The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-21 00:00:00

FLINTS IN TILE DRIFT.

A meeting of the Ethnological Society was
held on Thursday evening for the purpose of dis-
cussing the subject of the flint implements found
associated with the bones of extinct animals in the
" drift." Many archaeologists and geologists were
specially invited to take ;part in the discussion,
among whom were Sir Roderick Murchison, Prof.
Owen, Prof. Quekett, Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins,
Mr. Pengelly, Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Planche, Mr.
Savory, Dr. Lee, the Rev. J. Ridgway, Admiral
Fitzroy, &c. Mr. Botfield, M.P., the President of
the Archaeological Association, took the chair,
Mr. Crawfurd, the President of the Ethnological
Society, being on his right hand, and Sir Roderick
Alurchison on his left. The discussion was opened
by Mr. Pettigrew, who explained how the subject
was originally brought into consideration in this
country by the presentation to the Archaeological
Association, in 1848, of a number of flint implements
found in the drift near Amiens by M. Boucher de
Perthes. Those implements, and a larger collection
of others, contributed by Dr. Hunt, Mr. Mackie,
and Mr. Christie, were displayed on the tables.
Mr. Wright said that he considered the flint imple-
ments exhibited were intended for the chase or for
domestic use, and not for the purposes of war. Mr.
Evans explained the exact position of the stratum
of gravel from which he had extracted some of
these implements. It was a stratum of coarse fresh-
water gravel, lying on chalk, and containing fossil
bones of extinct animals, among which was the en-
tire skeleton of an extinct species of rhinoceros.
Overlaying the gravel was a stratum of sandy marl,
containing shells of existing species, and above that
was a thin stratum of brick earth. The flint imple-
ments were extracted at a distance vary ing from 20
to 30 feet from the surface, and he felt convinced
that the gravel in which they were found had not'
been disturbed. The same opinion was formed by
every one who had visited the spot, and there
seemed to be no doubt /whatever that the gravel
and the flint implements were deposited at the same
time. It was possible that the animals supposed to
have become extinct before man was created might
have continued to exist to more recent periods than
had been supposed, otherwise it would appear that
the implements were fashioned by a race of men
that had also becoine extinct. Sir R. Murchison
confirmed Mr. Evans's view of the great antiquity
of the stratum of gravel in which the implements
were found, and observed that, without the presence
of fossil bones of extinct animals, the surface of the
country proved that there must have been an enor-
mous lapse of time since the gravel was deposited.
The possibility of the continuance of species of ani-
mals supposed to have become extinct was, he said,
rendered probable from the fact that there were
now living in a forest in Poland animals which
had previously been considered extinct. In the sub-
sequent discussion, in which Admiral Fitzroy, Mr.
Christie, Mr. Pengelly, and other gentlemen took
part, it was stated that flint implements of the same
character as those on the table had been found in
various parts of the world, and that they were still
used by many savage tribes. Mr. Botfield, in con-
cluding the proceedings of the meeting, remarked
on the circumstance that no bones of man had been
discovered accompanying the flint implements, and
he expressed his assurance that the cause of reli-
gion would have nothing to fear but everything to
hope from scientific inquiry.

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