Judsonia weekly advance., 1915-09-01
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 (-z-o HERE are recorded at the present | t%~nW& time for the southern twothrds Of II @ Europe, including Mediterranean IS M Asia and Africa no less than four II M hundred paeolithic stations, that is, II & places where remains of one kind II M another have been left behind II E@ by early man. This pri- Ilg marily hunter and his chief center >----0 of activity appears to have been what is now southwestern France and northeast Spain, although Germany, Austria, Italy, Bel gium, England and to lesser degree other coun- tries, within his range. This apparent dis tribution may be deceptive, however Many of the stations are out in the open for example the valley terraces of the Thames and the Somme; but the majority of the sites, especially those of later times, sheltered in some way. The shelter may consist merely Of an overhang ing cliff, it may be grotto yawnng on the noun tain side and it may be the far interior of a cave This latter type of site it is relatively easy to find by making deliberate search while the location of an ancient camp or workshop in the open coun try is the result only of chance. It is conceivable of course that these roaming, migratory hunters returned seasonaly to the natural shelters, but on the other hand it is possible that many of them built huts-some of the geometric paintings suggest that they did-and unless these huts stood in close proximity to some shetering cliff, all traces of the spot and it's relics would be lost Hence, may properly take for granted that hundreds of archaeological stations will remain discovered in consequence of which our notion of the actual strength of the population at any given place during these early millenniums of human existence must continue imperfect, If not inadequate.
 AS need hardly be stated the presence of natural habtations depends ordinarily on high relief or less mountainous topography. Caves most abundant in volcanic regions in the western United States, in limestone areas such as Kentucky and adjacent common weaths. Shelters are notable features of steep walled valleys or box-canyons and cliff dweller region affords the best example of them and their utilization. In Europe the most famous groups located in the lower French Pyrenees and their Cantabrian extension in north ern Spain while the equally famous shelter region includes short sections of the Vezere and Beune valleys at Les Eyzes, in the French department of Dordogne. Both regions wonderfully pic turesque and impressive and barring some alter ations in the flora they have not changed much in general appearance since the arrival of paeo- lithic man. These caves and shelters are all in limestone formations and the results chiefly of mechanical erosion. Some of the caves, espe- cially those of the lower attitudes are still in process of making, while others well up the mountain sides, very ancient-in fact, in
 
 Roughly speaking. the shelters proper, that is the overhanging cliffs and the wide open grottoes were the homes of paleothic man and therefore naturally furnish us with important data concern ing his physical makeup, his practical ability, and the general nature of his everyday life. The caves, the other hand, served him mainly as galleries for remarkable series of paintings en- cravings and carvings. which in measure reveal to his mental attitude toward life. The caves 1t must be understood, were exceedingly dark and damp ordinarily unfit for habtation except pos sibly as temporary retreat during the hard win ters, and contrariwise. the shelter walls, having been exposed for thousands of years to the wealth ering clements. could not have preserved for us either paintings or delicate engravings that may have been made upon them. There are several somewhat qualifying exceptions to these sweeping statements however For instance the Gargas cavern, near Montrejeau, France, and likewise the AItamira cave, near Santander Spain appear to have been occupied for protracted periods al- though in both only very close to the en- trance On the other hand, some of the shelters such as Cap Blanc. Les Eyzes France have preserved, mainly through accident, fine series of high relief sculptures. But a general thing the camp sites are in large half-open shel- ters, usually facing the sun, while the entrances to the painted caves face in any direction, and for the most part are very small and fnconspicu- ous At Castillo only there is the perfect combi- nation-a large sunny grotto, which was occupied periodically throughout most of paleolithic times and which served besides the vestibule to a considerable cave. famous for it's mural art.
 An examination of the various Dordogne shel- ters, coupled with study of the changing types found in them, is most instructive Nearly all of the stations here at the base of the high cliffs that hedge the narrow valleys on one or both sides; but in few instances the relic bear ing debris lies eroded ledge some distance up the face of the protecting wall. Almost within