Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20

that way by an accident, and gradually, in the
course Of centuries, particles of the metal took
the places Of particles of bone, until at length
the skull was no longer bone, but iron. Its
structure in the iron is perfect in every detail,
save that the top Of the head and the lower
jaw are missing. When it is considered how
many thousands Of years must have been re-
quired to produce such q curiosity some faint
notion is conveyed of the antiquity of man.
Nearby is a big piece of solid limestone rock,
encasing, as if a portion Of itself, the upper
part of human skeleton! In the surface of
| the stone, embedded, is visible the backbone of
man-perhaps woman--so that one can see
the distinct vertebra, while on either side Of
| the spinal column are revealed the ribs. What
| ages must have passed before the processes by
which this osseous relic of bygone epoch was
| thus inclosed had time to accomplish such a
| work!
THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN.
Mans knowledge of human history does not
extend farther back than I, 900 years. Science
has proved that the genus homo has existed on
the earth for thousands Of centuries previous
to the beginning of history. But as to how
primeval man lived and had his being very
little has been ascertained. The interest at
taching to what is known Of this subject how
ever, is most intense.
The remains of primeval man are found today
scattered all over the world, but it is in Europe
that greatest attention has been given to digging
| them up and studying them. Certain caverns
In different portions OF that continent have
been found to be perfect mines of such depos-
its, in which the bones and primitive tools of
human beings are discovered mixed up with
fragments Of the skeletons of beasts long ex-
tinct. such as the cave bear, the woolly rhi-
noceros the giant beaver and the elephas an
tquns, which was the ancestor of the mammoth
| and the elephant tribe. These animals are now
fossil and their existence dates back to the
night OF time. One gets some notion of tho
antiquity OF man from the mere fact that he is
thus proved to have been contemporaneously
associated with the creatures mentioned. These
beasts belong to what the geologists call the
"quaternary period" when the river valleys of
Europe were being formed by foods coursing
through them and the climate was warm and
moist.
THE GLACIAL EPOCH.
Afterward came the glacial epoch, the eli
mate grew cold, and man sought the caves for
protection. The extended period during which
he made use of the caverns for his habitation is
shown by the great depth of the deposits which
he left behind him, Of his food refuse and of his
manufactured Implements. In some cases the
flooring of ashes from household fires in such
cave is found to be rs much as twenty feet in
thickness, representing the accumulation of
century upon century. The finding of
human remains in the caverns, together
with those Of such great and fierce
beasts as the cave bear and the saber- toothed
tiger, suggests aquestion as to whether these
animals devoured the men or cOntrariwise. 1t
would seem altogether likely that the beasts
disputed possession Of the caves with the
men. perhaps making occasional raids upon
these places of refuge and devouring the Occu-
pants. In the National Museum there Is a skelc-
ton OF a cave bear from cavern in France,
wherein were found the remains of thirty -four
OF these formidable animals. The cave bear
was about half as big again grizzly and very
much stronger. It is difficult to zee how the
priIneval hunter. with the primitive weapons
he had at his command, could have successfully
contended with such creatures. The lions and
tigers OF those days were very much bigger than
those Of the present and the great elephant
spoken OF was larger than either the mammoth
or the mastOdon.
PRIMITIVE TOOLS
The man Of this epoch made all his tools out
Of stone and bone and horn. At the beginning
these implements were so primitive that they
exhibit no evidences of human manufacture
beyond the chipping away of the flint or other
hard rock so as to make q cutting edge. What
the uses Of such tools were can only be sur
missed. Doubtless they were employed to grub
up roots. kill animals and enemies cut up food,
make holes in winter through the ice, cut
down trees and scoop them into canoes. Even
in this early time art had its beginning in rude
attempts at decorating the tools, many of
which bear excellent representations of the
mammoth and other animals, including fishes.
The reindeer, upon which the early man of the
caves depended chiefly for food, seems to have
been the favorite design. With the improve
ment which gradually took place in the make
and style OF the implements came correspond
ing development Of skill in ornamentation.
At length, 80 far had man progressed in the
art of chipping flint that he made knives and
saws OF that material, the tools excelling in
beauty of form and fineness Of finish. Points
were also made of bone. for piercing skins or
for sewing garments. Then followed an epoch
during which man no longer confined himself
to stone as material. but used bone, horn and
ivory. He still employed fakes of flint for
knives and saws, and with flint gravers scraped
to the finest point, he would carve most admir-
able designs for bone or ivory dagger handles
and other things. Needles, harpoons, fish
hooks and many ornaments he made from the
improved materials. This was the time
during which paleOlithic art attained its
highest perfection. The designs exc
cuted very commonly represented living
things, such as men and animals at rest and in
action. Hunting scenes were depicted, in
which men were shown in pursuit Of game or
in conflict with beasts. One engraving shows a
reindeer browsing, with landscape in admir-
able perspective. Others represent the musk
OK and many animals BESIDES which, like it
and the reindeer-the latter then as plentiful
in Europe AZ the sheep is at present-are now
found only in cold countries, being regarded
| rs arctic creatures A paleolithic poniard made
OF reindeer horn, with q handle carved into tho
form of q reindeer. would not be unworthy Of
modern art And yet these things were man
ufactured. perhaps, one hundred thousand
years ago, or may be much more, though
as to this 1t is impossible to tell with any ac-
curacy.
PALEoLrTHIc ARTISTS.
The excellent artistic work shown in these
engravings and carvings il surprising enough
but the most wonderful thing to consider is
| the manner in which this art and the civiliza-
ton to which it belonged vanished ut the close Of
the epoch and left no trace. At certain time
the man Of the chipped-stone age, called pa
leolithic," disappeared entirely from Europe.
What became Of him no one knows but it is
| surmised by some authorities that he was driven
| northward by the heat, together with the REIN
deer, which is today the companion in Lspland
| Of his descendants. -
The ancient stone" man having thus de-
| parted from Europe at the close Of the great
cosmical winter known IN the glacial epoch, his
place was taken by an entirely new race as diff
ferent from himself as possible. At the same
time great changes took place in the fauna of
the continent The reindeer, the antelope, the
white bear, the elk and the "glutton" migrated
toward the arctic regions. AL these beasts had
previously been common in central Europe.
simultaneously the great lions and tigers and
hyenas disappeared, and the mammoth became
| extinct Domestic animals, unknown before,
A IL H. 49, ~