January ii, 19 12] 



NATURE 



a'^C) 





Another much-debated question, which is also dis- 

 cussed in the general article on archaeology, concerns 

 the apparent break of continuity in man's history 

 which occurs in Europe at the end of the old Stone 

 age, or Palaeolithic period. Aitimpts have indeed been 

 made to bridge this gap by means of a ■" Mesolithic " 

 period ; but the missing links do not occur, at any 

 rate so far north as Britain. Here the last glimpse 

 we get of Palaeolithic man shows him living in a cold 

 climate, hunting his prey and scratching his rude 

 drawings on bone and rock, but with only a dawning 

 knowledge of pottery ; he sometimes shelters in caves, 

 but generally camps in the open. His successor of 

 the later Stone age is a very different person, living in 

 a Britain which is practically the same as we see it 

 day. The severe arctic conditions, with their appro- 

 1 i.ite fauna, consisting of mammoth, reindeer, &c., 

 h;ive entirely disappeared, and man himself has been 

 tnged by the introduction of new arts. Now 

 ilithic man probably immigrated into northern and 

 iral Europe long after Palaeolithic man and his 

 racteristic fauna had disappeared. Where then did 

 earlier race go, and has it any modern representa- 

 ■>? It would be tempting to accept Mr. Bovd Daw- 

 kin s's theory that Palaeolithic man followed the rein- 

 •' 't- in its journey northward after the retreating 

 I iers, and that his modern representative is the 

 Kskimo. But, as Mr. Read points out. the similari- 

 ties in their culture may well be due to similar con- 

 jditions of life, and are not convincing evidence of 

 » direct descent. Moreover, the skulls of the Eskimo 

 do not resemble any of those of Palaeolithic man 

 hitherto found in the caves. In fact, we cannot yet 

 answer this question, though if, as appears possible 

 frnni recent discoveries in the south of France and in 

 till Pyrenees, the reindeer was there in existence, 

 ' -i^ with man, at a later j)eriod than that of the 

 ^, it is possible tliai Palaeolithic man retreated 

 iiwanls, ;md may have left no modern representa- 

 "f a raeial rharaiter sufficiently marked for recog- 

 iHition. 



' These two problems we have referred to, which are 

 ng those discussed under the heading of 

 coloov, will serve to illustrate the use made of 

 ;en(i;il article in this new edition of the " En- 

 [ju'dia," in order to collect and discuss under one 

 ling the more important aspects of a subject. 

 rate ;irti( les ;ire, of course, still devoted to special 

 - nf inhK-i, such as that on Hallstatt, to men- I 

 ""1\- line in this connection. In it Prf)f. Ridi^e- ' 

 L;ives ;i v.ihiahle account of the celebrated ("eiiic 

 '1 I^Kiiind near [iailstait, in r|)))ei- Ausiiia, w li.-rr i 

 ■> bi .11 assiinicd that the use cil iron was litsi 

 ioped, and afterwards spread thence soinbwaids 

 llal\, i\\-,-i-vi-, ibe ,l';i_;ea?i, Egvpl , and Asia, and 

 iwards and we^twai'ds in luirope. I| i^ imr tlial. 

 eUi\vh<'re in i'airope and the .|-,L;ean ihe cliange 

 l»ron/e weapons to iron is a[.pai(nll\ sudden, 

 ' dlstall iron is seen L;r.idnall\- snper-cdinLi bron/e, 

 'or ornaini-nl. then replaein- lull\ ibe old bron/e 

 ,\pes o| uiapon. and I'lnalh lakin- ncu forms of its 

 )Wn. W I iiia\ bere noh- tbai, wiib regard to the 

 iarlier transitic^i from -lone p, (dpp< r ; a similarly 

 ,'ra<lual development has I,.. ,, noird by Prul. Reis„,'r 

 N'). 2202, VOL. 88] 



in Egypt at Naga-ed-Dfir and other prehistoric 

 Egyptian cemeteries. On the strength of these results 

 Prof. Elliot Smith a few months ago advanced the 

 theory that Egypt was the original home of metal, and 

 that its use spread thence eastwards into Asia and 

 northwards into Europe and the .'Egean area. But 

 there is no need to regard the "Encyclopaedia," which 

 naturally can take no account of theories produced 

 after its publication, as already out of date upon this 

 point. For, while Prof. Reisner appears to have made 

 out his case for the independent development of copper 

 in Egypt, it appears to the present writer that there is 

 no need to assume that no other race hit upon the 

 same idea. In fact, it may be that M, de Morgan 

 and his colleagues will some day find in Persia a 

 proto-Elamite equivalent of Naga-ed-Der; and should 

 this prove to be within easy reach of the tin supplies 

 of Central Asia, it might also throw light upon dis- 

 puted questions with regard to the transition from 

 copper to bronze. 



We have laid some stress upon the two last-named 

 articles, as they are among the very few that have 

 been sent us which have any bearing, dire<pt or in- 

 direct, upon British archaeology. We should have 

 liked to refer to articles on Dolmens, Stone-circles, and 

 their possible connection with astronomical cere- 

 monies, and other subjects particularly connected with 

 early British archaeology, but the selection of articles 

 sent us deals mostly with classical and Oriental sub- 

 jects ; and these will serve very well to illustrate other 

 aspects of the work. We have already noted some 

 characteristics of the general article in the new 

 edition ; another advantage, to which we may 

 also direct attention, is that, where a wide 

 survey is to be taken of material extending 

 over various periods, it makes a far more 

 detailed treatment possible. This is especially the 

 case in the general articles of composite authorship. 

 The treatment of ceramics is an instance in point. 

 Here we are first presented with a general study of 

 the art of pottery, which, both in its treatment and 

 illustration, is such as we should look for in an 

 encyclopaedia. It is lucid and informing, .uul .seiwes 

 as an admirable introduction to anyone desirous of 

 beginning a study of the subject. Such is all that 

 could reasonablv be expected of any encyclopaedia. 

 But the '■ I^ntx clopaedia Britannica " now gives us 

 more. The reader, when he comes to the biblii> 

 graphv at the end of this introductory section, is now 

 no longei- obliged to go to some iibrarx for further 

 infonn.iiion. The " Encyclopjedia " itself sup|)lies it; 

 foi- the iniro(lLictor\- section is amplilii'd l>\ .1 srries 

 of .arlic les i)\ spr(i,dists on the pottery of .incienl l-'.i;\pt 

 and W'esicrn Asia, (ire,I<, i'Jrusc.an, ,aiul Roman w.o' s, 

 ,ind lurtbei' si'ciions 011 Persi.ni, S\rian, b',L;\ pi ian, 

 and d iirkish i)ottery. This .niicle on ceramics is 

 ccrtainix one of the fullest .ircba'oloL;ical articles in 

 the worl<, hut it is quite l\|)ic.il of the rest. \\r 

 (•ie;iid\- b.i\e licre ;i deliberate policy on tbe ii.arl of 

 till- (ditoi- .ind bis assist. ints to lurnisb tbe reader 

 not onh' with tbi' dry bones of a skeleton, but with 

 p|enl\- of material to fill tbeni out at will. 



.\notbei tiMiure ibat lias sttan'k vis tbii ini^ a caretul 

 studv ol ibe arliclcs dealing with ancient history 



