Ientone, the Crô I\Iagnon race; and
the other by a nlan of conlparatively lo\v stature, ,vhose
skeleton \vas found at Chancelade.
The Crô l\Iagnon race \vas recogniscd as l\iongoloid
by Pruner Bey,1 but it presents several very renlarkable
characters \v hich do not find any close analogy [tlllong
any existing people. Skeletons belonging to it were
first discovered in 1868, ill nlaking a cutting for a
rail \vay line from Lill10ges to Agen at Crô I\iagnon
(\vhen
e the nall1e), near Les Eyzies, in the valley of
the V ézère ; additional discoveries have since been made
from time to tin1e, the n10st recent being afforded by
the grottes de Grimaldi, which have yielded six
additional skeletons. 2 These were found under circun1-
stances \vhich sl]o\v that the Crô l\Iagnon people buried
their dead; some \vere interred over a hearth, others in
a grave, or in a rudimentary tomb, made by placing
stones on edge for the \valls, and roofing over ,vith
slabs. The corpse was buried, possihly dressed in the
clothes, and certainly adorned \vith the Ornall1ents,
,vhich had been \vorn during life; these iuclucle perfo-
rated shells of Nctssa neritea, perforated teeth of deer,

1 Pruner Bey in Lartet & Christy, Rel1'(/1li(l' AfJ.1I1.froâcæ, 18G8, p. 88.
2 Y. erncal1, Les (}I'otfes de Grillwldl, 1HOü.

XII

THE ESKIMO

373

vertebræ of fish such as salmon, and carved pendants,
representing together the remains of a necklace or
collar. l'he perforated shells are sometimes found 011
the skull, and seenl to have been se\vn on to a cap.
Flint Ì1l1plelnellts of l\Iagc1alellian type are also found
in the burial place.
The bodily characters prescnted by all the skeletons
are of a very ulliforll1 kiHd. The stature ranged
fron1 1750 111111. to 1890 111111., \vi th a mean of froIH
1820 to 1870 111111. (6 ft. to 6 ft. 3 in.). The

E

FH:. 226. -Skull of the old man of Crô l\Iagnon.

F

cranial capacity is very great, ranging fro 111 1590 to
1715 c. c. Th e heacl (Fig. 226) i
dolichocephalic, and
thus not in harillony ,,'itlt the faeè, \vhieh is hroad an<l
shurt (index frolll 63'2 to 63 '4); the glal)ella aud bro\y
ridges
l'e ,veIl 11larked, the orbits rectangular and \
ery
deficient in height (index fronl 61'4 to 6G'7); the Hose is
depressed at the root, hut rjses rapi<l1y, and is long and
llarrO\Y, or leptorhiuc (index frolH 45'9 to 5G'9).
A race distinguished by tall st.ature, a short face and
depl'e
sed orbits \vas certainly Hot E
kiluo, 110r doe:s it

374

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

appear to Le represented an10ng tho .L\thapascans or
Algonkians, \vhethcr liying or fossil.
rrhe Cl'Ô l\Iagnon \vas the first discovered of the t\VO
races, and for a long tÌ1ne afforded the only eviaence \VO
possessed as to the physical cllal'acters of l\Iagdalenian
mall. Our kno\v]edge of the Chall
e]ade race is based

B

D

TfIO. 2
7.--The l\Tag(lall'niall skull of Challcclade (A, J;). and a recent Eskimo
skull (c, D). (Both x ! about. A, ti, After Testut; c, D. from a speci-
men ill the University l\Iuseulll, Oxford.)

on a single skeleton found on Octol)er 10, 1888. It
lay l)uriec1 in the deposits of a rock shelter on' the left
bank of a rivulet caned tho Beaurollne, 7 kilolnetres
north-,ve::;t of Pcrigueux, in the conl111une of Chancehule.
rrhe renlains of a rich l
Iei:-;tocenc fauna, flint Ï1nplelnents
of l\iagdalenian type, as ,vel1 as Ì1nplcnlell ts of bone and

XII

THE ESKIMO

37.5

reindeer's horn, ,vere found associated \vith it. I t rested
on a rocky floor at a depth of l'G4 metres froll1 the
surface of the soil; overlying it ,yere first a hea.rth and
associated débris, 37 cnl. thick; then a sterile layer, 32
cnl. thick; next another hearth and dél>ris, 40 Clll.
thick; and finally a superfieia.l layer of cave earth, 53
cnl. thick.
'Ve o,ve a lllastel'ly anato1l1ical study of the skeleton
to Dr. Tcstut, \vIto states that it represents a lllan of lo\y

G

L

--- A "'. .r--...........,

..... .. \
,... .j..: (\.'

....
I-..h-:...7:-:..
- 0 ....
_ 1
Fh
, 2
8 -Profiles of (1), the Chancclade
kun; (i), the Crô
lagnon skull,
and (3), the skull of an E
kimo superposed on the gl<\Lella-lambda line as
a hase. (After Testut.) The comparative shortness of the Crô .Magnon
face Üì ob\'ious.

I

I "
J :
J ;
, .
J .
, :

' .."'

.' ..'3

stature, only 1500 1111U. in height \vith a large bkull
(capacity 1700 c.c.) having the characteristic Eskinlo
forln (Fig.
27): a eon11'arif::;on \vhich is bornc out by
evcry feature in detail; it is "
all-sidet1, ,yith a pent-like
roof, and dolichocephalic, ,\-ith an index (72.02) ahuost
the san1C as that of thp EskiuIO (n1ean value 71'72);
the face is reluarkablc for its length, and there is a close
correspontlence ill the relation bet\YCCll the length and
thc btl\adth, or the facial index, ,vhich
unoullts tú 7
'8

37 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

in the Challcelade and 72.2 in the EskÜno skull; the
nose also is long and narrow, its index (42'5) agreeing
closely with that of the Eskimo (42 '62); the orbit is
,vide and high, just as in the Eskimo, its index being
86.97, and that of the Eskimo 87.8; the palate is
fairly long in comparison with its breadth, ,vith an index
of 67"9, that of the Eskimo being 68'4; finally the naso-
lllalar angle of Flo\ver, ,vhich n1easures the recession of
the face behind the orbits, is very large, attaining the
value of 145: in this respect also it luakes a nearer
approach to the Eskinlo, with a value of 144, than to
any other known race.
The evidence could scarcely be more definite; the
osteological characters of the Eskin10, which are of a
very special kind, are repeated by the Ohancelade
skeleton so completely as to leave no reasonable doubt
that it represents the remains of a. veritable EskÜno,
who lived in southern Fra.nce during the l\Iagda-
lenian age. 1
In North Anlerica, as we have seen, a tall Indian race
immediately succeeds the Eskimo towards the interior;
and in Europe a tall Crô l\lagnon race was associated
with the short Chancelade people. If we have rightly
identified the two short races one ,yith the other, we
shall next be tempted to suppose that sonle close bond
of blood may have existed bet,veen the t,vo taU ones.
1'here are, indeed, sonle characters ,vhich they possess in
common, the Algonkians, in the eastern part of the
continent, having long heads, like the Crô .àlagnon men,
and this in itself appears to ùe a renlarkable fact, ,vhen
we consider the rare occurrence of dolichocephaly among

1 L. Testut, "Recherches Al1thropologiques sur Ie S(luelette Quater-
naire de Chancelade, Dordogne," Bull. de lu Soc. d'Anthr. de Lyon, tom.
viii. 1889.

XII

THE ESKIMO

377

the Leiotriehi. The short faces and depressed orbits of
the Crô
Iagnon l11en Inark thenl off, bo\yever, as a
distinct race.
The l\Iagda.lellian culture extended (Fig. 229) east
froll1 Altamira, through France, S\vitzerland, Ger-
nlany, Bohen1Ïa, l\Ioravia, and as far as Russian
Poland (Fig. 199), and it has been traced north\vards
to Belgiunl (Fig. 230), !(ent's Hole In Devon

Fro. 229.

(Fig. 192) and Cres\vell Crags in Derbyshire (Fig. 198). I
Future discoveries alone can inforn1 us as to the relatiye
distribution of tIle t\VO races, \vho proba.1Jly shared this
territory bet\veen then1, hut it is safe to suppose that
the Chance lade race occupied the Inore northern station
,
though all that is certainly knO\Yll is its occurrence
in southpl'll France. 'fhe question next arises as to
hu\v the existing EskÏ1uo acquired their present dis-
tri 1 rn tion.

1 It is unknown in Italy and the greater part of Spain.

37 8

ANCIENT HUNTEI{S

CHAP.

The l\iagdalenians are the latest con1pletely Palæolithic
race \vhich inhabited Europe: their successors on this
soil, apart frol11 the Azilians, \vere the Neolithic folk,
\vho hrought \vitL then1 a pastoral or agricultural nloc1e
of life. It is highly probable that these Neolithic folk
\vere already in existence, previous to their entrance into
the l\Iagdalenian area, aud if so, the tÏ1ne \vas aln10st
certaiI). to arrive \vhen l,y a natural increase ill nunloers
they \vould begin to exert a pressure 011 adjacent tribes.
The cha
e is extravagant in the denlands it nutkes upon
terri tory; possiLl y a thousand farl11e1's could exist on the
land which \vould only support
a single h un tel'. Th us, fronl
the very nature of their in-
dustry the Neolithic people
could scarcely fail to grow
strong nUlllerically, and con-
sequently capable of forcing
FIG. 230.-Upper Palæolithic their way into fertile regions in
stations in Belgium; fioyet face of "V hatever resistance the
is typically l\Iagdalenian.
hunters n1ight oppose. Sinlul-
tancously \vith this pressure fronl behind, an attraction
may vlell havc arisen in front, for to\varc1s the close
of the l\Iagdalcnian age a steady alnelioration of
clÌInate \vas in progress which especially affected the
tenlperate zone; as a consequence the suo-arctic fauna
"Thich supplied the J\Iagdaleniall hunters \vith so
large a part of their food, especially that inlportant
nlcnlber of it, the reindeer, so highly esteemed by
Indian and Eskimo alike, ,vas shifting its IÜnits towards
the north. In this connexiol1 \ve may reca.ll the fact
that :\Iagc1alcnian stations are kno\vn to occur \vel]
,vithill the lin1its of the greatest extension of the ancicnt
ice, as, for instance: at several localities in S\vitzerland,

XII

THE ESKIMO

379

and at Uress\vell Crags in England. The cold fauna,
represented by fossil remains of the reinrleer, lllusk-ox,
and \valrus, is found in North All1erica as far south as
southern Ne\v Jersey, or in the adjoining region to the
south and ,vest; and it seenIS to be confined to superficial
gravels, a fact which points to a cOl1Iparatively late
inI1nigration. Possibly it \vas fullo"vell or accoI11panied
by .i\Iagllalcnian n1an.
Ingress to the North ..A.merican continent might take
place over Bering Strait and the ....\.loutian J slands, or
across the Icelandic bridge. At first sight the latter
route appears most pronlising. It is doubtful, ho\vevcr,
\vhether at this tinle it ,vas still standing; it had
possibly ceased to be intact during l\Iiocene tinIes, and
is general1y supposed to have completely broken down
before their close. Besides this, no relics of
Iagda-
lenian 111an hayc boen discovered on those renInants of
the bridge \vhich still stand above \vater, nor on the
neighbouring shores. Scotland has yielded none, 1 and
the earliest hUluan rcmains found in Scandinavia date
fron1 the Neolithic period. 'rho nlore probable route
\you]ù therefore appea.r tu have Jain uver Bering Strait
or the L\leu tian Isle
. 2

