Use of Cowry-sliells for Cjirrency, Amulets, etc. 135 



from the Faluns of Toiiraine. Mention is also made of 

 a collection of objects from the Cave of Bruniquel, com- 

 prising carnivore teeth and perforated marine shells, 

 including a Cyprcea an inch in length, not improbably 

 derived from the Miocene beds of the Garonne.^' 



Since Christy's diggings in Laugerie-Basse,'' this cave 

 has yielded many other interesting objects, including two 

 species of Mediterranean cowries, perforated for use as 

 pendants. Particulars of the discovery of the cowries 

 are given in a paper by Massenat and others'''' dealing 

 with the finding of a human skeleton (the so-called 

 homme ecrassd) in this cave. The latter seems to have 

 been a ceremonial interment in the contracted posture. 

 The situation of the objects which accompanied the 

 skeleton was studied with scrupulous attention and a 

 score of shells were found. These were determined by 

 Mortillet as belonging to two (different species of Mediter- 

 ranean cowries, Cyprcea pyrum, Gmelin (or rufa Lam.), and 

 CyprcBa lurida L. The most interesting fact concerning 

 them is that they were arranged in pairs upon the body ; 

 two pairs on the forehead, one near each humerus, four in 

 the region of the knees and thighs, two upon each foot. 

 The discoverer dismisses the idea of a necklace or bracelets 

 and suggests they were intended to adorn a garment. 

 Each cowry was pierced with a notch. 



Cowries have also been found in the celebrated Men- 

 tone Caves alongside human skeletons, which can with 



" Ibid., p. 179 (Text). 



= s /bid., p. 288 (Text). 



°" E. Massenat, Ph. Lalande & Cartailhac, "Decouveite d'un .squelette 

 humain de I'age du renne a Laugerie-Basse (Dordogne)." Comptes liendus 

 dt fAcad. des Sciences, vol. 74, 1872, pp. 1060-3 ! ^Iso Paul Girod and K. 

 Massenat, " Les Stations de I'Age du Renne dans les vallees de la Vezere 

 et de la Coneze — Laugerie-Basse," Paris, 1900, pp. 24-5. Sollas (" Ancient 

 Hunters," 2nd Ed., 1915, p. 509, fig. 288) gives a figure (after Cartailhac) 

 of this interesting burial, with the associated shells. 



