The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
But, on the other hand, there are certain features connected with
the phenomena of the Glacial Age that seem very difficult of
explanation, if we suppose that geographical changes alone
produced them. We must remember that evidences of the former
presence of glaciers are found widely scattered over the earth.
We shall, therefore, have to assume an elevation not only for
America and Europe, but extend it over into Asia, and take in the
Lebanon Mountains, for they also show distinct traces of
glaciers. And this movement of elevation must also have affected
the Southern Hemisphere, the evidence being equally plain that at
the same comparatively late date glaciers crushed over Southern
Africa and South America.27 This is seen to prove too much.
Again, how can we explain the fact that some time during the
Glacial Age we had a submergence, the land standing several
hundred feet lower than now, but still remained covered with ice,
and over the submerged part there sailed icebergs and ice-rafts,
freighted with their usual _débris_? That such was the state of
things in Europe we are assured by some very good authorities.28
Neither do geographical causes afford an adequate explanation of
those changes of temperature that surely took place during the
Glacial Age. These last considerations show us how difficult it
is to believe that geographical causes could have produced the
Glacial Age.
We are assured that all through the geological ages the
continents had been increasing in size and compactness, and that
just at the close of the Tertiary Age they received a
considerable addition of land to the north. The astronomer also
informs us that at a comparatively recent epoch the eccentricity
of the earth’s orbit became very great. The conditions being
favorable, it is not strange that a Glacial Age supervened.
We have been to considerable length in thus explaining the
position of the scientific world in regard to the cause of the
Glacial Age. Our reason for so doing is that this age is, we
think, so connected with the Paleolithic Age of man, that it
seems advisable to have a clear understanding in regard to it.
What we have to say is neither new nor original. It is simply an
earnest endeavor to represent clearly the conclusions of some of
our best scholars on this subject, and we have tried to give to
each theory its due weight. Our conclusions may be wrong, but, if
so, we have the consolation of erring in very good company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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