668 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



The geography of Europe underwent considerable change in 

 the course of the palaeolithic age. The conditions described as 

 existing at its commencement did not persist into the upper 

 palaeolithic, the continental area was at first gradually reduced 

 to narrower limits, but later on the sea again withdrew, and an 

 approach was made to the earlier state of things. About the 

 beginning of the upper palaeolithic, however, a fresh advance of 

 the sea occurred, to be followed later by a final withdrawal, and 

 the establishment of the existing coast-lines. 1 



Since G. de Mortillet first subdivided the upper palaeolithic 

 into the Solutrian and Magdalenian, repeated efforts have been 

 made to overturn these two systems. The Eburnian or Papalian 

 of Piette corresponds approximately with the Solutrian, and his 

 Cervidian or Gourdanian with the Magdalenian. Some authors 

 separate off the basal part of the Solutrian as a distinct series — 

 the pre-Solutrian or Aurignacian. 2 



The distribution of Solutrian stations is indicated on the 

 map (fig. i). The remains of Solutrian industry are found not 

 only in caves, rock-shelters, and river gravels, but also in the 

 loss. One of the most instructive caves, famous as affording a 

 key to classification, is La Grotte du Placard (Charente). In this 

 no less than eight layers containing the relics of human occupa- 

 tion occur, separated by intercalated sterile beds varying from 

 7 in. to 2 ft. in thickness. The lowest layer is Mousterian ; 

 above it lies (2) the lower Solutrian, and (3) the upper Solutrian ; 

 next (4 and 5) the lower Magdalenian, and (6 and 7) the upper 

 Magdalenian, and finally (8) the Robinhausian. 



The loss is a yellowish grey or brown deposit of unstratified 

 sandy and calcareous loam, often much broken up by joints and 

 traversed by narrow almost vertical tubes. Curious calcareous 

 concretions, known locally as " loss manchen," are scattered 

 through it in discontinuous layers. It rarely contains fossils, 

 except of land snails, such as Helix hispida, Pttpa muscorum, 

 and Succinea oblonga. Maintaining a thickness of from 10 to 

 60 metres, it spreads over a great part of Europe as a very 



1 See Marcellin Boule, "La grotte du Prince," U Anthropologic, 1906, xvii. p. 257. 



2 H. Breuil, " Essai sur la stratigraphie du depots de l'age du Renne," 

 L'Anthr. 1905, xvi. p. 511. A. Rutot, " Le Presolutrean ou Aurignacien en 

 Belgique," Congres Prehistorique de France, 1907, p. 179. A. de Mortillet, 

 " La grotte du Placard et le niveau d'Aurignac," C. A". Passoc. Jrangaise, 1907, 

 places the horizon of Aurignac above the Solutrian ; H. Breuil, " La question 

 Aurignacienne," Rev. prchistorique, 1907, places it below. 



