The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-09
WHAT PREHISTORIC MAN ATE.
Microscopic Examination OF HIS
Teeth Gives Proof Regarding Food
Chexyed in the stone Age.


Mr.. T. Charters White, NJ. R. c. s.,
writing on this subject in the London
Science Gossip, says that paleontology
affords many glimpses tending to the
elucidation of the lives of our prehis-
toric ancestors, but, though it provides
information that may be gathered from
a consideration of the weapons and do
mestic implements, it remains for the
microscope to throw a measure of light
on their food. Several years ago bar
row was opened on the downs near
Warminster in which number OF hu-
man and animal remains were found
heaped over the skeleton of an infant.
Having been allowed by Mr..
w. Cunnington, who opened this bar
row, to make an examination OF some
of the human jaws, / shall describe as
clearly as l can the condition of one
as bearing on the question of prehls-
toric food The gentleman was perfect
ly ignorant of the use of a toothbrush.
and probably whatever performed an
analogous function in others of his sur
rounding circle, failed in his case, for
his lower teeth were almost entirely
covered by that salivary calculus popu-
larly known as tartar"
The method adopted was to clear all
the tartar from the lower jaw and then
place it in a conical drachm measure,
to decalcify IL by means of a weak So
luton of dydrochloric acid. This solu-
ton was afterward washed away and
the sediment examined drop by drop
under the microscope, a third of an
inch objective being employed in the
examination. The main body of the de-
post was made up of amorphous par
ticles, probably disintegrated meal of
some kind. Interspersed were numer-
Gus granules of siliceous nature;
these were fully accounted for by the
extensive grinding away of the sum-
mits of the molars, which were eroded
into deep pits, and must have been pro-
ductive of intense discomfort, not to
say pain. The granules were found,
when tested by polariZed light, to be
of two characters; some that were fin
ty and did not answer to that test,
while the others did so. and were stat
ed by an eminent geologist to be
quartzite. He explained this was prob
ably the result of the corn having been
rubbed down in a roughly made quartz
lite mortar, with round pebble as a
pestle.
Among the first organic remains to
be noticed was the sharply pointed tip
of small fishs tooth, following which
were the oval nOrny cells OF some
species of fruit resembling those 60
ing to make up the parenchyma of ap-
pies. then husks of corn. the hairs from
the outside of the husks. a spiral YES
sci from vegetable tissue, and several
small ruby colored. highly retroactive
bodies. which l could not recognize.
Scattered throughout the sediment
were oval bodies resembling starch
corpuscles, such as may be found in
potatoes: but, as they did not give the
characteristic black cross under polar
lied light, II was decided that they
could not be starch; further, any starch
would have been reduced to the amor
phous condition found in the general
mass of the meal. Their true nature
was afterward made evident by finding
a fat plate of vartilage about one
thirtieth of an inch square. from the
free edges of which these oval bodies
were being gradually extended, so that
by the disintegration of this substance
these bodies in their isolated condition
proved a puzzle. Here then, was evil
dence that the particles of food locked
up In this tartar could be recognized
after a lapse OF time such as must
have occurred since the stone age in
which they were masticated. No evil
dences were found indicative of the
use of fire In cooking the food: II must
therefore have been eaten raw.