The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-01-16

Aurignacan age bears most striking resem-
bance to him of the Magdalenian age, supposedly
a much more developed individual
Compare this man of La Colombiere with the
middle one of the three human faces from the
cave of Marsoulas, shown this page He has
the same respectable skull development. much
more like that of the possessor of the Ptdown
skull than that of the ape-like "Neanderthal man"
and his congerers. The nose. it will also be
noted is very similar to that Of the Marsoulas
man, likewise the heavy chin.
So much for the contentious Of the Frenchmen
who have made this remarkable find Backed up
though they are by good arguments, 1t is not like
1y that they will be swallowed without struggle
On the contrary, they will probably be the cause
of still another controversy to add to the already
stormy annals of anthropology. For there is I'M
doubtedly another side to the question
First to the pictures just found of La Colon
biere In spite of the fact that those similar to
them--including the human faces of the cave of
Marsoulas-are generally ascribed by Frenchmen
not TO the Aurignacian but to the later Magdaen-
ian age others think them productions of Aurig-
nican artists If this latter theory is accepted
the man" of La Colombiere is simply more
to add to the scanty gallery of Aurignacian depc-
tons of human beings. Even If he proves to be
that and nothing more he will be accounted
precious find but naturally his value will not be
enormous those who have found him and
those who share their views would have be-
lieve.
Second as to whether the man" of La Colon
bere proves that we are descended from the
NeanderthalSpyLa Chapee-aux-Saints race
the represented by him of the Piltdown skull.
There, too, matters are by no means as easy
as they look to the sanguine Frenchmen. Plenty
of learned men who have studied the subject of
the descent of man of the opinion that man
may be descended from neither of these interest
ing groups they contend that both of these races
may have become extinct and that mankind
frOm
later
The latest news from abroad shows that the
man of La Colombiere has already set learned
tongues to wagging against each other Already
Messrs. Mayet and Pissot, the savants who found
him, have hornets nest about their ears. In
London Mr.. J. Leon Williams writing in the Illus
trated London News, has placed himself on record
as foe to the belief that he Of La Colombiere is
the earliest picture Of man. Mr.. Williams idea
is that we have to do here not with a faithful de-
lineation of the human form but with a carica-
ture. He writes:
"As Messrs. Mayet and Pissot say the drawing
is very clear, especially the face and upper part
of the head. The back of the head and the neck
do not seem to me very well defined in the pho
tograph
ing none Of the characteristics represented by the
Neanderthal, Spy, or La Chapelle-aux-Sants
skulls. In their opinion, the head resembles the
fossil skull Of Chanceade. They say:
1.-The head is large, the forehead round and
prominent (bombre), rising slightly oblquely
The face is long as though pulled out from be-
low upward and is distinctly projected forward;
the chin is prominent, and has a short beard in
dicated by small lines the nose is long and very
thick; the eye is indicated by two curved lines
and has an indefnable expression
'In this detailed description it is quite evident
that DIR. Mayet and M. Pssot believe that we have
here something in the nature OF realistic draw
ing of Aurignacian This is confirmed by
their further statement that we have not previous
Iy found any engraved figures that teach us any
thing definite about the exact form OF contour of
the human face of the Aurignacian or Solutrian
periods, and that this want has now been filed
by their discoveries.
with these statements and conclusions find
It impossible to agree. AT least two other en-
cravings OF the human face have been previously
discovered, in the Grotte des Fees in the
Gironde and the other in the Fontde-Gaume at
Les Eyzies (Dordogne)
Il think IT will be clearly seen that the great
interest in this new discovery lies not in the be-