WHOLE VOL. SKELETAL REMAINS OF EARLY MAN — HRDLICKA 165 



above the orbits. It does not greatly protrude forward, as it does in 

 the male Neanderthal skulls, nevertheless it represents a true and 

 rather huge torus, such as is wholly unknown in recent crania. The 

 orbits are very large, irregularly circular in outline. They are sepa- 

 rated by the stout median process of the frontal, with a large glabellar 

 swelling and space above ; the bones forming their external l)oundary 

 are markedly broader than in modern skulls. The orbital borders, 

 especially the mesial half of the inferior ones, are more or less dull 

 and stout. The nasal bones are broad, not long, and moderately arched 

 from side to side. The nasal aperture is strikingly broad, but not 

 negroid ; its lower borders were evidently fairly sharp, and there are 

 evidences of a good-sized spine. The side walls of the aperture and 

 the nasal bones are very perceptibly thicker than they are in modern 

 skulls. A remarkable feature which gives the face its characteristic 

 appearance is the fullness, to mild convexity, of the suborbital 

 (canine) fossae and of the nasal processes of the maxilla. All these 

 parts look as if inflated from behind. 



The upper alveolar process was broad and originally probably fairly 

 high. It has suffered from absorption and damage so that the roots of 

 the remaining teeth in the anterior half of the arch are nearly fully 

 exposed. The teeth, though considerably worn ofif, appear very long. 

 A very interesting condition is the absence of the two median incisors. 

 As there is no sign of any decay, and the alveolar process shows a 

 characteristic absorption notch at this place, it would seem that the 

 two teeth must have been lost long before the death of the individual, 

 and that presumably through some violence. This condition recalls 

 forcibly the ceremonial knocking out of these incisors (and sometimes 

 also other teeth) in the negro, Australian, and other primitive peoples. 



Added to these facial peculiarities of the skull is its low and sloping 

 forehead. The ensemble presents a picture of phylogenetic inferi- 

 ority which, taking into consideration the fact that this is unquestion- 

 ably the skull of a female, is not quite equalled by any other specimens 

 of Neanderthal origin thus far discovered ; though it is true that the 

 facial features are preserved in only a few of the specimens belonging 

 to this great period. 



The vault of the skull is especially noteworthy on account of its 

 iowness, and through a peculiar formation of the occiput. The poste- 

 rior parietal and upper occipital region shows a broad mild flattening 

 ending in a medium occipital eminence, which gives the region an 

 impression of breadth and submedium height. Much the same char- 

 acteristic is found also in other Neanderthal skulls. 



