ARCH^OLOGICAL PERIODS. 19 



have been found in association with certain skeletons winch 

 seem to have been interred in late Palaeolithic times, that the 

 artistic people had some belief in a future state, and looked 

 forward to happy hunting-grounds beyond the grave. It has 

 even been suggested that some of the small perforated objects 

 found in many Palaeolithic deposits may have been worn round 

 the neck as amulets, thus suggesting the existence of a belief in 

 unseen powers ; and M. Piette has gone so far as to conclude, 

 from the appearance presented by the ornamentation on one of 

 these " amulets," which may possibly have been meant to repre- 

 sent the sun, that the artistic folk of the Pyrenees worshipped 

 that body. Whether these surmises are true or not future 

 explorations may perhaps decide; but it is obvious that the 

 simple facts admit at present of other and less elaborate 

 explanations. 



Palaeolithic man was unquestionably a true troglodyte, the 

 caves which he is known to have inhabited being very numerous. 

 In these we frequently come upon the old blackened hearths, 

 round which the people gathered to cook and eat their meals ; 

 and the abundance of bones, split as only man coidd split them, 

 testifies to the liking of the ancient savages for savoury marrow. 

 No doubt, however, they did not live continually in caves, but 

 in following the chase must often have camped out in the open 

 field. And now and again such old camping-places have been 

 detected, buried underneath more or less thick accumulations of 

 flood-loam and sand. It is highly probable also that Palaeolithic 

 man may have constructed rude huts or tents when caves were 

 not within reach, and on some occasions he may even have 

 occupied temporary snow -houses, like those made by the 

 Eskimo. We can hardly doubt that the character of his dwell- 

 ings would be determined to a large extent by the nature of the 

 climate. If this were mild and genial he may have wandered 

 about during the greater part of the year in the pursuit of 

 game — sheltering at night and during storms under trees or 

 hastily improvised coverings of branches and rushes ; while for 

 the winter season he may have retired to some more permanent 



