Evening star., 1923-10-30
SCIENTIFIC Jury"
.. TOPASS ON FOSSIL
Bones of "PaIeoIithic Man.
to Be Studied in New York.
/ Much Skepticism Here.

with grave doubts expressed py
scientists here regarding DIR. ]. F.
Harrington's claim that he has un-
earthed the bones Of a paleolithic man
in southern California, DR.. Jesse W.
Fewkes, director of the bureau OF
American ethnology OF the Smith
sonian Institution. is taking steps to
day to settle the authenticity of the
discovery, which. II it is established,
will create a revolution in all pre-
vious knowledge regarding mans
origin.
DR.. Fewkes has wired Harrington
to prepare the bones for shipment to
New York. Steps are under way to
assemble in New York group of the
country's greatest anthropologists to
examine the skeleton. 1t was first
planned to bring the material here,
but DR.. Fewkes found 1t would be
more difficult to get group of eX-
perts together in the Capital.
Declines to Give Opinion.
DR.. Fewkes is anxious to let the
bones speak for themselves, and until
he sees them refuses to express an
opinion. He admits that the discov
cry Is exceedingly improbable, but
expresses confidence that Harrington
had some good grounds for making
the statements which have come from
his California headquarters.
Meanwhile other Washington scien-
lists are not so optimistic. None is
willing to take issue with Harring
ton until the bones are seen, but
one said yesterday that If the skel-
eton proves to be that of a paleo
lithic man 1t will constitute one of
the greatest hoaxes ever played on
science since the only possible ex-
PLANTATION would be that 1t had been
dug UP somewhere in central Europe
aud taken to California. buried, anu
Chi ln unearthed.
One expert pointed out that the
mNund in which the 900, ,000-year-
old skeleton" was found could not
have been excavated by DR.. Harring-
penetrated it with a different object
in view-search for the remains of
American Indians of a geologic pc
riod common with that of men now
living. Another said that Harring-
ton is admittedly not an anthropolo-
gist, but an ethnologist-that is, an
expert in Indian languages-and con-
Sequently is likely not to have more
than superficial knowledge of bone
structures and proper methods of ex-
cavation.
Calls Procedure Unscientfhc.
80 far as we can learn" this man
said. DIR. Harrington went right on
with the work after unearthing this
specimen. This was upscientific.
More confidence could be attributed
to his claims if he had at once placed
guards around the mound, stopped
digging and called in some expert ge-
hnf yNtA
on the Pacific coast, and some an
thropologists."
Anthropologists pointed out yester-
day mat the meager descriptions of
tincaliy phrased. They said that the
discovery of skull of abnormal
thickness, of an unusually heavy jaw,
ana or great. ape-like teeth in reality
Is conducted scientifically The same
might De turned up. they claim. in
any washington cemetery or espe-
cialiy IN any Indian or Asiatic ceme-
son TO believe that the owner lived
more than few years ago.
II Harrington's skeleton should
brove really prehistoric. scientists
approximately 100000 years until the
next evidence of human life on the
american continents. Thus far IL has
been impossible TO find anything dat
.h5 oaSh iioTe IMAM 1U,UUU years. If
human life has existed 100000 years
ago. 1T is claimed, there would be
ABUNDANT evidence of 1t In river cham
neis and rock quarries, and 1t cer-
tainly would not be confined to the
Pacific coast.
Must Have Come From West.
Human life for the Americans must
nave come from either Asia or Eu-
rope, 1t Is pointed out. 1t might have
come even from southern Asia and
the South Sea Islands, because it 10
possible that the ocean currents flow
ing toward the American coast might
have carried a man or group of men
In small boats alive over the thou
sands of miles Of water. But there
are no ocean currents flowing from
Europe, where the pre-Neanderthal
man must have originated. The cur
rents all now from America to Eu-
rope. The theory that man may have
crossed by way Of Iceland and Green
land, as did Lief the Lucky, hundreds
OF thousands OF years later. he scout
tween these islands which can be
navigated only in sturdy ships,
1t is further pointed out that every
alleged prehistoric discovery yet in
me the americans An ans. has proved either a
stitution anthropologists receive SO
many reports of this kind, they claim.
that they no longer take the trouble
TO 60 to the scene, but merely have
the bones sent to them, assured that
the mere formation. without regard
10 the geological environment, will
disprove the claimed antiquity of the
skeletons.
Just now they have been asked to
investigate reports that a race of
dwarfs existed in southeastern New
Mexico during some prehistoric
peEaod and have received reports of
bone discoveries from several sources.
They have asked that some OF the
bones be shipped here. but claim that
thA theory OF a strange race is pre-
po9terous. They will prove either
skels of infants or skulls of normal
ly hsmall people. the anthropologists
clfm.