The midland journal., 1914-01-09


between Poncn and Neuyille-sur-Ain AS long
ago as 1875 scientist, Mr. Moyret, called atten
zion TO 1t as having been inhabited in prehistoric
times Ever since numerous Investigators have
visited It. They conducted their Investigations
so assiduousy that the level of the cave formed
uurlhg the Neolithic age-comparatively recent
IN the eyes Of biologists and anthropologists-
was dug away. also the contiguous level of the
earlier Magdalenian age This lowered the level
OF the cave by rs centimeters and brought to light
rich fields OF Neolithic and Magdalenian 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 stratum of fine
gravel. showing unmistakable signs of dating
from the still earlier Aurignacan age. This
proved to be veritable treasure trove.
In II were uncovered the studio" of 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 horse Of
markably finished type; another shows a bison.
stilI another 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
human being. This, in the words of those who
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 man are extremely rare He delighted
In drawing and carving the strange beasts which
he saw about him-bisons. reindeer. mammoth,
horses and the like-but when 1t came to giving
us an idea Of what he looked like himself he was
strangely coy.
!. sLAt.
form of drawings engravings. Rude carvings
Of human beings. dating far beyond the dawn Of
history, have been dug up-at Vilendorf 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 yari-
GUS skulls and bones found at different times
have been largely matter of conjecture 1t has
been case OF every guessing for himself,
legion. One group Of savants. endeavoring to
build up our remote ancestor from the famous
relics found in the Neanderthal. near Dusseldorf
Germany: at Spy. in Belgium. and at La Chapelle-
auxSaints, in France, have shown us something
materially strengthening the Darwinan theory
that man is descended from the ape. Another
group. basing It's deductions on the man" recon
structed from the Piltdown skull. has endeavor
ed to prove that prehistoric man. from whom we
are descended. never became so bestal as the
possessors OF the NeanderthalSpy-I.a Chappelle
Rux-Saints skulls and that the latter belonged to
branch of the race which gradually degenerat
ed until It finally became extinct while the other
and superior branch kept on improving until man
we know him was gradually evolved.
This latter theory it 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 scuptured forms Of
women found at Azil and elsewhere in France.
as we'll as the sketches of the human face
earthed in the cave OF Marsoulas--were produced
in the Magdaenisn age, according to the theory
generally accepted by Frenchmen and. therefore.
Ere supposed to be much more recent than any
thing dating from the Aurignacan age.
Granting then. that the pictures in the cave OF
La Colombere really date from the Aurignacian
age and the report read by M Douvs;ie shows
pretty conclusively that they do-and that those
similar to them discovered up TO now are OF a
more recent date. the character OF the work done
BY the cave artist of La Colombiere is such i'm
mediately to riyet the closest attention on it.
For the man here shown, the Of the