NEANDERTHAL PHASE OF MAN — HRDLiCka 607 



That the Moiisterians may not have been lacking in artistic sense 

 is indicated by some of their beautiful implements from La Quina 

 and other stations ; by the beautiful topaz and ciystal cleavers found 

 since 1925 by the American school at Sergeac ; by the decorated bone 

 fragment from La Ferrassie; and possibly by the fieTreS'-flgures 

 (e. g. Roellecourt, Dharvent), and used chunks of manganese oxide, 

 found occasionally in the Mousterian deposits (La Quina and else- 

 where). Sir Arthur Evans tells us that "When we turn to the 

 most striking features of this whole cultural phase, the primeval 

 arts of sculpture, engraving, and painting, we see a gradual up- 

 growth and unbroken tradition. From mere outline figures and 

 simple two-legged j^rofiles of animals we are led on step by step to 

 the full freedom of the Magdalenian artists." (New Archaeological 

 Lights on the Origins of Civilization in Europe, by Sir Arthur 

 Evans, Science, 1916, n. s. xliv. No. 1134, p. 406.) MacCurdy is even 

 more direct : " The inception, development, and decay of Quaternary 

 art all took place during the upper j)aleolithic period. The begin- 

 nings of sculpture, engraving, and fresco are traceable to the Aurig- 

 nacian epoch" (MacCurdy, Human Origins, Vol. I, p. 155). And 

 there are some very good words of appreciation of the abilities of 

 Mousterian man in Sir Arthur Keith's recent two volumes (The 

 Antiquity of Man, 1925, I, 223). Thus — archeology fails also, as did 

 paleontology and geology, in isolating Neanderthal man, and in 

 separating him from the succeeding forms of humanity. 



III. THE SKELETAL REMAINS 



THE SKELETAL MATERIAL 



The crucial part of the whole question of Neanderthal man is, 

 however, that of the evidence of the skeletal material, for it is essen- 

 tially upon this that the separateness and discontinuance of the 

 Neanderthal type of man has been based. It would probably be easy 

 to harmonize all the rest of the diiferences between Neanderthal and 

 later man with the idea of a simple evolution and transmission, were 

 it not for the obstacle of the Neanderthal man's skulls and bones. 

 These impress one by such marked differences from those of any 

 later man, that a bridging over of the gap has, to many, seemed 

 impossible. 



Let us glance at what the present skeletal evidence of Neanderthal 

 man consists of. Leaving out of consideration the unimportant and 

 the doubtful specimens, the remains comprise now the following 

 (pp. 609 to 611). 



It will be well in this connection to contrast the Neanderthal 

 remains with those from the Acheulean on one side, and those from 



