1897- EARLIEST KNOWN SEAT OF LEARNING. 35 



objects. The author certainly does not fail in ingenuity when he 

 proceeds to throw out the hypothesis that these may have been 

 counters in some game, or that they were painted to teach arithmetic. 



Symbols : The occurrence of cruciform markings (F, H) naturally 

 suggests sun-symbols, especially when they are inscribed within a 

 border, a disc surrounded by a ring (G) being claimed as pictograph 

 of a sun-deity — even the tau, or T cross, is represented. While 

 admitting with the author that symbolism is a " perilous study," it 

 would be too much to expect an enthusiastic archaeologist to refrain 

 from making the most of his material, and so Mr. Piette cannot be 

 blamed for doing his best to read a meaning into these rude designs. 



Pictographic Signs : Certain sinuous lines (I) are supposed to 

 be pictographs of snakes. The author found in the Pyrenees a 

 long wavy line of unhewn stones sunk in the ground, and resembling 

 a serpent, with some granite blocks for a head, and near the bends 

 was a beautiful group of cromlechs, in which he found neolithic 

 remains. He also records two interesting experiences of his own, 

 which prove that the cult of the serpent is not yet extinct in the 

 Pyrenees or in the Department of Aisne. It requires some imagina- 

 tion to see trees, as does Mr. Piette, in some of the markings (for 

 example, in K in the accompanying figure) ; some ovals, also, with 

 central dots are called eyes, and certain elongated markings he 

 names reeds. 



Alphabetical Characters : A third of the paper is taken up with 

 a discussion of markings (L, M) that recall the characters of primitive 

 writings ; and when we remember the recent discoveries of Mr. Arthur 

 J. Evans in Crete, it is wiser to treat these markings with respect. At 

 times, as in the case of the numerals, Mr. Piette rather gives himself 

 away, but his discussion of these supposed script characters is worthy 

 of very careful consideration. He claims that thirteen out of the 

 twenty-three Phoenician characters have equally done duty as graphic 

 signs on the Asylienne pebbles, and says : " This is a considerable 

 proportion, especially as the number of the Phoenician letters would at 

 first have been fewer, and therefore the idea that all letters have been 

 borrowed entirely from Egyptian writing falls to the ground. The 

 Phoenicians, a mercantile people, whose navies frequented all the 

 Mediterranean shores, have everywhere taken with them, and notably 

 to the neighbourhood of the Pyrenees, the graphic signs which 

 appeared to them the most convenient for keeping their registers, 

 for dealing, and for correspondence. They selected the most widely 

 distributed signs in the countries where they trafficked, in order to 

 spread more rapidly the innovations which they introduced into 

 writing. They changed the meaning of the ancient signs. Those of 

 Mas-d'Azil were probably originally syllabic. In becoming letters, 

 their significance was necessarily modified ; but their form was not 

 altered. The Greeks, whose ancient syllabaries had many characters 

 in common with the Asylienne alphabet, adopted the Phoenician 



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