The citizen., 1914-01-09

present level OF that river,
between Poncin and Neuville-sur-Ain. AS long
ago as 1876 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 assiduousy that the level of the formed
during the Neollthic age-comparatively recent,
In the eyes Of geologsts 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 Aurignacian age. This
-prcyed to be vertable treasure trove.
In 1t were uncovered the studio" of prehis
toric artist containing number of different sorts
of engraver's tools, pieces of mammoth, rh1noc
eros. and raindeer bones pieces Of stone ready for
,senGraxing, and stones and bones with engraVings
4 N)readg cut into them
One Of the latter represents horse OF a
markahly nnshed type: another shows bison.
Y o<<iI another Wild sheep. But the prize of the
#110e coilectipn the prize which. 1t s confidently
expected. WIN make this an epoch-makiDg find
in the annals of anthropoogy. is the piece Of
mammoth's bone on which is cut the figure OF a
human being. This, In the words of those who
have unearthed It, "s the first document repre-
senting. in engraved form, the man of the Middle
Quaternary age. the minimum age of which is
5000 years
AS those who delve into the remote history of
our race aware. picturings OF himself by pre-
historic man are extremely He delighted
In drawing and carving the strange beasts which
he saw about him-bsons. reindeer mammoth
horses and the Hke-but when it came to giving
idea of what he looked like himself he was
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 Viendorf, in Aus
tria; at Brassempouy the Laussel cave, and the
grottoes of Grmaldi in France and other places.
owing to this paucity of frst-hand information.
reconstructions of prehistoric man from the vart
Gus skulls and bones found at different times
have been largely matter of conjecture. 1t has
been q case OF every one guessing for himself,
legion One group of savants, endeavoring to
build up our remote ancestor from the famous
reIics 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 on the man" recon
structed from the Piltdown skull, has endeavor-
Nd a. .nroRe that prehistoric man. from whom we
.<e <eseen1ed. never became SO bestial as the
r1ssessofs of the Neanderthal Spy-Ia Chappelle'
III saints ak1lfls ana That the latter belonged to
.11filsf Il 0HazIy became extinct. while the other
ana sdpst1or branch kept on improving until man
as we know him was gradualIy evolved
Thic latter theory 1T is expected by the dis-
coyerers of the prehistoric Studio" in the cave
OF II Colombiere, will be greatly bostered up
by that they have brought to light. To begin
wit the best known depictions of human beings
DfM similar sort--notably the sculptured forms OF
4 hen found at ALL and elsewhere in France
well as the sketches Of the human face un
]1rthed In the cave OF Marsoulas-were produced
a the Magdalenian age, according to the theory
accepted by Frenchmen. and, therefore
re supposed to be much more recent than any
hing dating from the Aurignacian age.
Granting, then that the pictures in the cave OF
a Colombiere really date from the Aurignacian
ge-and the report read by M. Douville shows
retty concIusivey that they do-and that tnose
mlar to them discovered up to now are OF
lore recent date the character of the work done
= the cave artist of La Colombiere is such as In
ediately to riyet the closest attention on IT,
For the imam" here shown. the man OF the