1 The perforated hone harpoons which have been found at Oban belong
to the Azilian stage. Joseph Andersun, Pt"oc. Soc. Antiq. of Scotland,
vol. xxix. p. 211, 180õ,
2 See A. Hamberg, Ont Eskim()('nws lIiir7,"rm:ish orh amrrikas bcfolkande,
Ymer, 1!J07, p. ]5. Dawson has pointed out tha.t the whole of the
Bering Sea (west of long. 1(,5:1 'V.) together with Bering Strait a.nd much
of the Arctic Ocean beyond really helongs to the continental plateau, and
that it formed in comparatively recent times a wide terrestrial plain con-
necting N orth
\..merica. with
\sia, This plain, like Siberia, was fl ee
from land ice and th UH offered an open path hy which lUan and the
contemporary mftmmalia could pass frum the Old \V orld to the New. That
it was alotually made use of hy sume of the m:t1l1malia. iH Hhown by the
presence of teeth and tu
ks of tho mamllloth in the Prihyloff Islands and
CnalaHka Islall<h.;.- (G. 1\1. Da.wsun, "Geological Notes (Ill some of the
Coasts a.nd Islands of the Bering
ea and Yicinity," null. .A m. Gc()l. Sur.
18
)4, V. pp. 117 -14n.) III Alaska, according to Dall, tho remains of

3 80

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

A general consideration of all the facts n1ight, then,
lead us to SOll1e such hypothesis as the follo\villg.
During the l\Iagdalenian ages t\VO races of dolicho-
cephalic Leiotrichi, differing greatly in stature, extended
fron1 western Europe to the east, across the entire
breadth of Asia, occupying a zone \vhich included mueh
of the tundra and the steppes. They possessed a
conln10n l\Iagdalel1ian culture, and resemhleLl in their
n10de of life the A]gonkians and Athapascalls of the
tundea as they existed before the advent of the white
luan, fceding on reindeer and the 111amnloth, horse and
bisoll, together \vith various kinds of fish.
The taller, and probably n10re po\verful, race held
possession of the more favoured regions in the south,
\vhere the climate \vas less rigorous and game more
abundant; the shorter race, hemlued in by its tall
relations in the south and the ocean or the ice in the
north, had to make the hest of its inhospitable sur-
roundings, and developed, thanks to its great in-
telligence, a special mode of life. No doubt other
Leiotrichous races, but distinguished by broad heads,
\vere in sin1ultaneoua existence in the lllore southern
parts of Asia.
As the climate became \Varn1er, the pressure of the

the fauna of the mammoth are widely distributed; associated with the
mammoth itself are Elc]Jhas cúl'umùi, the musk ox, reindeer, a horse (Eqll:1lS
'ilwjur), an elk (Alces muer'i('({nw;) and a bison (Bison crassicol'niif). Along
the Arctic coast, east of Point Barrow, their bones, scattered through a
frozen clay, are so common that the Eskimo make use of them for
implements; the mamnlOth ivory in particular is carved into household
utensils.-(\V. H. Dall, Bnll. U. S. Geol. SU1'v. 18Ü2, 1\0. 84, p. 266, and
Stanley-Brown, " Notes on the Pribyloff Islands," Rllll. A'm,. Geul. Soc.
18
2, IV. pp. 49ß-500.) Dr. Scharff, who cont,ends that the Icelandic
bridge between Europe and North America was still standing at the
very close of the Pliocene times, docs not go so far as to assert that it
lal-;ted into the Magdalenian age. -(R. F. Scharff, "Un the Evidence of
a former Land-bridge between Northern Europe and North America,"
PJ'oc. Roy. ,_Irish. Ar. lßmJ, Vol. XYIII. sect. B, pp. 3-28.)

XII

THE ESKIMO

3 81

rapidly increasing K eolithic people Legan to nlake itself
felt, acting probably from a region sonle\yhere bet\veen
the Carpathians and India. A nlovenlellt of the
I.Jeiotrichi was thus set up towards the north; but as
there \vas no room for expansion in that direction, it
,vas diverted to\vards the only egress possible, and an
outfio\v took place into America over Bering Strait or
the ..1Jeutian Islands. The prilnitive Eskinlo, already
accustonled to a boreal life, extended along the coast.
The prÎ1niti ve Algonkians, follo\ving close upon their
heels, occupied the southern lllargin of the tundra, and
extended east as far as the A tlan tic Ocean. The
broader-headed .Athapascaus
ame next, and gradually
acquired possession of the ,vestern half of the southern
tundra. The Eskin10 ,vere rigidly confined to the
coastal regions, but there ,vas nothing to arrest the
progress of the prin1Ìtive Red [ndians to\yards the south
-everything, indeed, seelllecl to invite thenl in that
direction. No geographical barriers rise across the
patb, and gallle of all kinds \vas abundant, so that in no
very long tÏ1ne the prinlitiye Indians 111ay have popu-
lated Loth the A1llerican contiuents throughout their
\\
hole length, fronl north to south. It is interesting to
observe in this connexion that at the southern
extren1Ìty of South AUlerica \ve still find a dolicho-
cephalic Leiotrichous race, the Fuegians, \vho, though
very inferior to the EskÍ1no in all respects, yet present
S0111e very strikiug resenlblances to the111 in bo<1il y
structure, ÌIllplcnlents, and nlode of life.
'1'he subsequent- differentiation of the original Red
Indian races-i.e. the prÍ1uitive Algonkialls and
..Athapascans-may have given rise to all the existing
raees of both the ...\nlerican continents, except along the
\yesterll coast, \vhcre the occasional stranding uf ves:-)e]

3 82

ANCIEN1
HUNTEH,S

CHAP.

fron1 the east of Asia or the islands of the Pacific 111ay
have added a foreign elelnellt.
rrhat the Algonkian and Atha} )ascan races once
of>cupied a far larger area than they do no\v, or rather
did he fore the invasion of n10derll EUl'opeans, is sho\yn
not only by fossil ren1ains found outsicle the present
boundaries, but by circllll1scribed areas still inhabited by
then1, which are isolated fronl the n1ain body of their
race by alien tribes.
Recurring for a moment to the Eskin1o, \ve 111ay mentioll
that Steensby,1 as the result of a very interesting investi-
gation, is led to conclude that the origin of the fully
developed Eskimo culture l1lust have occurred some\vhere
near the region of Coronation Gulf, \yhere the conditions
are peculiarly favourable for au "enlancipation froln
forest life" and an adaptation to the envirOnnlel1t
provided by the Arctic coast. This vie\v would not be
\vholly inconsistent \vith that \vhich \ve have just
sketched out; but it rests on resen1blances bet\veen the
in1plemen ts and 1110de of life of the Eskin10 and Indians
which are susceptible of a different explanat.iou.
If the yie\vs \ve have expressell in this and preceding
chapters are well founded, it would appear that the sur-
viving races \vhich represent the vanished Palæolithic
hunters have succeeded onr another over Europe in
the order of their intelligence: each has yielded in
turn to a lllore highly developed and more highly gifted
form of man. From what is no\v the focus of civilisa-
tion they have one hy one been expcl1ed and driven
to the uttermost parts of the earth: the l\fousterialls
survive in the renlotely related .L\ustralialls at the Anti-
podes, the Solutrians arc represented by the BuslullCll
of the southern extremity of l\frica, the l\[agdalenial1s
1 II. P. Steensby, Oil/" Es/;Úrwkulho'ells OprhHlt)lsr, Copenhagen, 1905,

XII

THE ESKIMO

3 8 3

by the EskiIno on the frozen Inargill úf the North
Alllcrican continent ana as ,yen, perhaps, by the Red
I ndiallS. I t is a singular fact, \y hen considered in
connexion with the clainls sometiInes assertecl in favour
of the dolichocephalic skull, that in each of these ancient
ra.ces, lnarked hy so many prÜnitive characters, a long
hl'aLl is distinctive. Perhaps this also is to be nUlnbered
among the primitive characters

"That part is to be assigned to justice in the
government of hUlllan affairs
So far as the facts are
clear they teach in no equivocal terlYlS that there is no
right \vhich is not founded on 11light. Justice belongs
to the strong, and has been nletecl out to each race
according to its strength; each has receiyed as much
justice as it cleserved. \Vhat perhaps is 1l10St impressive
in each of the cases ,ve have discussed is this, that the
dispossession by a ne\V-COlller of a race already in occu-
pation of the soil has nlarked an up\yard step in the
intellectual progress of nlankind. I t is not priority of
occupation, but the power to utilise, \vhich establishes
a clain1 to the land. lIence it is a duty \vhich every
race o\ves to itself, and to the human fan1ily as ,veIl, to
culti vate by every l)l-
3sible 111e3ns its o\vn strength:
directly it faUs behind in the regard it pays to this duty,
\vhether in art or science, in breeding or organisation for
self-defence, it incurs a penalty ,vhich Natural Sclectiou,
the stern but bencficent tyrant of the organic \vorld,
,vill D:
sure<1] r exaet, and that f-;pccdi]y, to the full.

UIl.1I)TEll XIII

THE AZILIANf;

THIS chapter \vill be a short one, and I \yould gladly
have on1Ïtted it altogether, but it is inlPossible to con-
clude \vithout sonle reference to the ...'\zilians, the last of
the ancient hunting trihes. They take their nanle fron1
the cave of i\las c1' Azil, \vhere the relics of their industry,
inclulling the rernarkahle painted pelJhles already alluded
to (p. 78), are found in the fourth layer (D) of the
follo\ving series of deposits.

A. Blackish clay, with Gallic pottery, and Gallo-
Roman pins . . . . . . . 0.2-0"4 metre.
ß. Blackish clay, Bronze Age above, Neolithic
below . . . . . . . . 0'3--1"2 "
C. Layer crowded with snails' shells (IIelix
nemuJ'aÜ.s), Arisian . ... 0"1- 0"0 "
D. AZILIAN, red loam, remalllS of hearths,
recent fauna . . O.lü- O.Ú "
E. Loam, sterile. . . , 1.24
F. ßlack loam, with reindeer o.;

G. Loam, sterile . . . .. . 1.5
H. l\TAGDALENIA:Y, hlack loam, rcindeer, . 0"8;

I. Gravel, sterile (7 '4 metres above the river
Aril5e) . 1 "4fj

"

"

"

"

"

The river .L\rise flo\vs past thc 11loUth of the cayc, and
thc cave loanl ,vas no doubt deposited Ly this riycr in
tinlcs of fiootl.
Ju(lgc(l by thcir ÏInl'lCll1ellts, 'which arc rlHlely chippcd
Hints and IUtl'}!oollS lnade of stag's horn, thc ..A.zilialls
381

CH. XII[

THE AZILIANS

3 8 5

should he included \vith the Palæolithic hunters, hut
they belong to a later gcological period, when the ice
sheets had melted a\vay, when richly,vooded lanascapes
replaced the nlonotonous tundra and steppes, \vhen the
reindeer and the fauna of the reincleer had nligrated to
the north, and the existing fauna, characterised by the
stag (Cercus elalJhus), had taken possession of the soil.
It ,vas the tinle of sheep, cattle, horses, and pigs, all,
ho\ve\'"er, as yet in the "Tild state, for the Åzilians had
not discoyerecl the secret of d01l1estication. Little heaps
of corn and other vegetable products \vhich occur asso-
ciated \yith their ÌInplenlents have heen supposed to
indicate that the Azilians practised a prinlitive agricul-
ture, hut a lllore prohable explanation is given by Prof.
Breuil, \vho considers that this luatel'ial has been
introduced Ly rats and, perhaps, other rodentB.
The characteristic Aziliall inlplenlent is the harpoon
(Fig. 231) ; it consists of reindeer horn and is coarsely
nlac1e, broad and flat, with t\VO ro\vs of barbs, and a
perforation near the base to take the line by \vhich it
\vas attached loosely to the shaft. These harpoons
have been found, not only at
Ias d'Azil, but at seyeral
places in the south of France, l and as far north as 0 ban
in 8cotland. 2
A deposit \vhich lies above the l\lagclalenian at Of net,
in 'VÜrttclnberg has been referred to the Azilian by Dr.
R. R. Sclul1idt. 3 It is l'ell1arkable for the great nUlnber

1 Azilian ren1ains have been found at Tourasse (Hte. Garonne),
lont-
fort (A.rriège) with painted pebbles, Lourdes (Htes. Pyrénées), Reilhac
(Lot), Gourdan (Gard), Laugerie Basse, and La l\iadeleine (Dordogne).
2 J. Anderson, "Notice of a Cave recently discovered at Oban,"
Prnr. Soc. Anti']. of Scotla..nd, 1805, Vol. XXIX. p. 211 ; 'V. J. L. _\bbott,
"The New Oban Ca\'e," Nat. Sci. 1895, Vol. VI. p. 330;
I. Boule,
" Les Cavernes d'Ohan," L' Anthl.. 18Bn, Vol. VII. p. 31H,
3 R. R. Schmidt, " Die vorgeschichtlichen Kulturen del' Of net, " Ber. d.
Nrd.-1.('i:ss. Vel'. f. Schu;nben'lt. Nell1no"g, 1008, pp. 87-107, in particular
pp. 99--103.

c c

3 86

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

of human skulls which were found arranged in groups,
like eggs in a nest, and buried in red ochre. One nest
contained 27 skull
, all orientated in the Bame direction,
looking to\vards the setting sun. No other bones of the
skeleton, except a fe\v yertebræ of the neck, \vere found
\vith thelll. The presumption is that after death the

1

2

3

4

Fw-. 231.-Azilian harpoons. I and 2. From Oban. (After Anderson. )
3. From the Grotte de Reillmc (Lot). (After Boule.) 4. }--'rom _Mas
d' Azil. (After Piette. All x
.)

body was decapitated, the head preserved, and the rest
of the body consulned on a funeral pyre. Strings of
perforated shells allel deer's teeth, \vorn during life as
necklaces or chaplets, "vere founll buried \vith the skulls.
On the skull of a little child hundreds of shells
lay close together, placed there, no doubt, lJY sonle
sad, affectionate hand.

