174 The Outline of Science 



route of the amber trade from the Baltic. Compared with stone, 

 the metals afforded much greater possibilities of implements, 

 instruments, and weapons, and their discovery and usage had 

 undoubtedly great influence on the Ascent of Man. Occasionally, 

 however, on his descent. 



Retrospect 



Looking backwards, we discern the following stages: (1) 

 The setting apart of a Primate stock, marked off from other mam- 

 mals by a tendency to big brains, a free hand, gregariousness, 

 and good-humoured talkativeness. (2) The divergence of mar- 

 mosets and Xew World monkeys and Old World monkeys, leav- 

 ing a stock an anthropoid stock common to the present-day 

 and extinct apes and to mankind. (3) From this common stock 

 the Anthropoid apes diverged, far from ignoble creatures, and a 

 humanoid stock was set apart. (4) From the latter (we follow 

 Sir Arthur Keith and other authorities) there arose what may be 

 called, without disparagement, tentative or experimental men, in- 

 dicated by Pithecanthropus "the Erect," the Heidelberg man, the 

 Xeanderthalers, and, best of all, the early men of the Sussex 

 Weald Hinted at by the Piltdown skull. It matters little 

 whether particular items are corroborated or disproved e.g. 

 whether the Heidelberg man came before or after the Xeander- 

 thalers the general trend of evolution remains clear. (5) In 

 any case, the result was the evolution of Homo sapiens, the man 

 tee are a quite different fellow from the Xeanderthaler. (6) 

 Then arose various stocks of primitive men, proving everything 

 and holding fast to that which is good. There were the Palaeoli- 

 thic peoples, with rude stone implements, a strong vigorous race, 

 but probably, in most cases, supplanted by fresh experiments. 

 These may have arisen as shoots from the growing point of the 

 old race, or as a fresh offshoot from more generalised members at 

 a lower level. This is the eternal possible victory alike of aristo- 

 cracy and democracy. (7) Palaeolithic men were involved in the 



