The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-08
SCIENTISTS Still
UNDECIDED rs To
ORIGIN Of HUMAN
Estimates of Agee of Race
Range From 10000 to
100000 Years

|
! LONDON. April s. Much specula-
ton as to the age Of man has arisen
as result of the recent discoveries
of fossil human skulls in South
America, Patagonia and the Island CT
Jersey. The estimates as to the an
tiquity of the human race range an
hte way from 10000 to 100000
years. DIR. VOLTS reported discov-
cry in Patagonia of a fossilized hui
| man skull of the tertiary period,
however, may nullify all previous
scientific calculations ON this sub
| ject, and the public is now getting
a little chary about accepting even
scientists estimates regarding the
date of the origin of the human race.
! Ever since the unearthing of the
ashes of King Tutankhamen, who, in
the view of anthropolosists. is to be
reckoned only as an infant" as the
age of man goes. startling discov-
| cries have been made all over the
world which upset all well-esta blish-
ed anthropological foundations.
O O q
Comments On Discoveries.
! DR.. A. Smith Woodward, director
of the geological department of the
| British museum makes some inter-
| esting commentaries on the latest
discoveries in skulls and bones. For
a moment" says he, The public
seemed to assume that we had found
I at last the IlESl HlsH w NJ llNtu vi
! earth. | fear, however, that these
| conjectures are as baseless as they
are interesting Since the skull from
Jersey is said to have been found
near neolithic burial chamber, it is
probably much nearer our period
| than any of the skulls of fossil men
i which show resemblance to their
/ ape-like ancestors. And since the
lspecimen from Patagonia comes from
4 a country which has furnished more
mares nests in the study of prehis-
toricl and ancestral man than any
other part of the world, it Will not
excite interest among anthropolo-
gists until some geologist admittedly
i skilled in such matters has satlsflea
| himself that this is true fossil DEF
linitely associated with the remains
/ of extinct animals.
was the first man on earth? ITO be
| strictly accurate, he replies, we
have not yet found him. although we
have some reason to think we. know
| where to look. In the dim border
land of time which separates man
from monkey there roamed; some
where in Central Asia, form of
large Drained ape destined to be the
| precursor of man 1t is impossible
to fix a date for his appearance. but
we do know that when he came into
being the Himalayan mountains had
| not Yet TedIcQ tntii PedhS'
Habits Are Unknown.
| The eminent British geologist says
nothing has yet been discovered re-
specting the habits and life of these
apes A party of Anne rican naturalists
is now searching for them in promis-
ing localities in Mongolia, he adds.
1t was in the Neanderthal, near
Dusseldorf Germany, writes DR..
Woodward, that the remains of the
| earliest man of, whom anything is
really known were discovered. Com
pared with our knowledge of his an
cestors," he says, The is an intimate
4 acquaintance. But 1t Is Impossible
/ to assign him a date in years. SWed-
rsh biologists reckon his age as about
10000 years"
"Neanderthal man." continues the
| British scientist, was definitely a
man. He lived in caves from which
| he sailed forth to hunt the animals,
such as mammoth, rhinoceros. rein
deer and bison, which then roamed
over Europe. We have found his
tools, flint and bone. and we have
found even the bone pins with which
possibly the early women fastened
the rough skins which served them
for petticoats. We have also found
| remains of paint and rouge, which
seem to signify the dawn of vanity.
Most remarkable of all. We have
| ascertained that these early human
beings believed in a future life, an
| enormous advance in thought. They
buried their. dead, and with the dead
| we have found both stone implements
and the bones of animals which had
been buried When still covered with
flesh, and were doubtless intended to
be used as food in case the departed
spirits should suffer the pangs Of
J.,