XIII

THE AZIIJANS

3 8 7

No .L\zilian harpoons nor painted pebbles \vere asso-
ciated \vith the skull
, but the little geometric flints
kno\vn as Tardenoi
ian, \vhich belong to the same ago
as the ..\zilian, \yore plentiful enough.
Through the kindness of Baron von IIuene I \yas able
to exanline these skulls in the Geological l\Iuseunl at
TÜbingen, and satisfied myself of the absence of any
close affinities \yith :-;kulls of
Iagdalenian age. rrhey
are nO"\v in eourse of description by Hofrat Dr. SchJiz,
\vho states, in a prelin1Ìnary report conlnlunicated to Dr.
Rcluuidt, that they seenl to indicate a people relatecl
to the Neolithic pile-d\vellers; there is eyidence of a
n1Ìxture of types, SOllle \\
ith affinities to the l\[ec1i-
terranean raceH, ana SOlne to the short-headed N ol'theru
races (IIv'fno allJinu8).
Itt Ohan the J.\zilian (leposits \vere found in a
ea
caye \vhich yielded the follo\villg succession :-

A superficiallaycr of black earth.
P pper shell bed
Pebbly gravel . . . . . .
Lower shell beds, a lenticular intercalation.
Pebbly gravel

2 ft.
in. to :
ft.
1 ft. 6 in.

4 ft.

Hocky floor.

The shell-beds, \vhich rcselllhle one another in all
essential respects, are true kitchen nlÍcltlells, conlposed
of the shells of edible molluscs, such as oysters, lin)-
pets, \vhelks, peri \vinkles, coekle
, razor-shells, and
scallops, all of the largest :-;ize, as well as the big cht\vs
of crabs, the Lones of large sea fish, and of nlanllllals
such as the red deer, the roe deer, goat, pig, 1)[t<lger,
utter, dog, and cat. They contain also the l'en1aills of
hearths, asheH, and charcoal, llUlllerous Hint in1plelTIentR,
hanllllel' stones and I'3Cl'apers, Lone pins, a \vls all< I

nloothers, in addition to the characteristic harpool1s,
c c ì

3 88

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

of which seven specimens were found. Some hunlan
bones occurred at the surface of the ground as ,veIl as
in the shell bed s; there were two skulls of great cranial
capacity (1715 c.c.), which Sir "Tilliarn Turner l conlpares
\vith those of the British long harro\vs; unfortunately,
these ,vere among the specimens found at the surface,
so that their age is uncertaiu; there were also sonle
long bones-a fenluI', displaying that flattening of the
shaft \vhich is kno\vn as platymery, and a tibia, al
o
with a flattened shaft or platycnelnic. This flattening
of the shafts of the fClnur and tibia has been attrihuted
to the hahit of squatting cross-legged, but Sir "Tillianl
Turner thinks that it is due to strenuous llluscular
exercisc, as in hunting, \valkillg over rough ground, or
clilllbing steep hills. The height of the adult lllan
represente<l hy the femur is estinlated as 1654 lllnl., or
5 ft. 4 in.
The cave opens upon a '"raised beach about 30 feet
above the present Bea level, and at the tinle it \va

occupied by nlan it \vas just out of reach of the waves,
except during unusually high tides, when the pebbly
gravel \vas washed in. Since then the land has risen
nearly 30 feet, carrying the cave with it. This is a
point of considerable interest, for the 20 to 25 feet
beaches of Scotland and lreland have long been knO"Vll
. to contain rough stone inlplenlents \vhich are usually
regarllec1 as Neolithic. 2 At Glasgow, \vhich is partly
built on a raised terrace belonging to this grau p, no
fe\ver than eighteen canoes have been obtained. s
Successive raised beaches border here and there the
coast of Scotland; not to mention those at higher levels,
1 Sir 'Villialll Turner, "Human and Animal Remains found in Caves
at Oban," Pruc. Soc. Antiq. ofScotlancl, 1895, Vol. XXIX. pp. 410-438.
2 G. V. Du Noyer, "On 'Vorked Flints from Carrickfergus and
Larue," Qlla d. Jnllrn. Ge,ol. Roc., 1868, ,r 01. XXIV. p. 495.
3 .Al'chllmltl n I.:'lkil', 7'htJ. S('(>II(>I'!f of S('uflo 11(1, London, 1 R(;5, p. :i24.

XIII

THE AZILIANS

3 8 9

there is one at 100 feet, another at 50 feet, anll on this it
is said some of the valley glaciers of the Great Ice Age
have left relnnants of their n10raines ; I these \vere forn1ed
during pauses in a long-continued elevation that aCCOIT1-
paniecl the d"vindling of the ice. "Thether any 20 or
25 feet beaeh belongs to this series is unknown, but the
elevation continued till the land stood a little higher
than it does no\v, and peat and forest growth covered
\vide stretches of boulLler clay right do\vn to the edge
of the sea. Then the land began to sink, shell-bearing
clays \vere deposited over the peat, and on these, as the
lanrl once n10re CHJlle to rest, coarser sands and gravels
\vere laid down. This occurred when the land stood
fron1 20 to 25 feet lo\ver than it does at present, then
elevation once more set in, and continued till the existing
level \vas attained. ..\ccording to ..\11'. Lloyd Praeger, all
the 20 feet raised heaches of Ireland belong to this last
episode, and there is every probability that the shell-
beds of Oban ,vith their Åzilian harpoons are of the
saIne age. As a result of an exhaustive investigation
of the shells contained in these beaches and the under-
lying clays, ßlr. Praeger concludes that the clin1ate of
the tÍn1c \vas \VarnlCr than at present. _\ sÏ1nilar result
ha
been olJtaineLl hy Prof. Br
gger fronl his investiga-
tions of southern Nor\vay, \yhere rude flint Üuplen1ents
(tranehets) not far renloved fron1 the
lzilian in date
are found in association \vith raised deposits (Tap os beds)
\vhich correspond to the clays underlying the 20 to 25
feet lJeachcs of Scotland and Ireland, though ill conBist-
('nce \vith the 1l10l'O alllple 1110yelnents of Scandinavia
they occur at a higher level (6!J to 701uetres).2 '[he
1
ir A. (;eikie, Text..1J(Ju]; of Gpulu!1!1, London, 18!J:{, p. 1044.
2 ".... c. Bl'(1ggel', 8ellylw'ialp Ofj po..,t!/lo('ia{e nh.af(lI',md'}'ÙlfjP)" 'i 1\'.ri.-;-
tia,nìafeltet, Kristiania, HJOO-l!tOl. p. 44H and p. 705; also St1'andlinien.'i
beliflyenhed 1mdc't, stenalderen i del :;!Jd
,:;tli!1
N urye, l\::ristiallia, 1 HO=:>, p. 87
ct sefJ.. and p. 305,

39 0

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH. XIII

nlolluscan fauna of these heds indicates, according to
Br
gger, a climate as much as 2 0 C. ,varlner than the
present.
"r e have evidently still nluch to learn about the
Azilians; that they \yere rude hunters and fi8hernlen,
unacquainted with agriculture, seen1S clear, but it is by
no Ineans certain that they represent the highest culture
of the time. They have an inlportant bearing 011 the
questions discussed at the close of the last chapter, but
in the present state of our kllo\vledge little \voula he
gained hy pushing this iuq uiry further.

CI11I)TER XI\T

CHRONOLOGY

THE last and nlost difficult part of our task no\v
a,vaits us, and \ve ill.ust endeavour to assign each of the
ancient hunting stagel:5 its place on the recogllised scale
of tÏ1ne.
It \vould be cOlnparatively easy to construct a con-
sistent scheU1e if \ve could only persuade ourselves to
disregard a fe\v inconvenient facts, but in 11laking an
Ünpartial survey,ve beconle increasingly inlpressed \vith
the conflicting nature of the eyidence, and end hy con-
fessing that our results are largely provisional, open to
(luestion, and certain to be Inodificd \vith the progress of
discovery.
Evon the doctrine of interglacial episodes, ,vhich
seen1ed at one tÜnc to have. heen firlnly established,
has again been seriou
ly (1 uestioned by experienced
o usel'vers.
The HÖtting breccia at the tiu1e I visited it see111üd to
afford incontrovertible evidence in favour of this hypo-
theRis; nothing could be clearer than the fact that the
breccia rests 011 one boulder clay and is covered by
another; this, indeed, is disputea Ly 110 onc. But
no,v ,ve learn from I)l'of. von Lepsius that the In'eccia
SD!

39 2

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CH AP.

is not a single undivided deposit; it is said to con-
sist of t\VO members, one older, distinguished by its
\vhite tint, the other more recent, reddish in coJour.
According to Prof. Lepsius it is the younger only \vhich
lies bet\veen the boulder clays, and it is the older only
\vhich contains the fossil flora. To this a Pliocene age is
assigned. On the \vhole I anl not inclined to accept
this explanation, it does not appear to be in accor<1 \vith
the facts; in the section froni \vhi
h he obtained his
fine collection of plants Von 'Vettstein deserihes red
breccia as intercalated with the \vhite, l and Penck has
described the \vhite hreccia as resting on the red. That
the red breccia is unfossiliferous is only \vhat its colour
nlight lead us to expect, for the iron rust or ferric
hydrate to \vhich this colour is due is extrenlely destruc-
tive of organic remains. For the present, therefore, we
may, I think, accept Penck's inference as sound.
The age of the löss is still all open question. Penck
affirnls that the younger löss passes under the nloraines
of the fourth glacial episode and thus is at least as old
as the period of the fourth advance. Others regard it
as nlore recent and refer it to the period of the fourth
retrea t, as \VC have also done in a previous sta temcn t
111adc, perhaps, too positively (p. 212).
In this part of our inquiry \ve \vill change the order
of our procedure, and instead of adyancing from the past
to\vards the present, \ve \vill begin \vith the present and
trace our steps back\vards into the past. Let our scale
of time begin \vith the year 1911 A.D., or, for greater
convenience, 2000 A.D.; as our reckoning will he in
thousands of years so slllall a difference \vill not lJe of
an y consequence.

1 R. von 'Vettstein, "Die Fossile Flora del' IIÒttinger Breccie," Denks.
d. math.-nut, cl. d. Kk. .Ak. JfTiss. lVien, 18H2, Vol. LIX. p. 7, sep. copy.

XIV

CHRONOI
OGY

393

.A.s we journey back\vards \ve shall have already pa.ssed
the \vho]e of English history since the Conquest before
reaching the beginning of the first thousand years;
another thousand takes us to the birth of Christ; as \ve
approach the beginning of the third n1Ïllennium \ve haye
left the \vhole history of Ronle behind; in the fourth
\ve \vitness the introduction of bronze into Egypt; in
the fifth bronze disappears, copper replaces it, and before

o
+30
6

1
III
hD a.-
c 0
- a.-

::s

>. C7'
0 ûí c ..c
<'3 0 Ü

t:: U .Q
>.
rei
C c.. 0 "

<II -5
"ë: I .
c e

(IJ .

