84 THE PEOBLEM AMONG MEN 



left behind him. It is interesting to observe that an attempt can 

 be made to date these remains. They occur in certain strata, and 

 estimates can be made of the length of time which has elapsed 

 since these strata were deposited. Though a very large measure 

 of doubt must surround any such estimates, nevertheless there is 

 a certain measure of agreement concerning the facts which is of 

 great interest. It is, therefore, possible to draw up a table showing 

 these strata, together with what we should perhaps call guesses 

 at the dates at which they began to be laid down. It can also be 

 shown in the table what fossil and cultural remains are found in 

 the respective strata. 



The information, however, which we thus gain is very meagre. 

 A study of fossil remains can only provide us with an outline of 

 the facts connected with the evolution of the skeleton. More can 

 be gathered from a study of the cultural remains, and certain 

 deductions of considerable interest can be made especially in 

 connexion with our present purpose so far as the evolution of skill 

 is concerned. But, of course, we can in this manner gather nothing 

 as to the nature of the social customs and institutions belonging 

 to the races which practised these skilled methods. The question 

 we have to face is whether this very bare outline of the facts of 

 history can in any manner be filled in. 



3. There is a further source of evidence which we have to 

 consider. There has come under the observation of civilized man 

 a large number of races in a low stage of culture. The evolu- 

 tion of culture or of control over the surroundings took place 

 more quickly among certain races than among others. Some races 

 got left out of the main stream of evolution, and finally in relatively 

 recent years the more advanced races arrived at a stage where they 

 were in a position completely to dominate the latter. The more 

 primitive races were unable to offer any serious resistance to the 

 civilized races. It was, therefore, possible to regard these primitive 

 races dispassionately and scientifically ; this study has led to the 

 collection of a vast amount of information regarding these primi- 

 tive races. These data are for many reasons often of a very unsatis- 

 factory nature ; of this the chief cause is that, before an accurate 

 study was begun, contact with civilized races had often had 

 a considerable influence upon the former mode of life of the 

 primitive races. What we require and what is difiicult to obtain 

 is information as to the conditions under which these races lived 



