Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-07
NAN or TIRE STONE AGE.
The Wonderful Art He Developed and What
II Wna Like.


The Wonderful Art He Developed and whas
H Was Like.
SCULPTURES AND ESokAvrSas m RErNprHR HORN
IVORY, BONES AND sroxR-soNk NARvEIors
THINGS Duo cP IN ANCIENT cAvEs-zuxpaEps
OF rnoUsAxDs or TEARS OLD.
Mr.. Thomas Wilson, curator Of prehistoric
anthropology Ut the Smithsonian Institution.
viii give his second lecture on prehistoric
Art At the National Museum this afternoon,
with description Of the collection Of art OBJ
jects executed BY primeval man, which was
obtained from cavern at Bruniquel in France
by gentleman named Peccedeau de rIck.
This scientific enthusiast dug ont and sifted
over every particle Of the debris with which
the eavs-the dwelling of human beings hun
dreds Of Thousands Of years ago-was filed
The wonderful things be found there were sold
subsequently to the British Museum for about
es,ooo. Pictures Of them are to be shown by
the lecturer, with the aid of the magic lantern.
from the broad part of q deer's horn and
beautifully carved into the shape Of the man.
moth, which beast, extinct for Q thousand
centuries, is known by such evidences to have
been contemporary with the artist. The tail
OF the animal was broken by the carver, and
the back and . new tail inserted.
WONDERS OF ANCIENT Art.
Another specimen showed the heads of three
calves engraved on piece Of reindeer horn;
upon another fragment was the head of .
mountain goat, and upon a piece of slate was
an engraving representing five reindeer two
OF which are standing and three lying down.
Similar sketches are often TO be seen in mod
ern studios.
Tha IA
surface, was for that reason favorite material
with the prehistoric artist. On one such piece
exhibited by the lecturer the horse was shown
In action, trotting. sculpture rated as one
OF the most important belonging to prehistoric
man was the handle Of another poignard or
dagger, representing with much skill a REIN
deer, the animals nose thrown mp and the
horns laid fiat upon the back. Daggers and
sword handles seem to have been chosen most
particularly for the expression of the art Of the
cave men ct its best.
PICTURES OF HUMAN BEINGS.
Representations were not lacking among the
specimens displayed Of men. One engraving
showed pictures Of human hands, another
showed . man chasing bison, done on REIN
deer horn, the man in the act Of throwing
spear at the bison. A fragment exhibited what
Is oeheved to be representation Of a human
head. Another fragment of shoulder blade
showed the figure of naked woman and the
hind legs of reindeer. The woman is thought
to have collar about her neck and bracelets
on her arms. but this is uncertain. Yet another
piece represents the heads Of two horses and a
man with q serpent at his heel.
1.-The art products of paleolithic man we're
numerous and varied" said Col. Wilson.
While it ran mainly to sculpture and engrav-
ing, there il evidence of painting also. Color
was used in decoration by prehistoric men.
have found and now possess Jumps Of red.
brown and yellow paint from caves of Mentone
which are unquestionably paleolithic.
How THE ARTIST WORKED.
"The manner Of working adopted by the
paleolithic artist was somewhat as follows: With
the aid Of sharp tools made of flint the surface
OF the material was first prepared by the re-
moval OF the rough outside. Reindeer horn
seems to have been preferred to any other ma
terial, probably because its surface was smooth
and firm. The surface having thus been pre-
pared. the objects to be represented were pre-
sumably outlined upon it with sharp fiint-cut-
ting tool Such tools are found plentifully in
tne caves along with the works they were used
Tor. Stone was sometimes utilized for engrav-
ings and sculptures; likewise ivory. The latter
was employed chiefly for sculpture, though
beautiful representations of the mammoth, en-
graved on the beasts own tusk, were found at
La Madeleine, and the teeth of the lion and
upon them in relief.
ONLY THE SCRAPS FOUND.
"Flowers are found represented in the art
works Of these men in the old storc age; like
wise reptiles, birds and fish, among which the
salmon and trout can be recognized. The
engfaving5 and sculptures obtained by
excavations Of the caverns of this
ancient epoch appear to have been dug for the
most part only the debris the broken and re-
jected pieces. They have been mostly
from the ashes about what was once the hearth.
a~aIw ID 49,
pieces which were laid away in the grave or
tomb with intent to preserve them. But we
must not forget that during this period there
does not appear to have been any attempt at
the care and preservation of anything for
future generations, for there were no tombs,
no burials, no monuments, and. except the
caverns, no habitations. Therefore there was
neither opportunity nor incentive for pre-
serving such objects.
THE man of the paleolithic period left
NO MONUMENTS, TEMPLES OR PALACES
"He built no houses for himself to live in, nor
for the interment Of his dead. His habitations
we're the rock shelters and the caverns. Never
theless he had q veneration for the dead and a
worship Of them. They were objects of his
particular care, being disposed of in some way
preliminarily to await the disappearance Of the
flesh, after which the bones were painted
decorated, covered with a red powder and very
likely dressed in some sort of costume. Strings
of beads and shells and pearls and other orna-
ments have been found, together with human
remains Of that epoch.
''We have already seen how during that Pc
riod there was a marvellous development in the
artistic and mechanical ability to work stone.
principally flint Paleolithic man made lance
and spear heads, harpoons, scrapers and
gravers, saws, knives, perforators. &C., and of
these the numbers found are astonishing They
are discovered by the thousands at the mouths
Of the caverns. Bones and teeth of animals.
worked and drilled, served to make ornaments,
being made into beads, amulets, pendants and
other things. With these have been discovered
countless objects Of which the use is still un-
known. Marine shells were much employed
for decorations also. They came from the ocean
and the Mediterranean sea. and, with the rocks
and flint that were carried from distant mines
and spread all over Europe, are testimony to
the commercial relations and long voyages Of
these people, whether in the pursuit Of trade,
of the sea or Of war.
Twinkle, Twinkle.
From the Chicago Tribune.
"Miss Emersonia Osgoodson will now favor
the company with . recitation" announced the
teacher to the friends assembled in the school
room to enjoy the regular Friday afternoon ex-
erciaAa