464 Reviews — Lartefs 8^ Christy's Reliquice Aquitanica. 



Prof. Broca first treats of the limb-bones, and controverts the opinion, 

 expressed by Dr. Pruner-Bey, that certain peculiarities in the con- 

 formation of the tibial bones was due to their having been deformed 

 by "rickets." 



Against this Dr. Broca cites the fact that the limb -bones of the 

 " Old Man" found in this Cave which, if affected by rickets, ought 

 to have been stunted and misgrown, were really remarkably well 

 developed and indicated a man not less than six feet in height. 



The individuals found interred in this Cavern are three in number 

 — an old man, an adult man, about 45 years old, and a woman, 35 to 

 40 years of age. The skulls are highly dolichocephalic (long-headed), 

 but are nevertheless of large capacity ; the face is broad, the ascend- 

 ing ramus of the lower jaw enormously developed, the surfaces for 

 muscular attachments extensive and rough, especially for the masti- 

 catory muscles ; giving rise to the idea of a violent and brutal race. 

 To this may be added the athletic conformation of the bones, and 

 particularly the extraordinary prominence on the femur, giving 

 evidence of great muscular development. 



One of the thigh bones of the old man presents an old indentation, 

 made during life, which has forced the compact outer layer of the 

 bone into the spongy interior, without breaking the whole bone. 

 Such an injury may have been inflicted in early life by a sling-stone, 

 or other smooth projectile, or by a blow of a horn or antler, or of an 

 elephant's tusk. 



The skull of the woman had been cleft open, or rather penetrated, 

 above the left orbit, by a blow from some sharp implement, probably, 

 from the form of the wound, a small stone axe. This injury, which 

 doubtless produced death, was nevertheless not immediately fatal, as 

 an examination of the wound shows a vascularity of the bone and a 

 deposit of finely porous bony matter, which must have required from 

 fifteen to twenty days for its production. As there is no splintering of 

 the table of the skull, the blow must have been given with great force. 

 If the old man was merely wounded in the chase, there seems to be 

 conclusive evidence that the woman's wound was inflicted in a 

 murderous assault made upon her, either by one of her own family, 

 or in an attack of some neighbouring hostile tribe. 



These early Cave-men, writes Prof. Paul Broca, appear to have 

 combined, with great intelligence — as evidenced by the works of 

 industry and art they have left behind — " the physical force and 

 habits of war and the chase, which alone at that time could assure 

 subsistence and security. At the present day, with our powerful 

 metals, our terrible arms, and our country long since cleared — with 

 all the resources furnished by agriculture and commerce, we can live 

 peaceably the life of civilization ; but when immense forests, which 

 the axe of stone could not fell, covered the greater part of the soil, 

 and, instead of agriculture, hunting only could provide sustenance 

 for man, when the immediate wants of life necessitated a constant 

 war against wild animals, such as the Mammoth, and when at last 

 the hunting territory, the sole resource of a tribe, had to be con- 

 tinually defended against the encroachments and attacks of neigh- 



