234 SOCIAL EVOLUTION 



ancestors of civilized races over the early ancestors of 

 existing savage peoples. 



The archeological remains of prehistoric man reveal 

 to us much of his culture and practices. We have men- 

 tioned briefly in the third chapter the various types of 

 implements which prehistoric men manufactured. They 

 were made of rough chipped flint, and later of polished 

 stone, and finally of rude metal. The arts of pottery and 

 weaving were practised. When we examine the flint and 

 stone implements of primitive men living in the savage 

 state to-day, we find that their implements resemble these 

 old remains which come down to us from, prehistoric 

 times. Comparison of prehistoric pottery and weaving 

 with the pottery and weaving carried on by existing 

 savages reveals a similar identity.^ Thus we have evi- 

 dence which leads us to believe that as regards the arts 

 of manufacturing flint and stone implements, and even 

 in the more pacific arts of pottery and weaving, exist- 

 ing savage societies are passing through the same cul- 

 tural stage of development that the ancestors of European 

 peoples passed through in jirehistoric times. This iden- 

 tity in important phases of culture leads us to believe that 

 in other respects the culture and social organization of 

 prehistoric men were similar to the culture and social 

 organization of modern savage societies. Consequently, 

 if we would understand the social organization of prehis- 

 toric peoples, we must study the social organization and 

 culture of modern primitive groups. 



The most characteristic fact of primitive social organ- 

 ization among all groups of savage peoples — Eskimo, 

 Australians, American Indians and others — is that the 

 bond of union is always and everywhere one of ficti- 



3 See figures 74 and 75 aiid compare with figure 43. 



