BONE- AND CAVE-DEPOSITS OF THE EEINDEEE-PEEIOD. 171 



collections formed there may in many instances prove to be the nuclei around 

 which may centre collections from analogous cave-deposits in other countries. 

 The cave or grotto is situated on the north side of the Valley of the Beune, a small 

 tributary of the Vezere, and about half a mile above the junction of the two 

 streams. [See Lithographic Sketch, No. 2, in Part V. The situation is shown 

 on the Maps already referred to, and in figs. 37-40, pp. 64, 65.] 



It is a fine vaulted cave, in plan approximating to a segment of a circle about 

 50 feet in diameter, with an arc of about 90 degrees cut off to form the opening. 

 Its floor is a continuation of a ledge of rock nearly 120 feet above the river, the 

 face of the cliff being at this spot divided into steps or terraces in much the same 

 manner as at Le Moustier. There is a stalactitic coating over much of the roof; 

 and the greater part of the floor of rock was, before Messrs. Lartet and Christy's 

 explorations, covered by a layer of hard breccia from 4 to 10 inches thick, 

 cemented by the infiltration of water charged with calcareous matter (fig. 63). 



Fig. 63. 



Diagram of the Cave-deposits at Les Eyzies. 



b b 



a, Limestone. 



b, Hearth- stuff, with Bones, Flint Flakes, and Implements of Stone and Bone. 

 c, Breccia of Limestone, cemented with Stalagmite. 



Above this there had formerly existed a looser deposit, of the nature of a kjokken- 

 modding, from 2 to 3 feet in thickness, which had been removed some years ago, 

 but of which some portions remain cemented by stalactite to the walls of the cave. 

 The stalagmitic breccia from the floor contains, as usual, a number of worked 

 flints of much the same character as those from La Madelaine, and also many 

 pebbles of quartz, gneiss, granite, and other rocks, some of which have been used 

 as hammers, and others have been exposed to the action of fire. Some of the 

 rounded stones, with mortar-like depressions in them, have been found here, and 

 also several pieces of hsematitic iron-ore, the surfaces of which have evidently 