-;;; c
... Q.I .
c:
"'0
õ..

Q.I
Õ Q.I
tJj ";:J >. 0. 0 ::s
r;: Q.I bO 0 ...

< z w u ro CJ
I T
14 12 10

M(>ters
-300

I
1200
15001
S

IV Glacial retreat

IV Genial episode

FIt:. 2:
2.-Chronological scale from
"OO A, D. taken as the origin down to the
last glacial episo(le. T, Scale of time; the unit is lUOO years. :-;,
kale
of the snow-line, measured abo,'e and below 0, which represents the
exiHting le,.cl of the snow-line. (The plus awl minus signs shoul(l
exchange places.)

\ve reach the l,eginning of this nlillenniunl the age of
nlctals is at an end, and tbe Neolithic epoch reign
in its
stead. The middle of the
ixth nlillennÏtun is 111arked by
the rise of the firHt Egyptian dynasty, and a little earlier
](ing Sargoll \yas reigning in
lesopotanJin, \vhile our
Neolithic predecessors in Europe \vel'e l)cginnÌng to
found their pile-a \veHillgs in the lake
. On entering
thc seventh nlÏllclluiulll \ve find oursclyes ftnlong pcoples
of a rudcr culture, soniC, like thc l'cccut Fuegians,

.

394

A NCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

leading a n1Ïserable life near the nlargin of the sea and
leaving behind those great shell nlound& or kitehen
n1Ïddens \vbich testify to their poverty-stricken exist-
ence; a little earlier, perhaps, the Àzilian hunters had
\vandered as far north as the coasts of Scotland.
During this period of 7000 years the climate, so far
as \ve kno\v anything of it, seenlS to have Inuintained a
general unifornlity, though in the early days of the
Neolithic epoch signs are not ",vantiilg of a slightly
warmer telnperature than no\v exists, to the extent,
pos
ibly, of one or t\VO llegrees Centigrade. I The present
is the latest, but perhaps not the last, of the genial
episodes of the Great Ice Age.
Fronl thîs point-the beginning of the seventh
nlillel1niunl-\ve look back\varc1s over the last glacial
episode. The curve of temperature descends in a yalley-
like depression, the bottom of \vhich corresponds \vith the
period of intense glaciation. The curve given in the
diagraln (Fig.
32), though it corresponds \vith changes
of telnperature, is intended to represent lllovenlents of
the sno\v-line, as these have been detern1Ïned l)y Penck.
A reference to it \vill sho\v that during the 111axiulUnl of
the last glaciation the sno\v-linc lay about 1200 nlctres
nearer the sea-level than it does at present. The ascend-
ing slope of the curve traces the aseent of the sno\v-liue
and the consequent c1 \vindling of the glaciers during a
tilne that ,ve lllay define as the period of retreat; the de-
scending slope sinlilarly traces the descent of the sno\v-
linc and the growth of the glaciers during a tinle that

1 It. L. Praeger, "Report on the Raised Beaches of the North-east of
Ireland, with special reference to their Fauna," Prof. Roy. Irish Acad.
189(), Y.ol. IV, pp.
n-54 ; Gunnar Andersson, "The Climate of Sweden in
the Late-Quaternary Period," S,.('riue.<.; (Jp(jl. Und()rs;,J..-Jl in!l'
Arsvok, 100B,
p. 88; Gerard de Geer, "A Thermogral'hical Record of the Late-
(
uaternary Climate," Postgla;;,iale lQiuurrcniudenlJlge'n, Stockholm, uno,
p. 30U.

XIV

CHRONOLOGY

395

,ve nlay define as the prriod of advance. Thus every
cOlnplete oscillation of clinlate in the [ilacial epoch
includes (1) a genial episode, (2) a period of advance,
(3) a glacial episode, and (4) a period of retreat. Since
there ,vere four oscillations we l11ay distinguish each of
these intervals as first, second, third, and fourth, or, as
a difference of opinion exists as to the precise nUlnhcr
of the oscillations, and \ve are chiefly concernerl ,vith
those which ,ve have termed the third and fourth, ,ve
nlay substitute for these numerical ternlS some others
outside the range of controversy, such as last and
penultimate.
The last retreat of the glaciers did not procec<l at a
constant rate, nor, illLlecd, \vas it continuout;; Penek has
sho\vn that it experienced at least four interruptions,
each of \vhich has left its record in well-nlarkell ternlÏnal
nloraines. These four stages of arrest are indicated on
the curye by the letters a, ß, 1, ð.
The (luration of the last perioLl of retreat has proyided
a favourite subject for speculation, but it is only \vithin
the last few years that a sound basis bas been proYidc<1
for research. Some of the earlier results seenl, ho,vevcl',
to l11ake a close approach to the truth. A. IIeiln, hasing
his estil11ate on the present rate of gro\vth of the little
delta no\v being deposited in the lake of Lucerne hy the
l\Iuotta, arrives at a period of 16,000 ycar:-;. It is possihle,
ho\vever, as Pellck 111aintains, that this aoes not nleaSllre
the \vhole tÜne occupied by the retreat of the icû l)ut
ouly that part of it \yhich lies ahove the stationary
stage ß, al1l1 it is nlore than pú:-;sihle that the gro\vth of
the delta has not proceetled at a uniforul rate.
rIhe 1l10l'e exact 111ethod to \vhich \ve look fur the
ultinutte solution of this prohlenl is that tle\
iscd by
Baron de Geer; space \villuot pcrnlÍt us to expla.in this

39 6

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

in detail, lJut the principle is sinlple enough; it consists
in actually counting the n Uln bel' of layers of sedinlen t
\vhich the nlelting ice deposited ill the sea during its
retreat. There is good reason to believe that each of
these layers was set free by the nlelting of the ice in
sumn1er and, consequently, their total nun1her corre-
sponds to the total nun1 her of summers included in the
period of retreat. De Geer has so far succeeded ill
counting the number of layers \vhich cover the
outh of
S\\Teden from the southern coast of Scania to a point near
the ,vatershed \vhere the ice had almost entirely d\vindlerl
away; their nunlber is 5000, and this, therefore, is the
nunlber of years \vhich elapsed during the recession of
the ice in S\veclen. If \ve novv add to it the 7000 years
already found for the duration of the succeeding and
still existing genial period \ve obtain 12,000 as the
lJun1ber of years ,vhich separates our time from that \vhen
the receding front of the ice had already attained the
southcìon ("o(t:5t of Scanift. But, as we have already seen,
the margin of the ancient ice lay far beyond the linlits
of Scandinavia (Fig. 6); at one time it extended due
south of Scania to a little beyond Dresden. But this
,vas during the third glacial episode; during the last or
fourth, vvith \vhich alone we are no\v concerned, its
boundary, according to Br
gger, crossed Jutland and the
Baltic provinces, being marked by a terillinal moraine
knO\Vll as the Baltic ridge. rrhe distance between this
and the southern cuast of Scania is about half that
\vhich the ice traversed in its retreat over S\veden, and
it is nccessary, therefore, to know ho\v long the ice took
in \vithclrawing fron1 this region if \ve are to deteruline
the true vnlue of the \\Thole period of retreat. But herc
our data fail us; De Geer's method has not yet lJeen
applied to Jutland Qr the Baltic provinces, ana all that

XIV

CHRONOLOGY

397

\ve can do is to make a more or less plausible guess.
It might be supposed that if the ice took 5000 years to
aceomplish its retreat over S\\Teden it \vould only require
half that time for a distance half as great. But this
aSSUlnes that the rate of retreat was uniforln, \vhile we
already kno\v fron1 De Geer's observation
that it was
very far fronl being so; in the neighbourhood of Stock-
hohn it was five times as fast as in Houthern Scania, and
north of Stockholnl it \vas even faster. Perhaps \ye
shall not be far fronl the tru th if \ve assign a period of
5000 in'3tead of 2500 years for this part of the retreat,
Lut this it ulay be well to repeat is nothing nlore than
a guess. Accepting it provisionally, \ve arrive at a total
of 10,000 years for the full period of retreat, or of
17,000 years for the interval \vhich separates our tiule
fron1 the cluse of the last glacial episode.
The l\Iagdalenian age lies admittedly \vithin the
period of retrcat; Penck \vo,Ild place it at or close to
the stage of arrest ß, and N uesch has estinutted its age,
reckoning froln the present tinIe, as 24,000 years, a
result \vhich is alnIost certainly in excess. The stage
ß may have corresponded \vith the time when the
margin of the ice had reaehed Scania; Br
gger correlates
it with the outernlost lnoraine (kno\vn as the Ra) in the
neighbourhood of Christiania, and if so the age of the
l\lagdaleniall, at least in part, \vonld be 12,000 years, or
just half Nuesch's estÎ1nate.
During the .Aurignacian and Solutrian ages the
clinlate, though genial at first, seenIS after\vards to have
steadily deteriorated; this is certainly \vhat a general
consideration of the fauna ,vould suggest, ana thus
these ages Inay be a1s
igned tu the last period of
ad vance. Tlhe Solutrian need not have been separated
hy any \vide interval froln the
ragdalellian; it i
true

39 8

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

the last glacial episode seen18 to intervene, but it is by
no n1eans certain that during this episoll
Europe, out-
side the region coyered by the ice, ,vas uninhabitalJle or
uninhabited. It probably afforded a far Inore hospitable
soil than that narro\v strip of land bet\veen the frozen
sea and the inland ice \vhich is no\v occupied by the
Greenland Eskinlo.
Opinions differ upon the age of the Aurignacian and
Solutrian. Prof. Boule 1 would place thelll in the sanle
period of retreat as the l\Iagdalenian; and leaving these
\ve approach a very vortex of controversy. "There are
,ve to put the 1\lousterian ? Judging frolll
I. Conllllollt's
ohservatiollR (Fig. 65), it would seelll to have been a
very long period, ana speaking generally the llUtlllllutlia
assoeiated \vith it, hoth in caves and fluviatile deposits,
helong to the cold faulla. As at Sirgenstein, so in
several other caves, the period closes ,,
ith an aéclullula-
tion of the bones of ....lrctic roden ts. The general evidence
\vould therefore lead us to place the l\loustel'ian in the
s
nne period of advance as the Aurignacian and SoIu-
trian. Prof. Boule, ho\vever, makes it coincide \vith thr
last glacial episode, ,yhile Prof. Penck,2 on the other
hand, carries it nluch further back, placing its conl-
lllencelllent in the third period of retreat and its later
stages in the third genial episode. No doubt there are
lllany facts, other\vise difficult to explain, which lllay 1)e
urged in support of this Lold innovation. Thu::;, as \VO
have alread y seen, several localities are kn o\yn "9 here
l\lousterian Ï1nplenlents are found in association with the
\Varnl fauna, as, for instance, at I(rapina, \vhere Nean-
dertal man, admittedly 1\Iousterian, is found along \vith

1 1\1. Boule, "ObservationR Hur un silex taille du Jura ct sur lit
Chronologie de 1\1. Pcnck." L'Anthl'. 1908, Vol. XIX. pp. 1-13.
2 A. Penck, " Das Alter des l\Ienschengcschlectes," ZeÜs. f. .Hiha. 1n08,
VoL XL. pp. 3
'O-497, and Pcnck and llriickncr, op. eif . VoL lIT. p. 1172.

XIV

CI-IRONOLOGY

399

Rh'ÙtOCCJ"OS Jlc1'ckii, or again at :\Ientone, \vhere ]\[ous-
terian inlplenlents are associated \yith Elcl)has (tnlÙjHus.
'rhe terrace of the Saône at Villefranche is cited by
l)enck as another instance, disputed, ho\yever, by Boule,
and still more striking evidence is afforded by the cave
of'Vildkirchli on the Säntis. 1 This cave opens on the
side of the Ebenalp (1684 m. = 5526 ft,) at a height of
1500 nl. (5005 ft.); it contains l\Iousterian implements
mingled with bones of the cave bear, cave lion, cape
leopard, \volf, ibex, chamois, and stag. The reindeer is
ah
ent, and the fauna 11lay as fairly be called" \Varnl "
as " culd." The bones of the cave hear are especially
numerous; according to 11err BitchIer they must repre-
sent about 1000 inc1ivichrtls. Evidcntly this ,vas a
favourite hunting place, \vith abundant ganle and forests
near at hanel Not, ho\vever, during the last glacial
episode, \vhen the Ebenalp \vas t;urrounded by a sea of
ice and probably covered \vith eternal sno\v; a genial
climate, as Prof. Penck contends, seems much 1110re
probal)le.
'Ve shall now he able to appreciate the extreme t1iffi-
culty of the position. If \ve put the l\Iousterian in the
thirl1 genial episode, \v hat beco111es of the Chellean 1
'rhere is a general agreelnent that this 11lust also be
referred to a genial episude. But it caullot share a
place \yith the l\[ousterian; if the l\loustcrian takes the
third genial episode it \yill drive the Chellean in to the
preceding or sccond genial episode. 'Thus the
Ious-
teriall cannot Le discussed alonc, and ,ve nlust 1l0\V
proceed to consider the position of the earlier Palmolithic
stages.

