11 



was brought with other fossil bones, from the Monte Hermoso bluff 

 some time during the early years of the present century, the exact 

 year being also uncertain, Carlos Ameghino. The atlas, which is human, 

 after being brought to the Museum was forgotten and lay for many 

 years unnoticed. The first published notice of it appeared about 

 twenty years after its discovery. As to the femur of the "Tetraprothomo," 

 which however really belongs to some ancient small sized carnivore, 

 the only information given was that "it was encountered by Carlos 

 Ameghino in his last trip to Monte Hermoso." 



The above notes could be extended; however the subject may be 

 briefly summarized by the statement that not one of the osseus 

 specimens which represent the "ancient" man in South America and 

 particularly in Argentina, has been discovered or exhumed by an 

 experienced anthropologist or archeologist, or by a person well trained 

 in or employing the methods recognized to-day as requisite in dealing 

 with objects of such importance. And thies applies equally well to 

 other objects than human bones, given as evidence of early man in 

 Argentina. A more meagre and defective record could scarcely be 

 conceived. 



Following unscientific collection of the specimens came faulty 

 judgment in adjusting their age and, in the case of numerous bones 

 other than human, a failure of recognition of their true character. 

 Among the defects of judgment were, as appears from the observation 

 of Mr. Willis and other work, an imperfect and in some instances 

 decidedly erroneous identification of the deposits in which the human 

 remains were discovered; a general but wholly unwarranted assum- 

 tion, that the human bones were contemporaneous with the deposits 

 in which they la}^ and with the bones of various animals found 

 nearly at the same levels; the prejudicial opinion that the minerali- 

 sation of a human bone meant generally and of necessity the great 

 antiquity of the specimen; the assumption that certain refuse and by- 

 products of the manufacture of stone implements were sufficient to 

 establish ancient primitive cultures; the as yet unknown failure to 

 recognize or admit the accidental nature of numerous markings on 

 the bones of ancient animals; and the attributing of anthropic signif- 

 icance to baked earth and scoria associated with some of the other 

 Pampean deposits while they are in all probability merely disseminated 

 secondary volcanic products, having nothing to do with man's existence. 



A lack of experience in anthropology, with a dearth of material 



