The Moulin Quignon Jaw 163 



two separate human molar teeth. The shape of the jaw 

 was peculiar, and both it and some of the pebbles in the 

 drift had a black coating. At first he inclined to regarding 

 the two as contemporaneous, but, after his return to England, 

 on closer study of the flint implements, some purchased by 

 himself and others obtained by Messrs. Evans, Prestwich, 

 and Brady, he had been suspicious of the authenticity of 

 both. He at once communicated his doubts, through 

 M. Lartet, to M. de Quatrefages, who had already expressed 

 his belief in the jaw to the French Academy. A meeting 

 of representative savants of England and France was then 

 arranged, so he, with Dr. Carpenter, Mr. Busk, and Mr. 

 Prestwich, went on May gth to Paris. The points for special 

 discussion were (i) the genuineness of the flint implements, 

 (2) the authenticity of the jaw and teeth, said to have been 

 found in the lowest bed of gravel. Dr. Falconer, after 

 mentioning the characters generally indicating a forgery, 1 

 said that the conference frequently referred to both genuine 

 and fabricated specimens, and its French members inclined 

 to the view that between these no adequate distinction could 

 be maintained. Next came the examination of the jaw, 

 the separate tooth (which M. Boucher des Perthes had given 

 to Dr. Falconer) being withdrawn from the controversy. 

 A strongly adherent layer of a black material, mixed with 

 sand, which M. Delafosse pronounced natural, covered the 

 jaw, but an examination of one end revealed lines suggestive 

 of brush marks. The bone, when sawn across, was mode- 

 rately firm, not very friable, having the ordinary odour, 

 with the cortical layer a pale buff colour and the diploe of 

 a darker tint. The section passed through a fang of the 

 remaining tooth, and showed it to be in the same condition 

 as the loose one already mentioned. In short, the jaw 

 is in a state indicative of considerable antiquity, like one 

 from an old cemetery, but not such as should characterize a 

 bone from a drift of so remote an age. The conference 

 then adjourned to Abbeville, where they engaged workmen 



1 As these are now familiar to archaeologists, it is needless to repeat 

 them. 



