The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
We have seen that the men of the Drift were very widely scattered
over the earth. We find, however, that the Cave-men had a much
more limited range. Dr. Fraas has shown their presence in
Germany. At Schussenreid, in Bavaria, was found an open air
station of these people. It was evidently a camping-ground, one
of the few places where proofs of their presence have been
discovered outside of caves. Here we found the usual _débris,_
consisting of broken bones, charcoal, blackened hearth-stone, and
implements of flint and horn. We must stop a minute to notice a
bit of unexpected proof as to the severity of climate then
prevailing in Europe. This deposit was covered up with sand, and
on this sand were the remains of moss, sufficiently perfect to
determine the kind. We are assured that it is composed of species
now found only in Alpine regions, near or above the snow-line,
and in such northern countries as Greenland and Spitzbergen.14
Dr. Fraas also proved their presence in several caves in Suabia.
One known as the Hohlefels Cave was very rich in these relics.
They have been found in Switzerland, as at Thayengen; but are not
found south of the Alps or the Pyrenees. Men, indeed, inhabited
caves in Italy, but they did not use the implements
characteristic of the Cave-men.15 Mr. Dawkins points out that
this range corresponds very nearly to that of the northern group
of animals, thus differing widely from the men of the River
Drift. In this connection we must notice that the reindeer is the
animal whose remains are most commonly met with in the _débris_
they have left in the caves. This animal surely testifies to a
cold climate. We are thus justified in concluding that the
Cave-men are associated with the Arctic group of animals.16
We must now turn our attention to the culture of the Cave-men. We
must reflect that long ages, with great changes of climate and
life, both animal and vegetable, have rolled away since the
remains of these early races were sealed by the stalagmite
formation in caves. The relics at their best are but scanty
memorials of a people long since passed, and we can not expect,
can not hope, to recover more than a general outline. But this
will be found full of interest, for it is a picture of
Paleolithic life and times existing in Europe long ages before
the pyramids of Egypt were uplifted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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