238 



NATURE 



[October 28, 1915 



RECENT EXCAVATIONS ON A 

 FAL^OLlTHiC ^ITE IN JERSEY. 



DURING the past summer excavations on the 

 Palaeolithic site known as La Cotte at St. Bre- 

 lade, in Jersey, have been pushed on vigorously. 

 When the work for the year came to an end in 1914 

 a trench had been driven across the cave from the 

 western to the eastern side-wall, a distance of about 

 40 ft. This trench was about 8 ft. from the entrance. 

 The excavations undertaken this year had three objects 

 in view : first, to extend the examination of the 

 Palaeolithic floor along the western side-wall, of which 

 25 ft. in an inward direction had been uncovered in 

 191 1, and if possible reach the hitherto undetermined 

 back-wall ; secondly, to clear the entrance of the cave 

 along its whole breadth by removing the barrier of 

 talus, about 25 ft. high, on the outer side of the 

 trench; and lastly, on the inner side of the clearing 

 thus made, to push along the eastern side-wall. 



The work of excavation is being carried on by the 

 Soci^te Jersiaise, with the assistance of a committee 

 of the British Association of which Dr. R. R. Marett 

 is chairman. So much of the season's work as had 

 been completed by the end of July was embodied in 

 a report presented to the British Association at the 

 Manchester meeting; but at that time not one-half 

 of the season's work was over. Before describing the 

 later results, it will be convenient to give a brief 

 summary of what had already been done for those 

 who may not have seen the report. The opening up 

 of the Palaeolithic floor along the western wall was 

 carried forward a further 5 ft., worked flints being 

 found sparsely at about 2 to 4 ft. above berich-mark. 

 The cave was cleared across its entire front. The 

 central part proved sterile, but a richly im- 

 plementiferous bed, reaching from floor level to a 

 height of 12 ft., was found under a ledge projecting 

 some 12 ft. along the eastern side-wall. The finds, 

 in addition to worked flints, included a large number 

 of cores and hammer stones. There was also a great 

 deal of bone in fair condition, one piece being ap- 

 parently the knuckle-bone of a mammoth. K specially 

 fine set of " hemi-Solutrian " implements occurred 

 along the top of this bed. The working under the 

 eastern wall was pushed forward for a distance of 

 27 ft., and revealed a quantity of burnt bone, indi- 

 cating a former hearth. Flint was plentiful but of 

 coarse pattern. 



This was the extent of the work which had been 

 carried out at the end of July. But by that time the 

 roof of the cave, which consisted of masses of de- 

 tached blocks, weighing anything up to ten or twelve 

 tons, held in place by clay, had become unsafe. By 

 dynamite and other means, however, all loose blocks, 

 amounting to many tons, were removed, and the cave 

 made reasonably safe after a fortnight's hard work. 

 Excavations were then continued along the western 

 side-wall for a further distance of 6 ft., when a pro- 

 jecting shelf of live rock was reached. On inves- 

 tigation it appeared that this was not the end of the 

 cave. The shelf was undercut by a cavity penetrating 

 inward at an angle of 45°. Here among other 

 implements was found one of the most perfect of 

 Mous'terian "points" hitherto obtained on the site. 



The working across the front of the cave proved 

 rich in implements, but only up to the line corre- 

 sponding to the line of the roof ; beyond that it yielded 

 nothing. The clearing of the d^hris on the inner side 

 of the trench was begun and carried to a depth of 

 about 30 ft. from the entrance right across the breadth 

 of the cave. The breccia in the centre proved as rich 

 in implements as the side-wall workings. The^ bone 

 was in good condition, and iricluded a magnificent 

 tooth of a prehistoric elephant (? Antiquus) virtually 

 NO. 2400, VOL. 96] 



intact. The implements for the most part were of a 

 coarse type, but finer types occurred among them. 



So much for the work of the month of August. It 

 was proposed to carry on excavations throughout 

 September in the hope of reaching the back wall of 

 the cave. It was realised, however, that the work of 

 clearing the undercutting on the western side was a 

 danger. It had cleared away the support of a column 

 of loose rock-rubbish, some 30 or 40 ft. thick, v^'hich 

 had descended on the cave through a more or less 

 vertical funnel. After two days' work, which proved 

 remarkably rich in finds, the roof of the cave col- 

 lapsed. Careful watch had been kept and no one 

 was hurt, though warning was short— only a matter 

 of minutes. About 1000 sq. ft. of floor had been 

 opened up, but these workings are now completely 

 buried under debris. As further falls are expected, 

 work has been closed for the year. 



Inspection of the chimney, the sides of which are 

 now revealed, shows that another 20 ft. would have 

 reached the cliff wall. It is probable, therefore, that 

 the line of least resistance when work begins again 

 will be to attack the cave from the back, _ In the 

 meantime, the members of the Soci^t^ Jersiaise and 

 of the committee in charge of the exploration are 

 busily engaged in sorting and classifying the finds. 

 That this is a work of some magnitude will be 

 gathered ' from the fact that in the past season some 

 3000 shaped implements, besides much workshop 

 refuse and bone, have been taken from the site. Both 

 in the number and the character of the finds it has 

 proved one of the richest Palaeolithic sites in Europe. 



E. N. Fallaize. 



THE LIGHTING OF FACTORIES AND 

 WORKSHOPS.^ 



AT the present time, when so many factories are 

 working at high pressure on Government con- 

 tracts, the condition of workers well deserves scien- 

 tific study. This point is emphasised by the recent 

 appointment by the Minister of Munitions of War, 

 with the concurrence of the Home Secretary, of a 

 committee "to inquire and advise on questions of in- 

 dustrial fatigue, hours of labour, and other matters 

 afi'ecting the health and physical efficiency of workers 

 in munition factories and workshops." 



One matter of considerable importance in the fac- 

 tory — the matter of lighting— has just been dealt with 

 in the First Report of the Departmental Committee 

 appointed by the Home Secretary in 1913. The 

 inquiry demanded special methods of Investigation, 

 and the committee has carried out a considerable 

 amount of work. Evidence has been received from 

 fifty witnesses, including inspectors of factories and 

 representatives of various trade associations and scien- 

 tific and technical societies. Eighty-five works in the 

 chief industrial centres have been visited, and about 

 4000 measurements of illumination carried out. A 

 series of experiments bearing on the standards _ of 

 illumination required for various purposes was carried 

 out at the National Physical Laboratory. 



Inquiries were also made, through the Foreign 

 Office, Into the legislation relating to lighting In all 

 the chief European countries and the United .States, 

 and the results are published In an appendix. In the 

 United Kingdom no general provisions in regard to 

 lighting (analogous to those regarding heating and 

 ventilation) occur In the Factory Acts, although 

 adequate lighting Is required, in general terms, in 

 underground bakehouses and In certain dangerous 



1 First Report of the Departmental Committee on IJghting in Factories- 

 and Workshops. Vol. i., Report and Appendices (Cd. 8006) ; Vol. 11.,. 

 Minutes of Evidence, etc. (Cd. 8001). (London: H.M.S.O. and Wyman 

 and Sons.) Vol. i., iirf. ; Vol. ii., u. jd. 



