62 GEOLOGY AND HISTORY 



hand, the great breadth of face, the alveolar progna- 

 thism, the enormous development of the ascending 

 ramus of the lower jaw, the extent and roughness of 

 the muscular insertions, especially of the masticatory 

 muscles, give rise to the idea of a violent and brutal 

 race/ 



He adds that this apparent antithesis, seen also 

 in the limbs as well as in the skull, accords with the 

 evidence furnished by the associated weapons and 

 implements of a rude hunter-life, and at the same 

 time of no mean degree of taste and skill in carving 

 and other arts. He might have added that this is 

 the antithesis seen in the American tribes, among 

 whom art and taste of various kinds, and much that 

 is high and spiritual even in thought, coexisted with 

 barbarous modes of life and intense ferocity and 

 cruelty. The god and the devil were combined in 

 these races, but there was nothing of the mere 

 brute. 



Riviere remarks, with expressions of surprise, the 

 same contradictory points in the Mentone skeleton : 

 its grand development of brain-case and high facial 

 angle even higher apparently than in most of 

 these ancient skulls combined with other characters 

 which indicate a low type and barbarous modes of 

 life. 



Another point which strikes us in reading the 

 descriptions of these skeletons is the indication 

 which they seem to present of an extreme longevity. 

 The massive proportions of the body, the great 



