Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-13
Conclusion Is Reached by
Rev. Stephen Richarz of
Catholic University.
PROBLEM IS OUTSIDE
PROVINCE OF THEOLOGY
Layers on Lake Bottoms Make It
Possible to Calculate Time
by Wing" Years.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The human race Is unquestionably
80, 200 years old at the most conserya-
tive estimate.
Such is the conclusion of Rev.
Stephen Richarz, based on study of
the geological evidence which has Just
been issued by the Catholic Anthropo-
logical Conference. with headquarters
at Catholic University here.
The problem, says Father Richarz. is
outside the province Of theology and 1t
Is impossible to reconcile q period Of
from 5000 to 5000 years. such as some
Biblical scholars have postulated from
literal Interpretation OF the book of
Genesis, with the known facts Of human
antiquity.
Father Richarz admits that mankind
probably Is much older than his lower
limit of 10000 years, but this is as far as
the race can be traced back with Ger
tainty. Much Of the prehistoric calen-
OAR, he says, can be traced out very
accurately indeed by q precise method
which takes account of each single year,
Glaciers Freed Lakes.
Reteating glaciers, he points out
during the Summer send great streams
into lakes In the path they have come
over. These glacial streams are filled
with solid material, such as pebbles
Inc heavier particles sink at once to
the bottom OF the lake while the lighter
particles remain in suspension In the
water until 1t freezes, when they also
fall to, the bottom.
The result is that the bottom of the
lake Is built up in layers year after
year. which afford as definite q prehis-
torlc calendar as the rings of q tree.
The rings vary greatly in thickness, ac-
cordtng to the nature Of the glacial
water poured into the lake. But al
ways one years layer is marked of
from that of the succeeding wear bv
the extremely thin layer Of fne silt
squeezed out Of the water by the cold
weather.
BY counting these layers on old lake
bottoms 1t Is possible to calculate lust
how long 1t took a glacier to retreat
over a given expanse. Each ring"
stands for year.
Find Human Remains.
Now 1t is well established. SAYS FIR.
RlcharZ, that man was living in Eu-
rope before the last glacial period, be-
cause human remains have been found
In the Somme Valley, In France, In the
same strata with elephants of a south
ern variety, hippopotami, which cannot
live when rivers are frozen over, and
plants requiring temperatures four or
five degrees higher than are averaged
In the same country today. How long
man had been there can only be con-
jectured.
Then came a change, for the next
period sees the remains of Arctic ami
malS-woolly mammoths woolly rni-
noceri and reindeer as far south as
Spain. There are also fossil remains Of
plants similar to those now growing In
Arctic tundra and shells of Arctic
clans, which show that even the ocean
must have been considerably cooler.
Among these are human weapons.
Hence 1t Is logical to date positively
the existence of man in Europe from
the beginning of the last glacial period
Now the period Of the retreat of the
glaciers has been worked out exactly
for Southern Sweden, showing move
ment Of from $50 to 1913 feet a year,
the entire period requiring 5000 years
From other geological data it has been
determined that $500 years have
elapsed since the retreat Of the ice in
that locality. This gives total Of $4,000
years.
Exact Calculation Impossible.
But Central and Southern Europe,
where the human remains are found,
must have been ice-free much longer
period. This cannot be calculated so
exactly, since there were halts of ap-
proXimately 1000 years In the retreat of
and adding conservative conjectureS
for the rest of the time. FIR. RicharZ
finds that at least 10000 years is
required.
This takes for granted that man was
not in Europe in the preceding ice
ages. This Is by no means certain, he
points out, but there is no undisputed
evidence for an earlier existence Of real
human beings. There are indications,
haps preceding the ice ages altogether
If some of the fiints dating from the
first ice age period are of true human
workmanship the age Of man would
have to be set back several hundred
thousand years. Besides, says Father
Richar2, "the cradle Of man hardly was
In Europe"
Certain Facts Accepted.
There are these facts" he says,
which are obvious and which are ac-
cepted by all biologists, and they war
rant the conclusion that man was UNI
doubtedly in Europe 10000 years ago.
OF this number of millenniums, the first
part Is determined by exact methods
and the other half is based partly on
an estimate of the recession of the ice
where 1t cannot yet be measured direct
ly and partly on a very conservative
estimate of the time required for the
advance of the ice front from Northern
to Central Europe. Further develop
ment of these methods as well as new
discoveries may raise this minimum
figure considerably and place on a solid
basis the theories Of those who stand
for a much higher age of mankind.
"It seems impossible that the figure
Of 10000 years ever viii turn out to
be too high as q reasonable estimate
of the minimum age of the human
race. It is impossible to reconcile we'll
known facts Of human antiquity with
such figures as 5000 to 5000 years.
No theological problem is involved.
Theologians, even the most conserva-
tive, acknowledge full liberty to deviate
from the figures Of the older exegests
and declare the problem of the age
of mankind, like that Of the age of
the earth and of the universe, one
which has to be solved by secular
science"