1 E. BitchIer, "Die pl'ähistoriRche K
uItul'
tiitte in del' 'ViI<lkirchli-
ehenaIl'höh]e," Vel'/'. d. St'hH"f'i:e1' Ntttlll'f. U".
. in St. Uttllf II, lHO.., awl
Pcnck :md Ul'iickncr, l(l(.. ('if.

4 00

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

In this COUll try we have long l)eon fanliliar ,vi th the
fact that the men of the valley gravels belong to an
epoch much later than the Chalky boulder clay. This
was estahlished by Prestwich 1110re than half a century
ago,1 \\J"hen he described the fan10us section at IIoxne,
,vhere John :B"'rere had discovered Palæolithic implen1ents
in 1797. 2 They \vere so numerous at that time that
they were sonletimes used to mend an adjacent road;
this is referred to by Frere, who relnarks :-" The manner
in ,vhich the flint inlplenlents lay \vould lead to the
persuasion that it was a place of their n1anufacture and
not of their accidental deposit." Prestwich showed that
the inlplements, ,vhich are Acheulean bouchers, occur
aboye a series of lacustrine beds which occupy a hollow
in the boulder clay, and his observations have since been
abundantly confirlned by the explorations of 1\11'. Clement
Reid, lllade on behalf of a Committee appointed by the
British Association. 3 By Ineans of borings and trial

;;
_

;

'':1

!:
...

-
__. "
.

_ -
_
A :_;g

"!).
c;:
;;:t__ __ ___ __ ___

FIG. 233.-
ection at Hoxne. å, Boulder clay; b, lacustrine clay; c, liguite ;
d, black loam with Arctic plants; e, loam; 8, sand. Acheulean bouchers
occur in e and 8. Scale 200 feet to I inch. (After Clement Reid,)

pits Reid established the following succession (Fig.
233) :-.A.t the base is Chalky boulder clay (ct), resting
on glacial sands; a hollow in this is filled \vith (b)
lacustrine beds, 20 feet in thicl}ness, (c) a layer of lignite
with remains of a tenlperate flora, (d) lacustrine l)ell

20 feet in thickness, containing an .L\rctic or sub-Arctic

1 J. Prestwich, op. cit. Phil. Trans., 1
ü9, VoL CL. p. 305.
2 John Frere, A1'chO'ologia, 1800, VoL XIII. p. 206. .
3 "The Relation of Palæolithic Man to the Glacial Epuch, Report of
the Committee, drawn up by Clement Reid," Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1896,
Li verpool, pp. 400-415.

XIV

CHRONOLOGY

4 01

flora, and finally, (e) the ilnplenlent-hearing hrick-earth
and gravel. 11epresellting this in a vertical COIUlllll ,ve
have:-

Acheulean industry.
Cold climate (Betllla lW1//l, Salix jJolw'i.fl).
Temperate climate (Alnw; ylllfino.wl, HOlM caninrl).
Glacial climate (Chalky houlder clay).

Soon after tbe puhlieation of Prest\vich's first paper,
additional evillence ,vas ohtained at another faluous
locality, the Biddenhanl gravel pits, which were visited
ill 1861 by Prest\vich, Evan
, and I--Jyell in conlpany.

rhe section given by Prest\vich (Fig. 28-1) sho\ys at a

!I

.
ANGEli
",,,,,
BlðDENNAA# RAt'''''''''''''' eU7Y"Nð E
w. :/2$ Fe II: (;'
A"C
P'T '\1"'- _ ÐLLYoI<rD 27'1

h

J _ ..þ. Q t!t-3' ,

':

'_-
: .:

J_r!:

.:::-::-l

':;

=
=
-. e- -

=
"_ _ _
_ 2

L''''

DI'" TAlC Ovdl. ;!1fT Ð1o'Ø/'iiD 3

LE"4"S-.
TItII S#A

FIG. 23-t.-Section across the valley of the Ouse, two miles \VNW. of Bedford.
3, Cornhrash; 2, Oxford clay; 1, boulder clay, rising to 90 feet aho\'e
thè Onse; rl, riyer gra\'el with Aehculeo.n implements, mammoth, awl
Hydmbia nuuginut(t ; c, recent ri\'er gravel; a, recent alluvium of the
Ouse. (After Prestwich.) 1

glance that the valley of the Ùuse Inust have been cut
out through the houl(ler clay before the ilnplement-
hearing gravel had heen (lepositetl. l\Iy own aC(luaint-
ance \vith thiB suhject dates froIll a visit Inade to this
lo('ality in 1868, and I have al\vays regarded tl11"\
evidence it affor(ls as definite and conclusive.
rrhe age of the Chalky boulder clay thus becoilles a
question of capital Ül1portallce. It is said to be the
11lOst recent glacial deposit in Norfolk, Lut it is probably
not the nlo
t recent in the British J sIcs; the IIcsslc

1 C, Lyel], The Antiquity of j,\Iftn, Lontlon, IRfj:
, p. Ita, Fig. 23, anù
.J. Prestwich, "On the Geology of the Deposit
containing Flint Imple-
ments and on the Loess," Phil. Trans., I8ß4, Y(JI. ULIV. p. 2ù4.
D 0

4 ò2

ANCIENT HUN'fERS

CHAP.

boulder clay or the Purple boulder clay nlay very ,veIl be
younger, and \ve nlight fairly correlatc the Chalky boulder
clay with the nloraillcs of the third glacial episode in
the Alps. This is also the opinion of Prof. Boule, \vho
long ago suggested as a result of an exhaustive survey
of the facts that the Lower Palæolithic deposits are
later than the third and earlier than the fourth glacial
episode.
But ,ve 111USt he careful to <lit;crÏlninate between the
various stages of the Lo,ver Palæoli thic epoch. The
argull1ent,
o far as it has gone, has proved nothing ,vith
respect to this period as a ,vhole ; all that has Leen shu\vn
is that certainly SOuLP j)a}'t, perhaps the \vhule, of thp
Aeheulectn age is later" thrtn the Cfj
(tlky bouldc}' clay.
There can be no doubt about this. And I think it is
equally certain that the Acheulean, as a \vhole, or in"
part, can be sho,vn to be later than the third glacial
episode in France. Thus Prof. Boule has pointed out
that Acheulean houchers occur overlying the nloraines
of the third glacial episode, but not those of the fourth.
He cites the fact that 1\1. Tardy found one of these
bouchers on the right bank of the .L\.in, above alluviulTI
,vhich overlies the undisturbed moraine of the great
Rhône glacier, and that in 1908
I. Lebrun found another
near' Conliege,1 5 kilonletres south-east of LOl1s-le-
Saunier, i.e. in a region occupied by the ice during its
greatest extension, or in the third glacial episode. 'The
implement found by lVI. Lebrun ,vas a snla11 one, only
three inches in length, and lnigh t have belonged to the
first stage of the l\Iousterian.
Ahnost equally cogent evidence i8 afforded by the
basin of the Garonne, Horth of the Pyrenees. 11"our
terraces can bo traced along tho course of this river, and
1 Sec map, Fig. 5.

XIV

CHRONOLOGY

4 0 3

they have been correlated by Oberluaier, l with the foul'
terraces of the Eastorn A Ips. 1'11e lo\vest is aòout
15 Inetres ahove the alluvial }!lain, [1nt1 ends to\vards
the n10untains in a lnoraine; the next is 55 llletres
above the plain, and contains quartzite in1plen1ents
of .L
e heuleall type; the renulÍning terraces, ,vhich
stand higher still, have not afforded any traces of
hun1an industry. It ,vould thus appear that Llcheulean
man inhahitecl the south of France during, or after, the
third glacial episode. 'rhe conten1porary fauna as shown
by fossils ,vas arcta-alpine (n1anll11oth, ,yoolly rhinoceros,
and reindeer). Penck has endeavoured to ,,"eaken this
conclusion by an attenlpt to show that the 55 n1etres
terrace i? on the horizon of the second, and not the third
of the East Alpine terraces, but after a visit to this region,
I cannot hel}! thinking tlHtt OLcl'll1aier's explanation is
correct.
If, ho\vever, the .A.cheuleall is suh
cquent to the third
glacial cpis( ,ele in Engl:1nc1 and the greater part of France,
and conten1porary
vith it in the GaronIlo, then the only
place left for the Chellean, \vith its ,varrn fauna, is in
the second genial episode; no doubt at the very end of
that episode, or precisely \vhcre Penck has placed it,
the
Iousterian, or that part of it ,vhich is associated
\vith a ,varn1 fauna, then falls naturally into place in
the third genial episode. Thus ,ve arrive at the scheme
sho\YI1 in the diagranl (Fig. 235).
I think this fairly re}!rcsents the cOI1í'lusions ,vhich
follo\\" fron1 an inlpartial revic,y of the evidence, but I
am by no means so surc of its truth. 'rhc argU111cnt is
heset at aln10
t every step l.y too 111Hny unecrtaintics,
anfl \vr nUtY have long to "'
[1it Leforc the fortunate di
-

1 lIngo Ohcrmaier, "Beiträge l;Ul' KentniR:-> dCR Qnal't:ire in den
Pyrenaen," AI'ch. f". Allfhr. N.F" lHOU, Yu!. I\r. p.
uu.
002

4 0 4

ANCIENT HUNTERS

CHAP.

covery is lnade \vhich \vill furnish us \vith the key to
this problenl. For the present we nlay content ourselves
\vith the reflection that the relative order in \vhich the
Palæolithic stages succeed one another in Europe has
been definitely ascertained, and some fixed points have
been determined in relation to river terraces and glacial
deposits, \vhile the characters of the successive races

MÐters
-300

Chellean

Acheulean

Moustenan Magdaleman
________ _ _ _ _J
__ -- -- - -- T

600

------------------- -----
"00 -------------------- ----------------------
2 Genial 3 Genial _ _ _ _ _ - - - - - - - - - - - .
I
- - - --- -- - - - - - - - - ÏIÎ GiãciaÏ episodë - - - - - - - - IV Glacial episode

s

FIG. 23.3.-Chronological scale. T. Scale of time; the unit is 1000 years.
S. Scale of the snow-line. (The positive and negative signs shoul<l change
places. )

which have occupied the soil have been revealed in
unexpected detai].
In casting a retrospective glance over our results \ye
shall recognise as one of the nlost salient facts the
progressi ve nature of the 11 unlall race. This is inlnle-
diately obvious in the practical arts of life; even in the
Lower Paheolithic epoch each successi ve stage l)ring3
\vith it some improvelnent in the faLrication uf its rude
stone inlplenlents. l.jater on, as a use is discovered for
other kinds of Inateria], nc\v nlethods are devised and
the workman beconles continually exercised to greater
skilJ.
Still more remarkable is the \vonderfuI unfolding of
the inner life. Even at a conlparatively early stage
man is found expressing his syn1pathy \vith the living
world around hin1 in works of art, many of them as-
tonishing ill their absence of convention and their

