The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-09-15
PREHISTORIC MAN.
London Tahlst. AuCu,t q.


In the Anthropological Sub Section Pro
tessor Huxley made an Introductory al
dress which, though he called it "discon
nected talk" was very interesting, no
only in itself, but because it terminated II
| a statement respecting the point at which
| the inquiry into the antiqaity of man had
arrived. Professor Huxley confesses
indeed, that there is no positive evidence
whatever of the existence of man before
the drift period. "That we can get back >
he said, "as far as the epoch of the drift,
is, think, beyond any rational questio n
or doubt something that may be regarded
as settled; but when it comes to a ques-
tion as to the evidence of tracing back
man further than that-aDd recollect drift
is only the top of the earth's surface-I
must confess that the evidence, to my
mind, is of q very dubious character. do
not think We can say We have any evidence
at the present time on the subject" Pro-
fessor Huxley put forward eighteen years
ago the opinion that what is known as the
Eesnderthal skull is, of human remains,
that which presents the most marked and
definite characteristics of a lower type. He
still adheres to that opinion.
"Usng," he says, ."the language in the
same sense as we would use it in other
branches of zoology, believe it to belong
to the lowest form of haman being of
which we have any knowledge, and we
human being that, as far as all fundamen-
tai points of structure were concerned, be
was as much a man and could wear boots
just as easily as any of US, 30 that l think
tho question remains pretty much whore it
was. l do not know that there is any rea-
son for doubling that the man who existed
at that day could not have been in all
essential respects similar to the man who
exists now. We have no more reason for
that it is unlikely than we have
for objecting to the positive evidence
which We possess that the horse which
existed at that time was, in all essential
respects, identical with the horse which
going back further in time, the horse pre-
sents Us with a series of Distinct moditica-
lions and evolations, by which it can be
traced back to an earlier type. Therefore
It must be deemed possible that man is in
the same position, although tho facts we
have before US with respect to him tell in
neither one way DOR the other"
'or Huxley's confession, has attained to
,othing positive in the way of proof con-
'erning the antiquity which certain scien-
sts have claimed for the human species.
And the evidence which is being constant
y adduced is always breaking down. Thus
n the Geological Section, Mr. Ti6deman's
uman bone from the Victoria Cave at
Settle bad to be disavowed, as Professor
3usk had pronounced it to be an ursine
:asla j; this .f5ulu, IN fact, as Professor
Hull said had become k1bu3.e, but Mr. lid
eman maintained that he had got come
hing still more valuable in the scratching |
n she bone, and these gentlemen "always
ad two strfags to their baw, and when |
ne piece of evidence broke down they |
aid they had found something elee.n But |
here must always remain the farther |
question how the objects fond got there,
nd the President of tie Section, Professor |
,vsas, stated, as an illustration of how
allacious such discoveries are, that he had |
lDself found a coin Of the year 1926 be- I
de the skeleton of a man supposed to be-
ing to the early period, and 80 have been !
urisd at least 2. 900 years.