Evening star., 1902-03-05
MUMMY OF PYRENEES
ANCIENT HUMAN BODY FOUND
IN MOUNTAIN CAVE.
Remains Of a Man Who Lived Ten
Thousand Years Ago-Stone
Implements Near By.

From the Indianapolis Sentinel.
The scientific and religious world are both
a good deal stirred up over a recent dis
covery in the Pyrenees Some people who
have been getting out building stone from
Pyreneean hillside came upon a shallow
cavern. While exploring 1t they discovered
what is by far the oldest relic Of the hui
man race extant. 1t Is the mummy-for
want Of better name 1t Is 20 called-of
the prehistoric man.
The type clearly approaches Caucasian
in class. The body is extremely well pre-
served. as well 1t might be, seeing It has
been preserved absolutely from moisture or
atmospheric deterioration for many thou
sand years. The body when first discov-
cred was enveloped In what the great -scien-
lists who examined it. and they were the
greatest in all continental Europe, declared
to have been the skin of the cave bear. a
species Of animal that became extinct with
the last nightly convulSion that changed
the face Of this earth.
This newly discovered mummy or pre-
served human body is at least 10000 years
old. 1t Is the first authentic perfect human
corpus known to the scientific world, which
accounts for the extraordinary interest
taken in the find.
About Average Height.
1t represents man who was young, not
was about five feet eleven inches in stat
ure and extremely well proportioned. He
evidently came to his death in battle or by
violence. for there is bad wound on the
back of the head sufficient to have killed
him. Having been kept dry long and
cut off from atmospheric effects, the body
is wonderfully free from decay.
The French government wishes to keep It
so, and, therefore, as soon as the leading
savants of France had carefully examined
1T the body was inclOsed in an air-tight
steel case, with a glass top Of sufficient
thickness to endure the outward pressure
of the air when that within the case had
been carefully pumped out. The limbs of
the body were well proportioned. From the
appearance Of the soles of the feet the man
in life must have gone barefooted. for they
were greatly callOused and hardened. In
color the man was of light brown, some
Saxon. By his side there were a stone AK,
a flint knife and what is declared to be a
barkformed drinking cup.
Not far from where this remarkably pre-
served prehistoric mans body was found
were parts of the skeleton of a woman.
The pelvs and the other portions of the
body clearly proved that it was a part of
the skeleton or woman. and one who was
about five feet five in stature Some finger
joints. in an excellent state of preservation,
indicated hand small and delicately made.
| These remains must have been deposited
where they were found. though the great
thousand years ago occurred very soon
after or possibly contemporary with the
placing of these remains where they were
found. These discoveries prove that the
Pyreneean caves. some OF which are very
extensive, are extremely ancient, and were
| in use as human dwellings during the stone
eg., Or from ten to twenty thousand years
ag,. The Darwinian theory Of human de-
velopment would seem to be somewhat
jolted by these late discoveries of human
| beings, fully developed. that existed any
| where from one hundred to two hundred
centuries ago.
The French Royal Academy Of Science
intends next summer. and even this winter,
as far as may be possible, to institute a
thorough investigation and research all
through the cave region of that mountain
section of France. The government has
appropriated 100000 francs and the learned
society above named will add 100000 francs
more. This will permit very complete
exploration of this heretofore practically
unknown region being made.
Daughter of the Pharaohs
Up to this discovery the oldest human
body. with all its members intact that was
known to exist was in the possession of the
Psychological Society of France. a body
created by the French government during
the joint occupation of Egypt by France
and England. 1t is the mummed body of
an Egyptian princess. the daughter of King
Pthtah. the greatgrandfather Of the ruler
that opposed the Israelites.
The writer was present when this young
princess body was first unwrapped after
being brought from the north wing of the
Pyramid Of GiZeh. 1t had been discovered
lying on hidden shelf by the active mod
ern Egyptians working under De LeSseps
and Champalion. jr, as famous Egypt
ologist his great father was Khedive
Ishmail Pasha. then ruling the country,
was present. We were ell seated in circle,
The kheiiVe, after Champallion had read
from the Egyptian character on the
mighty stone coffin the rank and dignities
Of the princess gave the orders. and the
attendants began unWrapping the body.
Each wrapping went around the body five
times. Finally, with the air filled with the
scent of bitumen myrrh and dozen other
ingredients blended. the last wrapping was
removed. and the body Of Pharaoh Pthtah's
daughter was exposed to the eyes of peo-
pie that were cave dwellers when her
father was king Of all Egypt and Ethiopia.
All the party. including the khedive. in
voluntarily removed their hats as they be-
held the body CT the ancient princess