XIV

CHRONOLOGY

4 0 5

faithful rendering of beautiful forn1s. l-'he hits of life
\vhich the artist has felt, \vhich have fastened on his
n1en10ry, and which he delights to recall \vith brush or
burin-the boar ll1a.killg its fierce charge, the n1are
tending her playful colt, the reindeer grazing by a quiet
pool-these also appeal to us. 'Ve luok across the ages
and ,ve recugnise in these hunters a reflex ion - of our-
selyes.
In addition ,ve discover the syn1lJathy of n1an for
InaH. 'Ve stan<l hy the open grave and look upon the
last gifts ,vhich the mourners in an innocent super-
stition have provided for the spirit's adventurous journey
in another \vorld. IIere \ve are 111ade a,vare of a faith
in the unkno\vn and the quickening of immortal hopes.
Thus all through the din1ly discerned history of
ancestral nutn the facts bear \Vitlless to the unfolding of
a progressive being.
But according to Prof. Boule, the primitive hunter,
\vho already entertained the expectation of another life,
\vas endo,ved \vith a brain \\-hich
till reta.ined n1an y of
the original characters of the ape. The brain of lnodern
luan has been purified of these.
If this be so, theu it \vould seen1 probable that the
progress recorded by the ,vorks of man's hand \vas
accon1panied hy lnodifications in the structure of his
braille
IIere ,ye arc face to faee with that mystery of
lnysterie
, the problelll of evolution, for ,yhich no
ingenuity, ho\vever great, has yet furnished a
ulutioll.
Natural selection, that idol of the 'Tietorian era, 111ay
accol11plish n1uch, but it creates nothing.
In the n1atters of invention, discovery, the attain-
nlent of skill, ,ve have s(nne expericncp of the inner
nature of the process; it involves the n1Ïnd, \vi th its

4 06

ANCIEN1
HUNTERS

CR. XIV

po\vers of observation, retlexion, and in1agination, and
it is accolnpanied by a sense of effort. 'Vhen the effort
is slight and the result appears disproportionately
great, ,ye speak of it as inspiration, and this is another
mystery.
If these experiences \vithin ourselves correspond
\vith a progressive modifieation of the substance of the
brain, as 1\1. Buule'
ob
ervatiolls 111ight suggest, then it
,vould seen1 lJossible that the fundan1clltal cause in the
whole process of evolution i8 in reality an affair of the
n1in d.
"T e knovv very little of the po\yers of the luind, on
this subject \ve are scarcely 1110re ad vallced than were
the ancient hunters in their kno\vledge of the latent
potency of n1atter.
'rhe nlaterial universe natural science has already
subjected in no slnall degree to her s,vay; her next
great triulllphs ,vill follo\v fronl the experinlcntal
in vestigatioll of the inner \vorld.

INDEX

A

\bbott, \v. J. L., 58, 8H, :
85

\cheuleall, 122, ::111, 402
Adger, petroglyphs at, 303
.\dhemar's hypothesis, 2:-3
Atllofi', P., 155

\gassiz, L., 3
Age of Ulural paintings,
4n
_\inos, 248
Alcohulic drinks, Tasnmnian, ';7;
Australian, un ; Bushman, 2.H
.\lgeria, petroglyphs in, 303
.Algonkians, :3ù5

\ll Father, The, 1H;,), 2HO
.Altamira, 22:1, 227
.\msterdam, boring at, lOti
.Andaman Islands, ß2
.Anderson, A. A., 271, 280
Alldert;oll, J., :37U, 385, 386
Andersson, Gunnar, 394
.Andrews, C. \V., 51
.Angakok, 352, 353

\nilllal language, 288
_ \n viIs (stone), rrasmanian, 75;
:I\lesvinian, 112
.\eluila, C., i27

\rh()m;set, 1'., 2-l0, 271, 28!),
HO,

! )(j

\rctic fox, 138, 141

\rctic hare, 1:39
.Arctic rodent deposits, 142
Arrow heads, 2Ü8, :
07, 312, :313
Arrow poise HIS,
7:3. :318
.\l'row straighteners, 7
, 220,
H!.,
32U
.\rt, Aurignacian. 2
2; Bushman,
2
U; l\lagdalelliall, :
J(j; E:-.;kinw,
3(j!)

Art and magic, 245
Assegais (flint), 308
Atlm pascans, 355
Aurignacian .Age, 210; hone point,
2lH; cranial capacity, 268; dis-
tribution of industry, 212 ;
figurines, 261 ; races, 26!) ; skull,
2H7
Australia, isolation of, 8()

\ustralian ahorigines, 170, 319,
:l.t-9; mural paintings, 251 ; skull
compared with the .N ealldertal,
lU1; with that of Pithecan-
thropus, :36 ; Se\Vlng, 184 :
weapons, 171 ·
Avebury, Lord, 99, 314
.Azilians, 378, 384

B

Baboons, Bushman legend of, 288
Backhouse, J., 77
Uächler, E., :3B9
Battin Land, 324
Bag-fasteners. Eskimo. :333
l
agfonl awl Hearn, 1] 7
Bail1e
, re., 271
Baker, J., 127
Balfour, H., n1, 280, a2:3
Balsa (a raft), 79, 81
Bardon, L., and Bouyssonie, \..
and .1., 14H, 21H, :W7,

)8, :
Og,
:311. :n:3
Hark hoat (Australian), 182
Barme Grande. 'fclltone, 2()2. 2ü4
Harngeet, a non-returning buome-
rang, l';U
Barrow, J., 24
, 271, 280, 28

4 0 ]

4 08

INDEX

Bartels, 280
Barter (primitive), 187
Haith, H., 30:

Bass Strait, 8H
Basutoland Bushmen. 284
Batons de Cümmandement, 220,
320, 321-323
Beads (Bushmel1'&), 283
Beaked burin, 218
Bear, 1\lagdalenian drawing uf, 343
Heddard, F. E., 127
Bee-cuckoo, 279
Belgium, 378
Belle-Assize, 68
Bell, A. 1\iontgomery, 1:
:

Belt-fastener, Eskimo, :
36
Bengawan River, 31
Bent, J. rr" 271
Bering Strait, 3:
3
Berthelot, 1\J., 334
Beverages, 77, 191, 278
Biddenham gravel pits, 401
Blankenhoru, 1\1., 33
Bleek, 'V. If. J., 271, i87, 2fH
Bleek, E. D, 280, 283
Buas, :F., 220, 240, :124, 32ß, 3öö
Boats, 182, :
fm, 3()5
Boncelles, 59
Bone implements, 180, 182, 219,
299, 310, 312, 315, 359, 3ö3
Bone needles, 2m., 310, :329
Bone pins, 180, 325, 3()5
Bonnet, R. (and G. Steinmann), 5H
Bonney, rr. G" 5
Boomerang", 172, 17H, 235
Boucher, 75, 113, 122, 124
Boucher de Perthes, 54, 100
Bouchet, C., 55
Boulder clay, ß
Boule, 1\1., 57, 65, f>6, 78, 1] 1, 149,
153, 156, 167, 2
6, 385, 38ß, :398,
402
Bourgois, L'Ahhé, 53
Bouyssonie, A. and J. (aud L.
Bardon), .<;I'e Bardon
Box (Bn.1'1l8 8C1n/)('I'Vlt'('HS), "27
Buw and arrows, 273, :3ü3
Bow chill, 331, :370
Bracht, 1\1., 59
Branca, O. Z., 2H, 172
Brassempouy, 2()2,
f):3, 264, 265,
315, :
4()
Breuil, H., ß8, ()9, 210, 222, 22ß,
247, 250, 261, 315, 316, 3"21, 327,
328, 333, 339, 340, 344, 345, 346

Brierly, J., 354
Broca's area, 37
Br(;)gger, "T. C., 105, 387, :39ß
Brown, F. ,Yo G., 280
Brown, J. A., 53
BrÜckner, E. (and A. Penck), see
Penck and Brilckner
Brulliquel, 31ß, :
28, :
2f), :
44, 343
n'ulHl11l8 antiqwls, 303, :104
Bull, of percussion, 110
Bull-roarer, 198, 346, 347
BÜmuller, J., 39
Bunjil (an A ustralian God), In3
Burchell, 'V. J., 23H, 254, 271, 275,
282, 28()
Burial, 205, 290
Burma, 58
Burins, 218, 313
Burrard and Hayden, 1ß
Bushmen, 47, 252, 272
Buttner, C. G., 280
Byrne, 1\Iiss .F'., 215, 241

C

(;amphell, J., 271
Canus n(',<;('hel'ellxi
, 41
Cannibalism, 145, 14(-), In;), 192
Cape Colony, 258, 275, 281
Capitan, L., 78, 117, 226
Uaros
, Bushman's, 282
Cartailhac, E. 1\1., 78, 344
Cartailhac, E.1\i., (and 13reuil, II.),
22(i, 235, 238, 247, 3lf>, :344
Carthaus, M., 33
Castlemeule, Dordogne,
20,
n9
Cave bear, 144
Cazalis de FonJouce, :115, 31ö, 3
8
Chamois, 1:
9, :342
CC1'L'IlS elaph/l.';, :12H, 385
('hancelade, skeletun uf, 372
Chapelle aux
aintH, La, 14(), l(i7
Charrcd lJunc:-;, 144
Chatelpcrron point, :H()
Chelleall, ] 1:3, :311
Chelles, 1 L3
Chimpanzee and Pithecanthropus,
:
ö
Chiefs, Australian, 1fJ;3
Chin of lower jaw, 45
Chiron, 1\1. L., 225
Chot[ uet, 1\1., 121
Chronology, 391
Chudzinski, M" 355

INDEX

Chukchi
, an Arctic tl'ihe, 348, :{32
Uhuringa, 78, lBO, :
4()
Classification of Palæolithic indus-
tries, !)H
Climate, 1, 17, 97, 12ß, 128, l:W,
216, :
10, :148, :38U, :38H, 394, 4U1
Clothing, 70, 184,
82, :1=!9,. 343,
:3ß:3
Cog-ul (t;paiu),
4
, 236, 237, 3U8
CulJill
, Culunel, 170, H)8, 1n9,
iOO
Colours m
elÌ at Altamira, 23U
Com harelles, Les, 2;36, 244.
Comlllont, Y., n.), 100, 101, 10:3,
IOU, 107, 113, 114, 113, 11fi, 12:3,
124, 123, 1:
O, 1;
4, 1:
5, 1:
6, :398
Cone of percussion, 110
Conliege, 402
Connexioll of Europe with K.
America, :)7
)
Cook, A. B., 78. :347
Cook, Captain, 185, ] n

Cooking, 7f), UH
Coup de poing, 74
Cranial capacity, apes, 37 ; Aurigna-
ciall
, 2()8; Bu
hlllcn, 2()H;
Chancclade, 375; Crô 1\lagnon,
373; Eskimo, 354; Gibraltar,
158; in relation to intellect, H;O;
La Chapelle aux Saints, 157;
X eandertal, 157; Pithecanthro-
pus, :37; Spy, 157; Tasmanian,
83; Tyrolese, 37, :38
Crayford, brickearth, 107
Crayons, J..urignaciall. i:n
Cresswell Crag, ;3;m, 377, 379
CrolL J., 23
Crô 1\Iagnon, 299, ::n:3, :372
Cromer Forest bcd, 58
Cross, 1\1., 2n4
Cunningham, J. D., :34, 152
CYlleotrichi, 170, 2()!}

D

lJ'Acy, E., :>;)
Daggers (Hint), ] 12, 117 (reindeer
horn), :34ú
Daleau, F., i2i1
Dall, \\T. n., ;332, :
7H
Dances, 1m",
85,
U;j, :!
}H
Daramulun (Australian god), 1!Ui
Dayid, T. 'r. .E. (Da,'id, Helms,
and Pitman), 13

+09

Dawkins, 'V. B., 121, :321, 323,
34!)
Oa ","son, G. \V., :37H
Dead, cult of the, 147, 203, 2(16,
2t)8, 290, 372, 386
Déchelette, J.. 116, 34H
Deniker, J., :333
Dhauladhar region, 16
Didion, lVI., 220
Digging stick, 190, 277, 32

Di
tribution, Bushman paintings in

-tfrica, :102; Chellean industry,
117; the Eskimo, :152; :L\Iagda-
lenian industry, 377 ; 1\Iousterian
industry, 13()
Dordogne, 142
Dornan, S. S., 271, 280, 284
Duts in mural paintings, 234, 244,
2"")2, 25(), 258
Drawings, 79, 251
Dubois, E., 2Ç), :31-34, 37
Duckworth, 'V. L. H., 170
Du Xoyer, G. Y"., 388
Dupont, 1\1. E., 2t)4, 348
Dutton, C. E" 187
Du,'cyrier, 303

