The passing of the great race; or, The racial basis of European historyGrant, Madison
History
The passing of the great race; or, The racial basis of European history
Grant, Madison
Ethnology -- Europe
See Fig. 174, p. 353, of Osborn, 1, giving a large bison drawing in the
cavern of Niaux on the Ariège, showing the supposed spear or arrowheads,
attached to large shafts, which are represented as having pierced its
side. On p. 354 Osborn says: “It is possible, although not probable,
that the bow was introduced at this time and that a less perfect flint
point, fastened to a shaft like an arrowhead, and projected with great
velocity and accuracy, proved to be far more effective than the
spear.... From these drawings and symbols (Fig. 174), it would appear
that barbed weapons of some kind were used in the chase, but no barbed
flints occur at any time in the Paleolithic, nor has any trace been
found of bone barbed arrowheads, or any direct evidence of the existence
of the bow.” On p. 410: “Here [Cavern of Niaux] for the first time are
revealed the early Magdalenian methods of hunting the bison, for upon
their flanks are clearly traced one or more arrow or spear heads with
the shafts still attached; the most positive proof of the use of the
arrow is the apparent termination of the wooden shaft in the feathers
which are rudely represented in three of the drawings.”
113 : 3. Osborn, p. 456: “The flint industry [of the Azilian] continues
the degeneration begun in the Magdalenian and exhibits a new life and
impulse only in the fashioning of extremely small or microlithic tools
and weapons known as ‘Tardenoisian.’” See also pp. 465–475 for a more
complete discussion and their distribution as traced by de Mortillet.
Also Breuil, 2, pp. 2–6, and 3, pp. 165–238, but especially pp. 232–233.
Osborn continues, p. 450: “If it is true ... that Europe at the same
time became more densely forested, the chase may have become more
difficult and the Cro-Magnons may have begun to depend more and more
upon the life of the streams and the art of fishing. It is generally
agreed that the harpoons were chiefly used for fishing, and that many of
the microlithic flints, which now begin to appear more abundantly, may
have been attached to a shaft for the same purpose. We know that similar
microliths were used as arrowpoints in pre-dynastic Egypt.”
The microliths may have been used on darts for bird hunting.
113 : 21. See Osborn, pp. 333 _seq._, and in this book the note to p.
143 : 13 on the Tripolje culture.
115 : 9. Compare what Rice Holmes has to say on pp. 99–100 of his
_Ancient Britain_.
117 : 18. Maglemose. This culture was first found and described by G. F.
L. Sarauw, in a work entitled _En Stenolden Boplads: Maglemose ved
Mullerup_. The same material is given in “Trouvaille fait dans le nord
de l’Europe datant de la période de l’hiatus,” in the _Congrès
préhistorique de France_. A site equivalent to the Maglemose in culture,
but discovered later, is described in “Une trouvaille de l’ancien âge de
la pierre” (Braband), by MM. Thomsen and Jessen. See also Obermaier, 2,
pp. 467–469.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account