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

Aurignacian age bears a most striking resem-
blance 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 on this page. He has
the same respectable skull development, much
more like that of the possessor Of the Piltdown
skull than that of the apelke "Neanderthal man
and his congerers. The nose, 1t 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 by good arguments. 1t is not like
" that they will be swallowed without a 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 un-
doubtedy another side to the question.
First, as 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
ncian artists II this. latter theory is accepted.
the man" OF La Coombiere is simply one more
to add to the scanty gallery Of Aurignacian depc-
lions of human beings. Even II he proves to be
that and nothing more he will be accounted
precious find but naturally his value will not be
so enormous those who have found him and
those who share their views would have US be-
lieve.
Second as to whether the man" Of La Colon
biere proves that we descended from the
NeanderthalSpy-La Chapelleaux-Saints race or
the race represented by him Of the Pitdown skull
There, too matters are by means as easy
as they look to the sanguine Frenchmen Plenty
Of learned men who have studied the subject OF
the descent of man are Of the opinion that man
may be descended from neither of these interest
ing groups they contend that both of these races
,at bind
sprang, possibly. from some race which appeared
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 a hornets nest about their ears. In
London Mr.. ]. Leon Williams, writing in the Illus
trated London News. has placed himself on record
as a foe to the belief that he OF La Coombiere Is
the earliest picture of a man. Mr.. Williams idea
is that we have to do here not with a faithful de-
lineation of the human form but with 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
THE discoveries speak Of this drawing hav
ing Of the characteristics represented by the
Neanderthal. Spy. or La Chapelle-aux- Saints
Skulls. In tnelT OpnlOn, the uedu iSscHDico eno
fossil skull Of Chancelade. They say:
1.-The head is large. the forehead round and
prominent (bombre). rising slightly obliquely.
The face is long, as though pulled out from be-
low upward, and is distinctly projected forward;
tho 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 indefnabe expression.
I'm this detailed description 1t is quite evident
that Dr. Mayet and NJ Pissot believe that we have
here something In the nature Of realistic draw
ing Of Aurignacian man. This is confirmed by
their further statement that have not previous
ly 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 filled
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 FontdeGaume at
Les Eyzies (Dordogne.).
Il think 1t will be clearly seen that the great
interest in this new discovery lies not in the be-