III. 



The Cave Men of Mentone. 



THE Mentone Caves and their contents have been well-known to 

 Geological students as subjects of controversy during the past 

 twenty-five years, and the recent discovery of new skeletons there 

 will arouse a fresh interest in a locality that has been regarded 

 hitherto as somewhat unsatisfactory. As the future of the specimens 

 in question is very doubtful, owing to disputed ownership, atmos- 

 pheric influence, and the destructive agency of the tourist's umbrella, 

 it may be of some use to record at once the leading facts concerning 

 the remains discovered. 



In the mass of Lower Cretaceous Limestone to the east of 

 Mentone, forming the cliff called the Red Rocks, lies the series of Caves 

 of Baousse Rousse ' (Balzi Rossi), situated on the Italian side of the 

 stream and valley that constitute the frontier. The best known skele- 

 ton from this district, found by M. Riviere in 1873 ^^<^ figured in many 

 text-books, was discovered in Cave 3, counting from west to east 

 (Cave 4 of M. Riviere). It is Cave 4 (referred to as 5 by M. Riviere) 

 that has yielded the skeletons of 1884 and 1892. We are at present 

 concerned with this one only. 



The mouth of this cave is in a wall of sea-cliff, quarried for stone, 

 about 30 or more metres from the present sea-margin. It seems, on 

 inquiry, that the west side of the present cave-mouth has been in 

 much the same position for many years, though tlie east side has 

 been a good deal cut back by quarrying.- The cave itself is a great 

 vertical cleft, measuring some 25 metres in length by 3 to 6 metres in 

 width. The walls converge till they meet about 15 metres above the 

 present floor. Before any excavations were made the cave-floor was 

 at the mouth six metres higher than now, and the present floor is 

 simply the level at which former excavations ceased. Moreover, as 

 noted by M. Forel in 1858, the floor had even then been lowered by 

 natural agencies, as shown by ossiferous incrustations clinging to the 

 walls. 



Of the nature of the mass of material already removed, and the 



' A description of the contents of the caves will be found in M. Riviere's papers, 

 " De I'antiquite de Thomme dans les Alpes Maritimes." Paris, 1878-1886 (Balliere). 



2 This has to be borne in mind in trying to lix now the position in which the 

 1884 skeleton was found. 