E

Eastern Alps, 17
East Hunton, 5R
Egede, Hans, :
t)]
Egypt, ;304
Elands pursued hy lions,
33
Elbert, J., 2H, 3:

Elephant, African, 127
Blephas wdÙl'ws, 40, 4=!, 1
()
" Cui "mhi, lIB
" Inrlirus, 127
" Jat'/;,'wni, lIB
" mcridionflli.'{, 1:!()
" nU)/Hlc.lif"ll.'{, 118
}Jl'imiyrni"s, 12;), ]2H, 137,

:!4:3

4 10

INDEX

Europe in the Palæolithic epoch,
92, 215
Evans, Sir A., 346
Evans,
ir J., 89, 100, 116, 325
Extermination of Bushmen, 300;
of Tasmanians, 86
Eyre, E. J., 170, 190
Eyzies, Les, 142

F

Fabre, J. II., 296
}'ace of N eandertalman, 152
Fauna, Acheulean, 121; Aurig-
nacian, 211; .Azilian, 385,
Chellean, 120; Lower Palæolithic,
96; Magdalenian, 347; Mous-
terian, 137; North American
tundra, 355; Northern and
Southern, 121 ; Trinil (l{endeng-
heds) 31 ; warm and cold, 137
Femme au renne, 340
Femur, Pithecanthropus, :3B ;
Paviland, 213 ; Bushman, 272
Ficrons, fornl of boucher, 114
Figig, 303
Figurines, Aurignacian, 261
Fillet, La, 265
Filter pump, Bushman's, 279
Fine arts, birth of, 222
Fire-sticks, 77
Fishing, 18D, 299, 327, 3ßO
Fish-hooks, 327
Flamand, G. B. 1\1., 303, 304
Flèche à peduncle, 307
Flint, method of working, 131,
173, :308
:Flora, IIÖtting breccia, 26; North
American tundra, 351
Folk-lore of Bushmen, 287
Fontarllaud, 328
Font de Gaume, 233
]'ood, of .Aurignacians, 222 ;
Australians, 188 ; Azilians, 387 ;
Bushmen, 273-276; Eskinlo,
355; 1\Iammoth, 137; Mouster-
ians, 144 ; Tasmanians, 76; ,v Golly
Hhinoceros, l;m
Footprint of lllan (Niaux),
35
Forbes, H. 0., 339
Foreign bodies conjured out of sick
persons, 294

Forest bed of Cromer, 41
Fuureau, F., 303
Fowler, H. 'V., and ]-'. G.,
206
Fraipont, J., and 1\Iax Lohest, 151,
153, 156, 163
Fraser, J. G., 193
Frere, John, 117, 400
Friedenberg, 'V., 42
Fritsch, G., 254, 271, 280

G

Gargas, 238
Garenne, ;329
Garonne, terraces of, 402
Gaudry, A., 100
Gautier, E. F., 303
Geer, Baron G. de, 13, 10:>, ;
!.J,
395
Geikie, Sir A., 388, 389
Geikie, J" 6, 7, 23, 106
Gennap, A. van, 292
Giants of
ientone, 372
Gibraltar skull, 151, 158
Girod and 1\1assénat, 315
Glenelg .Valley, Australia, 251
Glutton, the, 132, 141, 347
Goose, drawing of, 343
(jorge d'Enfer, ;31;3
Gorges (for fishing), 327
Gorjanovié-Kramberger, 145, 155,
165, 16()
Gorner Grat, ;3
Gosselet, J., lOti, 107
Gourdan, 343
Government, Australians, 1ü3;
Bushmen, 3UO ; Eskimo, 352
Grattoir carénés, 216
Gravette point, Le, 218
Greenlanders, 354
Greenly, Lieut., 138
Gregory, J. 'V., 13, 17
Grey, Sir G., 170
Griqua-lalld 'Vest, 25H
Grotesflue fi
nros, 24H
Grotte ùe Baousse- Roussés, 30Ü;
d'Eglise, 30B; do la Biche-aux-
Roches, Spy, lü3; de In Font
Robert, :309, 311; de K oailles,
313 ; des Enfants, 2ü()

INDEX

Grottes de Grimaldi, 372
Grotto de San Ciro, Palermo, 144
Guel'ville, 1\Ialltes, G5

H

Habitations,
\.ustralian, 183 ;
Bushman,
84; Eskimo, :
60,
:1(;3; 1\fom;terian, 142
Haddon, A. C., 1V3, 272, 273,
347
Hahn, 'r., 271, 293
" E., 278
Hail', ..-\ ustralian, 170; Bushman,
27
; Eskimo, ;3j4; Tasmanian,
82
Ham berg,
\.., 379
Ifamy, E. '1'., 348
Hanth;, imprints of, 238, 251
l!are, Arcti(;, 139, 142
" piping. l:
H, 142
l-Iarló. 1\1., 227
Harmer, F. 'Y., 10fi
lfarpoon, bone, Azilian, ;381) ; Bush-
man, 2D!.; Eskimo, ;
f):>, 3H7;
1\lagdalcnian, 312, ;3Hi, 317;
Ojibways, :
()f)
Harris, Captain, 222
l-Iarrison, B., 8B
Hauser and Klaatsch, 147
l-Iautes Pyrenées, 2HO
Hawkesworth, J., 170, lU2
Hayden, see Burrard awl Hayden
Hearn, see Bagford and Hearn
Heidelberg jaw, 4;J, 48, 4H, 121
Heim, --\., 3U3
Helin, Spieulles, 107, 108, IOU
IIelve; did the boucheI' possess a
helve 1114
IIermilio, .Alcade del Rio, 317
Himalaya, glaciation of, 1ö
J Iinton aud l{ellnard, 107
Hippopotamus as foud, 14-1
IIocl'nes, 1\1., 78. 2ö3, 323
Hötting, 24, 23, 3Ul
1 I (Iftillan, :33:J
] rolland,
ir 'e., lOG
l1vu!'o, ((/],inHS, 3
7; l[l.i,Jelùerrl-
eu.-;;s, ;m, 40, 4;-" 48; JIOll."f{'J i-
('nsÙ;, 1....7
1loll/,osÍlnills, ;)J, jf.)
] [orse, 1;
8, :no
llough, 'V., :334

4 11

Howitt, Â. \V., 170, 178, 186, 196,
198
Hoxne,
uffolk, 117, 400
Hredlicka, A., 355
Ruene, Baron von, 387
Human form, engraved, 340 ;
painted, 248, 256; sculptured,
261
Huntingdon, E., 1
Huxley, T. H., 150, 136

I

Ibex, 139, :344
Ice-sheet, boundary in Europe, 8,
10 ; in N. America, 11
Iller, valley of the, 1U
Impressions of human hands,
3U
India, Chellean Ünplements, 117
Infantile stage of art, 370
Inion, the, 157
Initiation ceremonies, Australia,
195, 198; Bushman, 2U2
Inn, valley of the, 24
[nnuit, 351
Intellectual powers of Bu
hlllell,
200
Interglacial deposits, 23, 28
Interlacing lines, 238
Intoxicating "drinks, see Alcohulic
Interment, see Dead, cult of the
I sard, 34:3
Isidore Hispalensis, 172
I vory carvings, 260-265, 320, 333,
336, 347

J

"Jackal's-tail," worn by Bushmen,
282
Jaclluot, F., 30:

Java, ?,n
Jaw, Heiddherg, 42; Spy and
l\:rapilla, 45
Juhnsun, J. P., 2üö, 237, 280, 2U7,
:!U8
Johnston, R. 1\1., 83
" Ie, 300
Jones, T. Rupert, 58, t)H

I\:

'}\:aang, 28R, 28U
l{:tlaha.ri Desert,
7i, 291, 301

4 12

INDEX

'R.alahétlué, 276
Kamchadels, :352
I{arakorum, ancient glaciation of,
1()
I{arsten, G.. ;113
I{eith, A., 138
Kendall, P., 13
I{endeng Hills, Java, :
O
}{enhan, G., 34H
l{ennard, see Hinton anù Kennarù
}{ent's Hole,
rorCjuay, 117, 118,

23, 377
l{enya, JUt., Hi
Kesslorloch, :316, :
44, :
4i>, :169
, Kihi (digging stick), 27!), 2ns
I{]aatsch, H., 32, 33, 3!J, 8U, 147,
167 :322
I '
I{nies, J., :3:3H
I{night, C. R., 125, 128
'Ko-'ku-carra dance,
86
Kolbe, 271
}{och, R., :302
Kraal, Bushnmn's,
84
I{rapina, 45, 1()4
!(rems, 212, 2(i2

L

Laloy, 1\1., :34!)
La l\lanche du poignard, 265
Lamp, Eskimu, :3()l; l\íagdalenian,
:3;
2, :3:3;
, 334
Lamplugh, G. \V., 28
Lapparent, Â. de, 8, lOG
Lartet and Christy, see ReI. Aq.
Laugerie Basse, 261,
62, :)1:
, 315,
321, 338, :340-342, :344, 345
Lebrun, lY1., 402
Leiotrichi, 351
Lemming, 139, 142, 348
Lemué, IVIiss, 291
Los Eyzies, :31:3
Lepsius, V., :1!H
Levallois flake, 1

, 124, 130, 13:3,
1:34
Leveret
, F., 11
Lichtenstein, }i.,
71
Life after death, 2BO
Li-lil, 17!), 2;35
"Limande," a form of boucher, 114
Limon fendillé, 101, 108
Lines, interlacing, 238; undu-
lating,
;)8
Lion, 142, 287

Lissoir (ivory smoother), 214, 368
Lissotrichi, 82
Livingstone, D., 271, 276, 287, 290
Lloyd, lYIiss, 287
Locust cake and porridge, 278
Loess, 10, 106, 211, 212, 392
Longinymph, 261
Lorthet, Haute Pyrenées, 339,
34:3
Lourdes, 2ßU
Luhbock, Sir J. (Lord Avebury),
H9
Lucian, of Sanlosata, 206
Luschan, F. Yon, 280
Lyell, Sir C., 126, 401
Lys, valley of the, 108

1\1

MacGee, 'V. J., 6:3, 81
l\lachairodus, 96
l\Ic}\>lahon, C. A., 16
1\lackellzie, J., 271
1\ladeleine, La, 313, 321, 324, 3:
7,
340, 341
MafRian, 109
1\'fagdalenian, i99, :311, 312, :347
1\Iagic and art, 245, 29:3
Mammoth, 125, 126, 137, 343
1\lan, H., 62
Man anù the glacial epoch, 50
Mantis, the, 295
Marginal flaking, 311
Marmot, 139
Marriage. Bushman,

1
J\lartin, K., 29
Mas d' Azil, 25
, 2H4, :333, 340,
;
4L
MassénÚt, see Girod and J\lasf;énat
Maszyckil, Poland, :315
lYlatrincham, 236
l\lax Lohest, see Fraipollt and J\lax
Lohest
1\Iauer, jaw, 4G ; sands, 40
1\'Iayet, L., 5H, f>7
1\ledicine man, 1!J4, 294, :352, :33:3
1\'fentone, 2t;4, 372
l\lerck, K., ;316, ;
38, :
45
J\lessage sticks, 187, 188, :347
l\'lesvinian, 109
l\Jethuen, H, H., 271
Meyer, H., 17
l\licoque La, 122-124
l\liddle Palæolithic, 130

l\Iigration of Bushmen, :
01;
l\Iagdalenians, :348
Mo'Koma dance, 293
l\Iolyneux, A. J. C., 280
Monaco, Prince of, 372
Moore, T. B., 1:3
l\l o ral code, H):3
l\Toreno, F. R., 13
1\lurocco, 30;3
l\:1ortillet, A. de, 78, ;30H, :313, 320,
:321, :324, 32H, :341, :342, :143
l\lortillet, G. de, 47, 55, 5t>, 57, 100,
115, 116
l\loszeik, 0., 257, 280, 207, 303
l\iousterian, 1:30, 311
l\Ioustier, Le, 1:35, 142, 167, 247
lVlouthe, La, 225, 334
Movements of British Isles, Ion
l\'I unck, E. de, 59
M ural paintings, 223
l\lusical instruments, 285
Musk ox, 138, 140, ;344, :-)47, :356
l\lurzuk, Fezzan, 302
Mutilation of fingers, 18
, i:38-
243, 349
1\iythological Bushman p:Üntings,
2n4

