BONE- AND CAVE-DEPOSITS OF THE REINDEER-PERIOD. 177 



bronze. The presence in these refuse-heaps of skilfully carved bone arrow-heads 

 and harpoons, of bone needles with neatly drilled eyes, and more especially of the 

 sculptured and engraved bones, testifies to a considerable advance in civilization, 

 and even in art, such as would at first sight appear more consistent with some 

 acquaintance with metallic tools, rather than with cutting-instruments of stone 

 alone. Of metallic tools of any kind there is not, however, the slightest trace 

 though it must be mentioned that a small piece of rough copper was found among 

 the rubble thrown out from the cave at Laugerie Basse, which may nevertheless 

 have been of accidental introduction from the surface. The Marquis de Vibraye 

 has also found a small piece of copper in the "foyer" which he thinks is native. 

 Still, judging from the archaeological evidence alone, there is no reason why the 

 presence of metal, if eventually found, should excite great surprise, as the 

 majority of the deposits, so far as objects of human workmanship are concerned, 

 might well be relics of a tribe subsisting by the chase, who, if not themselves 

 acquainted with metal, may have lived at a period when in some not very distant 

 but more favoured part of France the use of metal was already known. 



Let us now see what is the testimony of other deposits containing human relics 

 of a similar character in the South of France. 



In the well-known cave of Bize* (Aude) were found portions of Reindeer-horn 

 cut and carved f, some with a chevron-like pattern, worked flints, pottery, and 

 human bones, mixed up with the fractured bones of Reindeer, Aurochs, Ursus, &c., 

 together with numerous land and marine shells, principally of edible species. In 

 that of Lourdes J (Hautes Pyrenees) Dr. Alphonse Milne-Edwards found bones of 

 Reindeer cut by flint instruments, needles of bone, flint flakes and cores, mixed 

 with fractured bones of Aurochs, Horse, Stag, Ibex, Chamois, Pig, &c. 



In the lower cave of Massat (Ariege) were a number of arrow-heads, harpoons, 

 needles, &c., made of bone or Stag's horn, accompanied by flint knives. With 

 them were associated a number of fractured bones of Stag, Ibex, Chamois, and 

 Aurochs, as well as a few bones of Ursus arctos and other animals. Besides 

 these an antler of a Stag, perforated at one end, and having the head of a Bear 

 engraved upon it, was found by M. Lartet. There can be no doubt of the 

 deposit in this cave having been a " kjokken-modding," though regarded as of 

 diluvial origin by M. Fontan||. 



In the Cave of Savigne^j" (Vienne) were found a number of worked bones and 



* Marcel de Serres, ' Geog. des Terr. Tert.' p. 64 ; Lyell, ' Principles,' p. 738. 



t Lartet, ' Ann. des Sc. Nat.' xv. p. 214. t Lartet, ibid. xv. p. 227 ; A. Milne-Edwards, ibid. xvii. 



Lartet, ut sup. p. 205. || Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. xvii. p. 468. If Lartet, ut sup. p. 214. 



