Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-08-28

At n meeting OF the British Associ1-
ton for the Advancement OF Science,
held at Aberdeen in 1859. the position
was taken by Sir Charles Lyell, the
eminent Eeologist, that the existence
OF man dated back thousands OF years
earlier than any of the conclusions of
the day had placed the commencement
at. This statement he based on dis
coveries made in the valley of the
Somme, showing the co-existence of
man with extinct animals such as the
woody rhinoceros and the mammoth,
belonging to the quaternary fauna.
This association has n yearly meet
ing at which It elects a new president.
The latest event of the kind was at
Toronto on the 18th. Sir John Evans
being chosen as the head of the socl-
ETY.. He is recognized as one of the
most distinguished nrchaeologists of
the age. His speech on this occasion
is said to have been devoted to show
ing the Importance of archaeology and
Its connection with other sciences,
such rs astronomy. geology and
paleontology, and TO statement Of
the present condition OF actual knowl-
edge and his own theories regard
ing early man. a special interest at
tached 10 his views on the subject, as
he was one Of the English archaeolo-
glsts who Investigated the gravels of
the sommc and confirmed the dlscov-
cries of other eminent men. The dis
tinotion between palaeollthic and
neolithlc civilization, the earlier and
the later stone ages, had been made by
Sir John Lubbock. Sir John Evans
confined his discussion almost nx-
cluslvely 60 palaeollthic man. the race
that used stone implements in their
rudest form, while neollthic man, of a
far later period. ground and polished
his stone implements and weapons.
Palneolithic man was cotemporary
OF extinct and neolithic man Of living
animals.
The speaker assumed that the be-
ginning of the human race was in
Eastern Asia, in a climate where
means Of subsistence were easily nc
cessible. In this region our ances-
tor developed from "lowly origin"
and by reason of his surroundings and
necessities acquired taste and talent
for hunting. also the means for des-
troylng wild and destructive animals,
which 1t IS fair to assume were more
numerous then Than they have been Of
later years. As time wore on, the
game became scarceD the area oc-
cupied by man MS his exclusive habi-
tation OF course broadened, and he be-
gan to assume II more normal ohurac-
ter. Eventually the branchinE-out pro.
cess began.the movement following that
OF the sun, eventuating the
population Of western Europe. The
lecturer does not attempt TO say, even
to conjecture, the length of time in
Volved in all this. but It must have
been very great. He then goes on
to show that the process could not
have been reversed, the origin begin
ming in q cold climate where clothing
was necessary, and gradually finding
Its way to a warm one whore cover
Ing for the body was not indispen-
sable.
Sir John Evans holds that the stage
Of human development denoted by the
use Of palaeolithic implements must
have extended over vast Pc
riod of time II we have 10 allow for
he migration Of the prlmcval hunters
rom their original home. wherever II
may have been in Asia or Africa, to
the west Of Europe. During this mi
ration the forms of the weapons and
tools made from silicious stones had
become, rs it We're. stereotyped, and
during the subsequent period Implied
by the erosion Of the valleys the modl-
ications in the form Of the Implements
and the changes in the fauna assocl,
tted with the men who used them wer,
but slight And SO on from age t,
ige, each epoch being marked by som,
new characteristics indicative OF tn,
llow growth and development Of brair
power as exempliaed by improved
iandlwork and better customs.
II is most abtruse subject, and Sin
John particularly admits that lmagI.
lation must be drawn upon to some
1tent as an aid to scientific research.