PRIMITIVE MAN : II. NEOLITHIC MAN. 271 



over this part of the world during Pleistocene times, under- 

 v^rent a great change. It is difficult to say precisely what 

 was the immediate cause of the change, or what was its 

 exact nature, but the result was that the old fauna had 

 mostly disappeared, some of the animals became, as has 

 been said, extinct ; whilst others sought new homes, some in 

 the colder regions of the north, others in the warmer 

 climates of the south. But not only had the animals 

 changed, but Palaeolithic man himself also disappeared with 

 them. It has been thought, as I have previously shown, 

 that with the reindeer his retreat was northwards, and that 

 amongst the Esquimaux and allied tribes, we may yet trace 

 his descendants. However this may be, at the beginning of 

 the age which is now to engage our attention, men of a 

 different race, or races, and differing much in their cultiu-e 

 and manner of life, made their appearance ; and we find this 

 part of the world occupied by certain races of men whose 

 representatives may probably be found even now amongst 

 the populations of Europe. 



As we look into the history of this age we shall find that ■ 

 we have no longer to deal with mere wandering tribes of 

 hunters, but v/ith peoples Avho, if still to some extent nomadic, 

 were pastoral, and partly settled in communities, who had 

 also learnt to domesticate certain animals, sach as the ox, 

 sheep, goat, dog, and pig, as well as others ; and who were 

 also in possession of the rudiments of agricultural knowledge, 

 and cultivated the cereals together with certain other plants, 

 and some of which had advanced so far in civilization as to 

 construct regular dwellings. These people also buried their 

 dead sometimes in caves, but yet more often under cairns, 

 in mounds, and in those remarkable erections known as 

 Cromlechs. 



These men were still in what we term the Stone age of 

 human culture, they had no acquaintance whatever with 

 metallurgy, but from the fact that they were no longer con- 

 tent with the mere roughly chipped tool or weapon of their 

 predecessors, but often ground and polished their stone im- 

 plements, the age during which they lived is called the 

 Neolithic, or New Stone age, it has also been termed Pre- 

 historic, but as this would apply equally well to both the 

 Palaeolithic and the Bronze age of later date, the term 

 Neolithic seems to be the most characteristic. As far as 

 present evidence goes there appears to be a remarkable 

 break between the Palseolithic and the Neolithic age, there 



