Smyrna times., 1932-11-02
FIND WORKSHOP
$4,000 YEARS OLD
J. Townsend Russell, ArcheOl-
ogist, Makes Discovery
in South France
OF CAVE MAN CULTURE

Washington. - Discovery Of a
great Solutrean workshop in the
foothills of the Pyrenees in south
ern France is announced by the
Smithsonian institution.
This open-air factory where
craftsmen Of approximately $4,000
years ago fashioned tools and weap-
ons out Of flints and quartzite ex-
tended over several acres and now
is covered by forest. j. Town
send Russell, collaborating archie
ologist Of the Smithsonian staff,
made the discovery while passing
through the forest over rain
washed cart track. His attention
was drawn to some obviously man
made flint flakes, and soundings
made through the area revealed the
width and extent of the ancient
workshop. It is within a few miles
Of the cave Of Marsoulas where the
Smithsonian institution and the
University of Toulouse are conduct
ing joint archaeological enterprise.
Step In Cave-Man Culture.
The workmanship Of the Solu-
trean artisans represents an impor-
tant stage in human culture-the
acme of the chipped-stone industry
and the transition to the stage when
stone tools and weapons were fash
ioned by grinding. It is the second
stage in the chronology Of cave-man
culture. The culture is distinguished
by the so-called "laurel-leaf'' blades
Of stone knives or daggers. Pieces
Of flint were beautifully faxed on
both sides to produce sharp-cutting
edges. The ancient workmen made
large, thin spearheads. scrapers and
saws by the chipping process. at
which they had acquired great skin.
These artisans presumably were
cave dwellers. although there may
already have heen some specializa-
tion Of craftsmen.
Toward the end Of the Sosutrean
period came the revolutionary dis
covery of the possibility of making
tools by grinding instead Of chip
ping. This was .one of the great
transition points in human culture.
hut resulted for a time in a marked
artistic deterioration while the new
method was being perfected by
many generations Of toOlmakers.
The site discovered by Russell Is
believed 10 mark transition stage
from the Solutrean to the succeed
ing Aurignacpan period.
Twenty-one Soundings Made.
Russell made twenty-one sound
ings through the forest. Below a
level Of humus varying from about
sixty centimeters to more than a
meter in thickness was a layer fifty
centimeters thick. consisting of
quartzite pebbles and flint nodules
Of poor quality tightly packed with
earth. This area had been super
ficially quarried from the surface.
Artifacts and debris Of manufac-
ture were found In this level. as
well as In the lower part of the hu-
mus. In one sounding a consider
able quantity Of fiints was found
where the quarry layer appeared TO
have been dug into deeper than else
where. The stone had been thrown
aside so as to make a cuplllle de-
preston, whose horders were COW
cred by only a few centimeters Of
humus.
Despite the extent OF the work
shop. Russell reports. the yield Of
the station Is meager and the pro-
portion Of worked flints and finished
tools is only about Is per cent of
the whole.
In the nearby cave of Tarte, Rus
sell reports finding traces of a
hitherto neglected Aurignacean In
dustry In poor quality quartzite.
Two layers Of artifacts we're found,
but the form of the quartzite ar
ticles was limited by the poor quail
ity Of the material. and no particu-
lar form was recognizable. They
may have been made in the nearby
workshop. The possibility Is sug-
gested that even the cave man had
his cheap and his expensive arti-
facts. The Tarte material consists
mostly of crude choppers and scrap
ers. stones retonched on one side
only.