The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-01-10


present level Of that river,
between Poncin and Neuville-sur-Ain. AS long
ago as 1875 scientist, Mr.. Moyret. called atten-
ton to 1t as having been inhabited in prehistoric
times. Ever since numerous investigators have
visited 1t. They conducted their Investigations
so assiduously that the level of the cave formed
during the Neothic age-comparatively recent,
in the eyes of biologists and anthropoogists-
dug away also the contiguous level Of the
earlier Magdalenian age. This lowered the level
of the cave by rs centmeters and brought to light
rich fields of Neolithic and Magdaenian relics
But the richest find of all was yet to come. Be
ginning last May, the latest investigators began to
dig deeper into the soil forming the floor of the
cave and after they had penetrated about one
meter further down they found a stratum OF fine
gravel, showing unmistakable signs Of dating
from the still earlier Aurignacian age. This
proved to be a veritable treasure trove.
In it were uncovered the studio" Of a prehis
toric artist. containing number Of different sorts
of engraver's tools, pieces Of mammoth, rhinoc-
eros, and randeer bones, pieces Of stone ready for
engraving and stones and bones with engravings
already cut into them.
One of the latter represents a horse OF re-
markably finished type; another shows a bison.
still another a wild sheep. But the prize OF the
whole collection, the prize which. 1t Is confidently
expected, will make this epoch-making find
in the annals Of anthropology. is the piece OF
mammoths bone which Is cut the figure OF a
human being. This, in the words Of those who
have unearthed 1t, "is the first document repre-
senting, in engraved FORM the man of the Middle
Quaternary age. the minimum age Of which Is
$4,000 years."
As those who delve into the remote history Of
our race are aware, picturings Of himself by pre-
historic extremely rare. He delighted
in drawing and carving the strange beasts which
he about him-bisons, reindeer, mammoth.
horses and the lke-but when it came to giving
us an idea Of what he looked like himself he vas
strangely coy.
Especially rare are depictions of man in the
form Of drawings engravings. Rude carvings
Of human beings, dating far beyond the dawn Of
history have been dug up-at Villendorf, In Aus
tria; at Brassempouy the Laussel cave. and the
grottoes of Grimaldi In France and other places.
Owing to this paucity of first-hand information.
reconstructions Of prehistoric man from the vari-
Gus skulls and bones found at different times
have been largely a matter of conjecture. 1t has
been a case of every one guessing for himself,
legion. One group Of savants, endeavorfng to
build up our remote ancestor from the famous
relics found in the Neanderthal. near Dusseldorf.
Germany: at Spy, in Belgium, and at La Chapele-
aux-Saints, in France have shown us something
materially strengthening the Darwinian theory
that man is descended from the ape. Another
group basing it's deductions the man" recon
structed from the Piltdown skull has endeavor-
ed to prove that prehistoric man from whom we
are descended, never became so bestial the
possessors Of the NeanderthalSpyLa Chappele-
aux-Saints skulls, and that the latter belonged to
a branch Of the which gradually degenerate
ed until 1t finally became extinct, while the other
and superior branch kept on improving until man
we know him was gradually evolved.
This latter theory, 1t is expected by the dis
coverers Of the prehistoric studio" In the cave
Of La Colombiere. will be greatly bolstered up
by what they have brought to light. To begin
with. the best known depictions Of human beings
of similar sort-notably the sculptured forms Of
women found at Azil and elsewhere in France,
as we'll as the sketches of the human face
earthed in the Of Marsoulas-were produced
| in the Magdalenian age, according to the theory
generally accepted by Frenchmen, and, therefore.
are supposed to be much more recent than any
thing dating from the Aurignacian age
Granting, then that the pictures in the cave Of
| La Colombiere really date from the Aurignacian
age-and the report read by M. Douyie shows
pretty conclusively that they do-and, that those
similar TO them discovered up to now are of
more recent date the character Of the work done
by the cave artist of La Colombiere is such as i'm
| mediately to rivet the closest attention on It.
For the man" here shown. the man of the