K

Namaquahmd, 275
:Nasal gutters, 2U7
N aulette, La, lß4
N candertal skeleton, 148
Needle cases, Eskimo, :
()6
Negroid race, of l\Ientone, 2'j7;
of the rphehaid,
mÞ
Nelson, E. 'V., :317, :t
:

Neolithic, 98
New Zealand, glaciation of, 14
N'gwa, 274, 276
N iaux, lllural paintings, 23:

Noetling, }'., 58
North Sea, 10.')
N ortun Sou nd,
:{;1
Nor.;epin, Australian, 18
; Bushman,

U

N uesch, .J.,
!)7

o

Ohan, Azilian remains, :
7n, :
87
()])('rlllaier, If., G
, 111, 11(;, 1:!
,
1:!4, 40:

INDEX

+13

Ocean, creation of by Bunjil, 19;)
Ochre, red, 71, 18G, 22;), :!41, :!
3,
283, 2no, :310, :386
()fnet, 'VÜl'tem berg, :38;)
Oldham, R. D., ;)8
Ol'angia, 2
t:3, :!fJ7, :W8, :{O
, :m4
Orpen, J.
I., :!88, :!H-t
Oshorn, J., 9G, 123, 128
Ossowski, G., :-n

Ostrich, 2õ:
, :!H7
Otta, ;-)6
Ownership marks,
14

P

Painted c
t.Yes, :!27 et se(l.
Painted pebbles, 77, 384
Paint tubes, 2:{1, 232, :{Ol
Painters, specially gifted Bushmen,
29

Pair-non-pair, 223, 249
Palettes, 2
3
Park, J., 14
Patagonia, glaciation of, 14. 13
Passarge, S., 271, 273, :!79, 28;;,
288, 290, 2Hl, 296
Paviland cave, 21:{
Pectiniform signs, 244
Pemmican, 338
Penck and Briickner,5, 9,14, 18, 20,
2:{, i3, :!7, :!8, lü7, :m:?, :m4.
:{U7 -:199, 40:{
Perfumes used by Dushwomen,
284
Peringuey, L., 280, 2
1, 28:!
Pestles for grinding reù ochre, 223
Petrie, Flinders, 14;)
Peyrony, 1\I., 2:{:

Phallus, ivury image of,
21
Piette, E., 77, 7
, 2:!1, :!47.
;;o
2õa,
():
-:!()i), :!t)
, :!ü9, :
J n, :H7,
:
:!7, :{:
:
, :tm, :
40, :
41, :
4:
, :
4H,
:18H
Piette and de la Porterie, 315
Pithecanthropus, :
O, :
i, :33,
8,
;;0
Piping hare, l:m, :
48
Plateau implements, 8n
Platycnemia and platYlllory, :
8R
Pleistocene, dura.tion of, i; geo-
graphy of, D:?
Point-à-cran, :HO; point en fellille
de laurier, :307, :mn
Poisons, arrow, 27:
, :H

4 1 4

INDEX

Poison groove, 817
Polar Eskimo, 333
Pont..à- Lesse, 262, i64
Pottery, 29B
Portugal, 117
Poulton, E. B., 295
Praeger, R. L., 389, :
94
Pi'edmost, Moravia, 222, 2ù2,
2n
Presentiments, 2
n
Prestwich, Sir. J., 8!), 90, 100, 400,
401
Productive ceremonies, 200
Property, recognised rights of, H)4
Prozesky, 295
Pruner Bey, 348, 372
Przewalsky, 342
Przewalsky's wild horse, 1:17
Pumpelly, R., 1
Puy Oourny, 56
Pl1ydt De, and 1\lax Lohest, IG3

Q

Qing, 288,
95
Quatl'efages, De, 55, [;7
" and IIamy, 85
Quina, La, 1:12, l3G
(Juiver, 276

R

Racloir, 112
Raft, 79, 86, 181
Rames, J. B., 56
Itatzel, F., 277
Red Indians, 251, 349,
31
Red ochre, see Ochre, red
Reichenau, \V. von, 42
Reid, Olement, 400
Reinach, S., 78, 24!), 262, 26:
, 2G4,
296, 346
Reindeer, 138, 338-:
4U, 3fi7
Religion, H)4, 289, 296
Reliquiæ Aquitanicæ, :315, 324, 328,
:329, 345
Retouch, or marginal dressing, 218,
307, 308, 311
Reutelian, 109
Rharnn'us Hættingensis, 2G
Rhinoceros bicornis (African), 129;
etn.t
C1l:5, 40, 42; mP1"Ckii, 9(), 121 ;
ti('ho1'hin1ls (woolly), 121, 128,
137, 25:3

RlwdndendnJ'ì1. ponticllm, :W. i7
Rhone-glacier, 7
HiLiel'o, 0., 55
Rink, H., :)()4
River terraces, 18, 20, 10:3
Ri viere, E., 3:)2, 334
Rocheberthier, ;142
Roches n10utonnées, 6
Roth, H. Ling, 71, 77, 80, 8;{,
4,
88
Hoth, \V. E., 170, 1!):3
Runton, East. !)R
Rl1tot, A., 42, 5!), f):
, tit;, ù7, 7 G,
89, 104, 10H, IIi, lIH, 145

S

Baiga antelope, 34:1, 344, 347
Saint Acheul, 100-102, 113
Saint Marcel, :115, :U6, :3:3:3, :{:{
,
3:39, :345, 34U
Salensky, 'V., 137
Salmon, engraving of, 3:m
Salpétrière, :
16, :3i8
Santander, 22;3, 317,
U8
Sauer, A., 42
Sautuola, M. de,

:

Scandinavia, 105
Schaffhausen, :315, 3;{8
Scharff, R. E., :3
O
Schimper, :3
Schliz, .A., :{87
Schloemann, H., 280, 2
õ
Schlosser, Max, ;33, fi1
Schmidt, R. R., 14:3, ;
11, 385
Schoetensack, 0., 40, ;3i2
Schurz, 1-1., 278
Schwalbe, G., 33, :34
Scraper, 75, 112, ll(), 123, 1:
2,
1;34, 217, 297, :309, 31:3
Sculpture, 259, 2()2-2(j5, :342,
:36H
Seal (Phoca),
43, 3ti2
Selenka, E., :3;3
Selous, F. 0., 272
Seri Indians, H3, 81
Sewing, 184,
99, :3] 0, 32
., :
õ9,
3t>:3
Shaft straighteners, 220, 320 et
seq.
Sicily, .l\lousterian fauna, 144
Siffre, F., 44
Sinew twisters, :t
:1

Sirgenstein, 142, 14;{
Skull, Aurignacian, 2(:)7; Australian,
1fH; Bushman, 267 ; Chancellade,
:
72, ;
7 4; Crô ::\Iagnon, a73;
Krapina, 1.j4; La Chapelle aux
Saints, 149; Le l\ioustier, 167,
N eandertal, 148; Spy, 1()2;
Tasnmnian, 84 ; Tril1il, :32
Sledge, ;
4ß
Smith, R. fl., 170. 182, In3
" '\T. G" 130
Smoking, un, 279
Snow scraper, 3:31, 3G

Sollas, '\T. J., :
5, 51, 324, 326
Solutré, 222, 299, 307, 312
Solutrian, :
07
Somme, valley of the, 101, 102,
1:33
South America, glaciation of, 14
Spain, Chellean, 117
Sparrman, A., 271, 273, 276,
279
Spears, 71, 72, 171, 315
Spear thrower, 172, 178, :319, 320,
:3H9
Speech, :
.)
Spencer and Gillen, 170-178, 180,
183-185, 1D6-198, 200, 201
Spienlles, Belgium, 107
SPl1U(; rmenhdis iHtenlU, 47
Spokeshave, 72, 90
Spurrell, F., 1:
0
Spy, 45, 162

tatuettes, 2(;

Stature, Aurignacian, 2G8; Aus-
tra.lian, 170; Bushman, 2.,8;
Chancellade, 377 ; Crô Magnon,
:
7:
; Eskimo, :
54; N eandertal
ma.n, 1G8; Pithecanthropus, :
H;
Tasmanian, 81
Steatopygy, in1,
()2,
m., 340
Stecnshy, II. p" :
4U, ;)3;
, :
82
Sff'!lodon insignis, 119
Stein, .1\1. A., 1
Steinmann, G., see Bonnet and
Steinmann
Steyr, valley of the, 18
Stieda, A., 1U1
Stow, G. 'V., 222, 240, 25:
, 254,
259, 2GO, 271, 280, 282, 285,
2nO, 2B;3, 294, 2H7, :
01, :
02
Strepyan, 102, 109, IIi, 11:

ubdivision of lahour, IH7
Swan, drawing of the, ;
4:

Swaw:;comhe lIill, 107

INDEX

4 1 5

Switzerland in the Ice Age, R
Szombathy, J., 2fil,
W2

'T

Taa-poo-ta, 32i), 3:!6, 3UB
Tally sticks, :
4ß, ;
47
Tappenheimer, F., :
7, :
8
Tarascon-sur- Ariege, 2:
:)

rardenoisian, ;
87
Tardy, 1\1., 402
Tarté type, 21ü
Tasmania, glaciation of, 1:1
Tasmanians, 70
Tectiform signs,
4:

re:;;tu t, L., 373
, Tha, 27ß
ThallJitzer, 'V.,

54
Thames valley, 107, 108

rhanet sands, 68, (H)
Thayngell, ;1] 6
'rheal, (
. If., 271
Thenay, 53
Thomas, N. 'Y., 252
Throwing stick, see Spear thrower
Tibesti. :
O:

'Tikoe, 298, :
28
Toilet of Bush1\'Olnan, 283
Tongue, Miss I-Ielen, 2;)(;,
;)7,
238, 280, 281
Tooke, 'V. H., SOl
Topinard, F., 47, 8:>
Totem luarks, 318
Tout, C. H., 318
Tribal laws, 19:

Trinil, Java, 30, :31
Tropics, glaciation in, Ii)
Tuaregs, ;
o:{
Tundra of North Amcrica, 3i)]
Turner,.
Sir 'Y., R:>, :
8H

r'ylor, E. B., 7:
. 74, 7:>,
8

n

LTlotrichi,
2,
o

rndulating lines, 2:>8
Ur;'slIs ((1'l'PllPllSis, 4], 42
" lJeninyel'i, 41

,r

Yal d'Arno, 4]
YaJIey of the nll'i', IH,
O; lUll,

4 16

INDEX

. 24; Lys, 108 ; SOllune, 101, 102 ;
Steyr, 18; Thames, 107, 108
Venns iwpudicns, 2tH, 336; in-
nuuÛnata, 2H?); of 'Villendorf,
261, 2ß8
Verlleau, R., 2f)7, 268, :372
.Verworn, l\Iax, 57,
m, Gõ, 68
Victoria N yanza, :
02
Villefl'anche, :

m
Virchow, R., IGO, 1ü4, 242
Y olgu, :308, :
OU
Y olz, 'V., 29,

3

\V

\Valker, G. T., 17i, 180
\Valrus, 3ß2
'Varren, G. H., ()õ
" C., 272
'Vater, from roots of trees, HH;
from moist sand, 279
'Vettstein, R. Yon, 2ö, 39

'Vhale-hunting, :
ou
\Vhistles, bone, 29B, :
27, 329
'Vhite, F., 280
'Vhite fish, 3õf), 337
\Vierzchovic, Poland, 331
\Vildkirchli, mm
\Villendorf, Venus of, 2ül, 2fj8
\Vind screens, 71, 183
'Vitchetty grub totem, 200
'V olf, drawing of, 34:1
\V olvercote, ()xford, 1:-):

\V onguin (returning boomcrang),
17!J
\V ooden implements, perishable
nature of, 72
'Voolly Rhinoceros, drawing of,
:
4:

'\Turley, Australian hut, 18

z

Zawisza, Count J., :
:
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