Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-09-07


- HERE are recorded at the present
tb@TYzAlI time for the southern two-thirds of
E Europe including Mediterranean
Is "a Asia and Africa, no less than four
!" :: !: !: !. !: : 6"
IL 81 hundred paleothic stations that IS,
81 places where remains of one kind
II 81 Il or another have been left behind
- by early This man was pri-
- marily hunter and his chief center
- 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, came within his range. This apparent dis
tribution may be deceptive however. Many Of
the stations are out in the open, as for example
on the valley terraces of the Thames and the
SOmme; but the majority of the sites, especially
those of later times, are sheltered in some way.
The shelter may consist merely of an overhang-
ing cliff 1t may be a grotto yawning on the noun
tain side and it may be the far interior of 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 1t is conceivable
of course that these roaming, migratory hunters
returned seasonaly to the natural shelters, but
the other hand, it is possible that many of them
built huts-some of the geometric cave paintings
suggest that they did-and unless these huts stood
In very close proximity to some shetering cliff, all
traces of the spot and its relics would be lost.
Hence we may properly take for granted that
hundreds of archaeological stations will remain I'M
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 habitations depends ordinarily on a high
relief or more or less mountainous topography.
Caves are most abundant in volcanic regions as
in the western United States, in limestone
areas such Kentucky and adjacent common
Wealths Shelters are notable features of steep
walled valleys or boXcanyons and our cliff
dweller region affords the best example of them
and their utilization. In Europe the most famous
cave groups are 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
ii general appearance since the arrival of paleo-
hthic man. These caves and shelters are all in
limestone formations and are 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 on the
mountain sides, very ancient-in fact, were in
their old age when first entered them.
Roughly speaking the shelters proper, that is
the overhanging cliffs and the wide open grottoes
were the homes of paleolithic 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, on the other hand served him mainly as
galleries for remarkable series of paintings en-
cravings and carvings which in measure reveal
to US his mental attitude toward life. The caves
it must be understood, were exceedingly dark and
damp. ordinarily unfit for habitation except pos
siby as temporary retreat during the hard win
tiers, and contrariwise, the shelter walls having
been exposed for thousands of years to the wealth
ering elements, 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
Atamira cave, near Santander, Spain, appear to
have been occupied for protracted periods al
though in both cases only very close to the en-
trance On the other hand, some of the shelters
such as Cap Blanc near Les Eyzies France
have preserved mainly through accident a fine
series of high relief sculptures. But as q general
thing the camp sites are in large half-open shell
tiers, usually facing the sun, while the entrances
to the painted caves face in any direction and
Tor the most part are very small and inconspicu-
Gus. At Castillo only there is the perfect combf-
nations large, sunny grotto, which was occupied
periodically throughout most of paleolithic times
and which served besides as the vestibule to
considerable cave, famous for its mural art
An examination of the various Dordogne shell
tiers. coupled with study of the changing types
found in them, is most instructive Nearly all of
the stations here are at the base of the high
cliffs that hedge the narrow valleys on one or
both sides; but in few instances the reIic-bear-
ing debris lies on an eroded ledge some distance
up the face of the protecting wall. Almost within