MAN FROM THE FARTHEST PAST 
a native of Africa and southern Asia, can become habitu- 
ated to very cold weather, just as the tiger is nowhere so 
large and fine as in Manchuria and Siberia. 
During the Magdalenian that loss of skill in stone-work- 
ing, which seems to have begun with the increased utiliza- 
tion of other materials during the Aurignacian, further 
manifested itself. The period had none of the beautiful 
pressure or ripple flaking which characterized the Solu- 
trean; but an extraordinary development of skill and 
artistic taste took place in the manufacture of all kinds of 
implements from bone, mam- 
moth ivory, reindeer antler, and 
probably also from more perish- 
able materials, such as wood and 
the horns of bison and wild cat- 
tle. The simple bone harpoon 
with ridges and notches, of the 
Early Magdalenian, evolved in 
time into a most effective weapon 
with rows of recurving barbs 
along both edges. Sharp javelins 
of reindeer antler bore deep 
grooves, whether to hold poison 
or merely to let the blood flow 
more freely we do not know. 
Scrapers for dressing skins, as 
well as awls, hammers, chisels, 
and stone and horn polishers, 
were made in profusion. The 
Magdalenians also produced the 
Fic. 52. Magdalenian spear- f 
thrower of reindeer antler so-called baton de commandement, 
partly restored. Believed to . : 
répresentaaronce or stare | Olten ‘richly carved, meydeubn am 
gan. After Piette and Brevil order to increase its magical 
efficacy. 
Late in the Magdalenian epoch appeared the spear- 
thrower, exactly similar in principle to those still used by 
savage peoples : in many parts of the world (Fig. 52). This 
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