32 THE PROBLEM OF ANTIQUITY OF MAN IN AUSTRALIA 
to this time the face of the pit at this point was in the same condition as when the 
skull was found. Since then five pieces of another skull were found at the same 
level and about six feet distant from the first skull.” 
(Signed) R. Hughes, Aug. 22nd, 1942 
Dr. E. 8. Hills found a quartzite flake protruding from undis- 
turbed sand in the wall of the pit close to the spot where the skull 
was unearthed. The flake (Fig. 4) is evidently an artefact. 
Owing to war-time conditions it has been impossible to carry out 
systematic excavation and sieving of sand to find other bones, teeth 
and artefacts. 
One skull, some fragments of bone and the quartzite flake are 
in the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne. 
The Attape Skull 
This specimen is mentioned since New Guinea is close to 
Australia, the skull is Australian in type, and there is geological 
evidence of its antiquity. It was described by F. J. Penner (1941). 
Aitape District is situated in the western part of the Mandated 
Territory of New Guinea. In 1929, P. 8. Hossfeld, of the Northern 
Australian Geological Survey, found fragments of a fossil human 
skull in situ in a bed of littoral marine clay outcropping in the 
east bank of Paniri Creek near Barida Village, Aitape, 10 miles 
from the coast and about 300 ft. above sea level. The skull was 
overlain by 4 ft. of undisturbed littoral deposit containing marine 
mollusea, and above this by 6 ft. of gravel on which rested soil. 
The littoral marine deposit forms part of the Upper Wanimo 
Series which is considered by Survey authorities to be Pleistocene 
in age. There is no record of other mammalian bones at this site. 
The fragment was broken into four pieces while being unearthed. 
Three of these fitted together accurately. The reconstructed cal- 
varium comprises the greater part of the frontal bone, parts 
absent being the left external angular processes and both orbital 
plates. The nasal process is almost entire, and the sutural impres- 
sions of the nasal bones and the nasal processes of the maxilla 
are preserved. On the right side, the sutural impression of the 
frontal process of the zygomatic bone is undamaged. Portions of 
both parietal bones are present, their broken edges running 
roughly parallel to the coronal suture and about three centimetres 
behind it. The specimen shows no evidence of being waterworn. 
Fenner suggests that the fragment is portion of the skull of a 
female about 45 years of age. He discusses its racial affinities and 
considers that it belonged to an individual not differing greatly 
from the southern type of modern Australian aboriginal, but he 
adds that occasional rare Australoid types of New Guinea skull 
