Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-09-13
AN INTERESTING EXHIBIT.
DISPLAY or PREHISTORIC ANTHRo-
PoLooY BY THE SMITHSONIAN
INSTITUTION.

Chellesn Epoch In the Stone Age.
The exhibit of prehistoric anthropol-
ogy sent by the Smithsonian Institu-
ton to the Cincinnati Centennial, and
set up and arranged by Thomas VIII
son, Esq, Curator in that institution Of
the Department of Prehistoric Anthro-
pology, is of great interest to the arch
aeologist and anthropologist. 1t is not
10 be remarked so much for the number
Of its specimens, nor yet for their beauty
and rarity, though there are some Of
both, as it is for the information it gives
and the basis it forms for our knowledge
of the existence and geographic distribu-
ion of the prehistoric man, and Of his
manners and customs.
There are six long cases, placed end to
end, intended to represent the stream Of
time during the prehistoric ages Of man.
These cases are 1i~'7 4 'algitudinally to
represent the different countries of the
world with greater or less particularly.
Great Britain is at the top, then France
and Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, the
Scandinavian countries, Asia, Africa,
Oceanica, and at the bottom the United
States of America.
The cases are divided perpendicularly
that is, across the stream of time into
the various epochs Of human civilization
during the prehistoric ages. In the di-
vision of this civilization in the countries
of Western Europe, Mr.. Wilson has fol-
lowed the nomenclature of NJ. de Nor
tillet, but in the whole display has pur-
ued the recognized division Of the ages
Of stone, bronze and iron. The stone age
is divided into the two periods-paleo-
lithic, the more ancient and neolithic,
the more modern period, The first or
earliest epoch of this period is named
Jhelleen, after the Station of Chelles, on
he River Seine, few miles east of
Paris.
The man of this epoch made and used
but one implement.
This was generally made of flint, but
he also employed any other local stone
which would chip to suit his purpose.
The man of this age never knew that by
rubbing one stone against another they
could be sharpened and brought to an
edge His sole mode of procedure was
by chipping-that is, striking it off in
fakes by blows until the implement as
sumed the proper form and condition.
Theimplements belonging to the paleo-
hthic period from Great Britain are
found only in the eastern and southern
portion from Norfolk around to Devon
shire and Lands End. They have been
found in (and are exhibited from) every
quarter Of France and Southern Bel
GUM; from Italy in all its parts, and
from Spain and Portugal. They have
not been found in Northern England, in
Scotland, Wales nor Northern Ireland.
They have not been found in Northern n
Belgium nor Holland, nor in the Scandi-
navian countries, not in that portion of
Germany bordering on the Baltic, nor in
Northern Russia. These countries were
possibly covered at that epoch with gla-
ciers, or possibly by the great North Sea.
These implements have been found in
Asia, in Palestine, in India from Bonn
bay to Calcutta, in Cambodia, and in
Japan; in Africa all along the shores of
the Mediterranean and up the valley of
the Nile. Prof. H. w. Haynes, Of Bos-
ton, searched for and found them, al
most by the hundred, at the city of
Luxor, the site of the ancient city of
Thebes, and they have been found from
thence south wherever sought, to the
Cape of Good Hope. The man of this
epoch also inhabited the United States.
The most celebrated and satisfactory
finds have been those Of DR.. Abbott, of
Trenton, N. j.; of Miss Babbitt, at Lit
tie Falls, Mimi, and of DR.. Charles F.
Metz, of Madisonville, at Loveland, Ham
ilton county. These finds have been of
implements in the river gravels varying
at a depth from the surface down to
forty-one feet. The investigations dur
ing the past summer of Mr.. Wilson have
shown that these implements are to be
found in almost every State and Terri
tory Of the United States, and, conse-
quently, that the man of that civiliza-
tion extended over and occupied the ter.
ritory of the United States in much the
same manner as he did that of Europe.
His occupation of America may not
have been actually contemporaneous, for
we have no method Of calculating time
in that period But this civilization in
America was the same as that during the
same epoch in Europe The man of this
epoch was q savage. 1t is believed by
those who have studied this ques
tion the best that he had no habitation
no fixed dwelling-place, no society, nc
tribunal organization, and recognized nc
parental or filial obligation; that he haG
no property of his own, and recognized
no such rights in others He was con
temporary in Europe, and possibly il
America, with the cave bear, the nam
moth, the hippotamus and other now ex
tinct animals, and the apparent only su
periority or advantage which he had owe
these and the other animals consisted il
this one implement, which we have de
scribed, and in the power Of thought hov
to use it, which belonged to him as hu
man being.
A complete skeleton Of q cave bear o
the Chelleen epoch is set up over the frs
case. 1t is fossilized and comes from tn
cavern Of L'Herm in the department o
Ariege, France, near the foot of the PyI
enees. 1t shows a massive brute of grea
strength and solidity, and is interestin
to study. &&Ia
No time or period can be assigned t
mans occupation Of these countries, bu
it would appear from the position il
which his implements have been foun
that 1t dates back to, and was contem
noranaous with the earlier form ation q