Cave Hunting: Researches on the evidence of caves respecting the early inhabitants of EuropeDawkins, William Boyd
History
Cave Hunting: Researches on the evidence of caves respecting the early inhabitants of Europe
Dawkins, William Boyd
Antiquities, Prehistoric -- Europe; Caves -- Europe; Europe -- Antiquities; Prehistoric peoples -- Europe
“This first hearth is covered by a layer (C), 0·25 metre thick, of
calcareous débris, detached bit by bit from the roof, during the
temporary disuse of the shelter. Then follows another thin layer of
hearth-stuff (D), 0·10 metre thick, also containing pieces of charcoal,
bones, and worked flints. This bed is in its turn overlain by a layer
of fallen limestone rubbish (E), 0·50 metre thick. Lastly, there is
over these a series of more important layers, all of them containing,
in different proportions, charcoal, bones (broken, burnt, and worked),
worked flints (of different types, but chiefly scrapers), flint cores,
and pebbles of quartz, granites, &c. from the bed of the Vezère, and
bearing numerous marks of hammering. Altogether these layers seem to
have reference to a period during which the cave was inhabited, if
not continuously, at least at intervals so short as not to admit of
intercalations of débris falling from the roof between the different
hearth-layers which correspond with the successive phases of this (the
third) period of habitation. The first (lowest) of these layers (F) is
full of charcoal, and has a thickness of 0·20 metre; it does not touch
the back of the cave, but extends a little further than the earlier
layers. At its line of contact with the calcareous débris beneath, the
latter is strongly reddened with the action of fire.
“On the last-mentioned hearth-layer is a bed of unctuous reddish earth
(G), 0·30 metre thick, containing similar objects, though in less
quantities. Last in succession is a carbonaceous bed (H), the widest
and thickest of all, having an average thickness of 0·30 metre; at the
edges it is only 0·10 metre thick; but in the centre, where it cuts
into the subjacent deposits, which were excavated by the inhabitants
in making the principal hearth, it attains a depth of 1·60 metre. This
bed, being by far the richest in pieces of charcoal, in bones, pebbles
of quartz, worked flints, flint cores, and bone implements, such as
points or dart-heads, arrowheads, &c., may be regarded as indicative of
a far more prolonged habitation than the previous.
“Above this thick hearth-layer is a bed of yellowish earth (I), rather
argillaceous, also containing bones, flints, and implements of bone,
as well as amulets or pendants. This appears to be limited upwards by
a carbonaceous bed (J), very thin, and of little extent, 0·05 metre
thick, which M. Laganne observed before my arrival, but of which only
slight traces remained afterwards.
“It was on the upper part of this yellow band (I), and at the back of
the cave, that the human skeletons and the accessories of the sepulture
were met with; and all of them were found in the calcareous débris
(K), except in a small space in the furthest hollow at the back of the
cave. This last deposit also contains some worked flints, mixed up with
broken bones, and with some uninjured bones referable to small rodents
and to a peculiar kind of fox.
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