Washington sentinel., 1898-07-09

express the whole period disclosed |
to US by archaeological evidences, |
as distinguished from what is |
known to US by written records"
In later work, "PIehistOric Man,
he explains that "man may be
assumed to be prehistoric when
ever his chronicllngs of himself
are undersigned and his history is
wholly recoverable by induction"
The term has thus mo absolute
chronological significance" but
may refer to very different times
in different localities. There are
modern as well as ancient prehis-
toric races. Those OF whom we
have no other remains than their
bones or their works of art, or their
kitchen refuse are prehistoric,
while those which have left written
records of themselves are historic.
Viewed in this way, the people Of
Britain are prehistoric until the
time OF julius Caesar, who first
gave them a distinct historical ex-
istence. The people Of America,
with perhaps the exception OF the
Mayas, OF Y ucatan, are prehistoric
until the time OF Christopher Col
umbus, and those Of the Polynes' an
and Australian islands until the
voyages OF Cook and his contem-
poraries. There are people in in.
terror Africa who are even yet pass
ing from the prehistoric to the his
roric stage.
On the other hand, we find the
nations Of Western Asia and
around the head OF the Mediterra-
mean possessing historic records
which extend to three thousand
years before the Christian era, or
perhaps farther; and the Hebrew
and Chaldean histories take US
back to an antediluvlan age. SoV-
ering at least two thousand years
farther back, and reaching to the
oripin OF man. 1t is no doubt the
ha6it VI many with many modern
historians tacltly to ignore these
oldest histories as legendary or
Inythic; but this seems scarcely
justifable IN the present state OF
knowledge. We can trace several
lines Of testimony, apparently in
dependent, back TO this hoaT an
tiquity, and can reasonably assign
to them no other origin than a
foundation in fact.
We cOnhne ourselves TO the act
ual remains Of men who had
neither the means nor the intention
to tell US their own story or that
of their fellows, but have merely
lett the relics of themselves and
their possessions to inform US of
their existence ant actions. Re-
mains Of such unstoried men ex-
ist in many parts of Western Eu-
rope, more especially in France.
Belgium, Germany and Northern
Italy, as we'll as in Britain; and
have there been studied under
the most favorable circumstances
while the osseous relics and works
OF art which have been disinterred
are collected IN great museums,
like that in the old palace Of St.
German, near Paris, and the Royal
Museum, at Brussels.
Most archRologists divide the
prehistoric stone age, that is the
early Anthropic Period, as distin-
guished from the geological peri
ods before the appearance Of man,
into two leading portions. the Pal
aolithic,or that Of Clipped stone
implements and weapons, and the
Neolithic, or that ofpollshed stone.
The distinction is, in point OF fact,
good, but terms denoting it are
Objectionable, as referring to acci-
dents OF locality and convenience
rather than to chronological per-
iods The question OF Clipped or
polished stone is often that OF avail
able material, and we know that
for certain purposes the toughest
chiPped stones have been used in
very recent times, by Peor les well
acquainted with the manufacture
Of polished or otherwise highly
perfected implements and weap.
ons
The limestone cliffs on the
banks of the Nezere are often hol
lowed into caves or undercut by
the weather and the waters so as
to form rock shelters, which a little
addition Of waffle or brush in front
would make into tolerable habita-
tions, These caves and shelters
seem to have been a favorable
abode Of the primitive people
(PalROcosmic men), and to have
been somewhat populous; and this
for long time, reaching thr ough
several subordinate stages. These
people seem all to have been hunt
ers and ishermea, and so far as in
created BY the skeletons found, Of
large stature, and with long heads
and we'll developed brain. They
probably went naked in summer,
but must have worn clothing OF
skins in winter, using apparently
kind Of shirt with sleeves, and
leggings OF dressed skin, orna-
mented in part with rough en-
broiderY or coloring, and with per
forated shells and pendants Of bone
sewn on in conspicuous places.
they we're also artists ofsome skill,
and more especially we're in the
habit Of ornamenting their "poga-
mogOns" or skull-crackers with
figures OF animals, and Of carving
such figures on handles Of pierc- !
ers and other instruments, and on |
sIroothed plates of bone or ivory. |
1t is these carvings and tracings |
on bone and ivory that constitute |
their best claim to intentional |
records, and We may notice a few |
Of them in this connec ection as Civ |
ing their only historical testimony