November 28, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



in 



able to say categorically. That there were 

 four glacial epochs alternating with intergla- 

 cial epochs is reflected in the changing char- 

 acter of the animal and plant world. The as- 

 sociation of animal and plant remains with 

 human skeletal remains, and especially arti- 

 facts, often serves to throw light on the age of 

 the latter. 



The author divides the lower paleolithic 

 into early Chellean, Chellean, Acheulian and 

 Mousterian, describing in detail not only the 

 well-known type specimens, but also various 

 small forms only recently recognized as be- 

 longing to the earlier horizons. Many im- 

 portant stations are described at length; and 

 ample space is given to the geographic dis- 

 tribution of the successive cultures. 



The author traces diluvial man over prac- 

 tically the whole earth. He sifts the evidence 

 bearing on the presence of diluvial man in 

 countries outside of Europe, finding indica- 

 tions of a Chelleo-Mousterian industry wide- 

 spread over both hemispheres. He believes it 

 to be diluvial, but not necessarily everywhere 

 of the same age. 



The types characterizing the various upper 

 paleolithic industries are fully described and 

 figured: Aurignacian, Solutrean and Magdale- 

 nian, each with its subdivisions. The use of 

 the Magdalenian idton de commandement re- 

 mains problematic. Of the many theories 

 advanced as to the purpose it served, Ober- 

 maier favors Eeinach's supposition that they 

 might have been magic wands, rather than 

 clubs, halter pieces, tent fixtures, figulffi, 

 hunting trophies or sceptors. Of the Azilian 

 epoch, transition epoch from the paleolithic 

 to the neolithic, the fauna is neolithic, but 

 the culture is still paleolithic. Breuil's con- 

 clusions as to the sequence in the development 

 of paleolithic parietal art are accepted. 

 Quaternary art in Europe is analogous to the 

 art of modern primitive man, but not to that 

 of neolithic man in Europe. 



The popular interest in a definite chronol- 

 ogy for man's antiquity is perennial. Au- 

 thorities still differ enough in their estimates 

 to admit of being grouped into three classes; 

 radicals, conservatives and a middle class. 



The author would place the Magdalenian, not 

 during the Achen retreat, nor after the Biihl 

 stage, but during the latter because of the 

 reindeer fauna. In that respect he and Penck 

 are practically in accord, although Penck be- 

 lieves the Magdalenians were living some- 

 where also during the maximum Wiirm cold 

 as well as during the Achen stage. By giving 

 to the Magdalenians more latitude in point of 

 time, Penck finds it convenient to push back 

 the Mousterian epoch much further than 

 Obermaier would have it go. Both believe 

 that the Mousterians passed through a cold 

 and a warm stage. Penck allows for this by 

 placing the early Mousterians in the Eiss 

 glacial epoch and the later Mousterians in the 

 first half of the succeeding Riss-Wiirm inter- 

 glacial, and the upper Mousterian with the 

 first advance and maximum of the Wiirm 

 glaciation. Penck would have the Chellean 

 and Acheulian correspond to the second inter- 

 glacial epoch. Both agree in assigning the 

 human lower jaw of Mauer to the Mindel-Riss 

 interglacial epoch; the Mauer specimen thus 

 represents for Penck Chellean man or pre- 

 Chellean and for Obermaier pre-paleolithic 

 man. 



The difficulty of substituting an absolute 

 for a relative chronology is at once evident to 

 any one familiar with the character of the 

 phenomena to be dealt with. The advance 

 and retreat of glaciers has been studied in 

 recent times. The rate of deposition and ero- 

 sion within certain limits is subject to meas- 

 urement. Eor a continental ice sheet to form 

 and push its way out of the north until it 

 reaches central Europe requires a long time; 

 and it was not at once evicted from the out- 

 posts gained. Even after its maximum force 

 was spent, it disputed stubbornly every inch 

 of the territory on the retreat. This program 

 with occasional halts and advances was re- 

 peated four times. The Wiirm glacial de- 

 posits look fresh in comparison to those of the 

 Eiss, for example, and still greater weather- 

 ing is to be noted in the deposits left by the 

 Mindel and Giinz, respectively. The size of 

 the Wiirm terminal moraine and the amount 

 of material left as mantels on the retreat of 



