﻿NO. 5 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, 1^22 87 



which has resulted in the gathering of important collections and in 

 the publication of valuable ethnological studies, especially by General 

 Rondon's assistant, Dr. E. Roquette-Pinto. 



EXPLORATION OF THE PALEOLITHIC REGIONS OF FRANCE 



AND SPAIN 



During the month of September, 1922, Mr. M. W. Stirling, aid 

 in the Division of Ethnology, National Museum, in the company of 

 of Mr. P. J. Patton. a student in the University of Paris, explored 

 the paleolithic regions of southern France and northern Spain. All 

 of the important sites where remains of ancient man have been dis- 

 covered were visited, and in addition a great many caves unknown to 

 science were entered. 



The idea has become prevalent in America that this region has 

 been practically exhausted archeologically. Although the previous 

 existence of paleolithic man in this locality has been known for half 

 a century, it may be truly said that the work of exploration has hardly 

 begun. 



The habitations of the Stone Age are closely linked with the lime- 

 stone formation which overlies large areas in this part of Europe. 

 These may be said to fall into two classes, /'. c, rock shelters and 

 caverns. The former are undercuts in the limestone, made by the 

 rivers during the early Pleistocene or late Pliocene. A general ele- 

 vation of the land has caused the streams to deepen their channels, 

 thus leaving the undercuts well above the surface of the water. 

 These were utilized as dwelling places by paleolithic man and in many 

 instances were artificially modified. There are literally miles of relic 

 bearing deposits of this class that have not yet been touched. The 

 possibilities in this field are very great. 



The caverns of the Dordogne region are for the most part com- 

 paratively small, while those in the department of Ariege are immense 

 caves of a most spectacular nature. Of the former class are the 

 grottoes of Font du Gaume, Combarelles, La Mouthe, Marsoulas, 

 Montesquieu, and others. Of the latter class are the immense caves 

 in the neighborhood of Foix, as for example, Salignac, Ussat, and 

 Niaux. The tunnel of Mas d'Azil is the remnant of such a cave. 



Many of these caverns have become blocked with sediment owing 

 to the fact that they frequently slope downward from the entrance. 

 Messers. Stirling and Patton entered at least a dozen such caves 

 which had become sealed at varying distances from their mouths. 

 The opening of such caves has heretofore been left almost entirely 

 to chance. Scientific endeavor at this work should produce most 



