Prehistoric Man in Southern France. 15 



describe the caverns and rock shelters of the Department of 

 Dordogne, chiefly dealing with those about the village of Les 

 Eyzies. Here he described the rock shelters of Cro-Magnon, in 

 which three human skeletons were exhumed from among the 

 debris of a " kitchen midden," composed of the relics of reindeer, 

 bison, and mammoth, which had formed the food of the men who 

 lived at that period. Another human skeleton was also referred 

 to, which lay in a similar heap of debris, in the position in which 

 he was killed by the falling down of the cornice of rock overhead. 

 Flint weapons and flakes found by the lecturer in the refuse heap 

 in which his remains were discovered were exhibited, and were 

 referred to the close of the mid quaternary, or more properly the 

 beginning of the upper quaternary period. Other skeletons such 

 as that found in similar conditions at Raymondeu were mentioned 

 belonging to the same age, namely, the late quaternary. All these 

 were shown to have in common a very high type of dolicocephalic 

 cranium, and the method of interment and the personal ornaments 

 to be similar. The eleven human skeletons found in the Mentone 

 caves in the extreme south-east France were then alluded to, 

 where also a red ochreous earth was used to cover the bodies, 

 while the flint weapons found in their hands and the correspond- 

 ing style of ornaments proved the age to be late quaternary. The 

 skulls corresponded in shape with those of Cro-Magnon, and 

 showed a high index, and the stature of the men of that period 

 proved to be on an average above 6 feet. This race of men, the 

 lecturer said, were the earliest racial type which could be certainly 

 ascertained to belong to any particular prehistoric period ; for the 

 Engis skull, though found in a layer of debris in which mammoth 

 remains existed, was also accompanied by a fragment of pottery, 

 which left the question of age open. Similarly he was unable to 

 accept the evidence as to age of the Neanderthal skull, which is 

 usually referred to the mid quaternary epoch. Illustrations of 

 the chief types of weapons and implements of flint and bone were 

 then shown, and various fragments of deer's antlers, with carvings 

 of extinct animals, were thrown on the screen, among which 



