._>,;,; ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



ally admitted that these flints are mostly of accidental shapes and show 

 little or no proof of being fashioned by human hands. The chief diffi- 

 culty in the eolithic theory is that flints of a similar character occur in 

 deposits of Upper Oligocene age (Eutot) and may even be found in de- 

 posits of Lower Eocene age (Breuil). The leading French archaeolo- 

 gists, Cartailhac, Breuil, Obermaier, Boule, accordingly reject the 

 eolithic theory entirely. Breuil considers that the various eolithic shapes 

 are entirely accidental products due to pressure of closely compacted 

 flints. Boule observes : 50 "As to the 'eoliths' I have combatted the the- 

 ory not only because it seems to me improbable, but because a long 

 geological experience has shown me that it is often impossible to distin- 

 guish stones split, cut or 'retouched' by purely physical agents from 

 certain products of rudimentary workmanship." 



It does not appear that the eolithic theory has been strengthened in 

 recent years. If eoliths are to be regarded as human artifacts the an- 

 tiquity of man or of a prehuman type given to shaping stone implements 

 would be vastly increased. It is probable that the ancestors of early 

 man possessed grasping power of the hand. The only known Miocene 

 and Pliocene primate of Europe which might be considered as an eolith- 

 maker or eolith-user is Dryopithecus; all the other known pre-Pleistocene 

 primates belong to some one of the existing phyla of monkeys, baboons, 

 or apes. 



Pithecanthropus erectus. — Of late Pliocene or early Pleistocene age is 

 the Pithecanthropus erectus of Trinil, Java, discovered by the Dutch 

 army surgeon Eugen Dubois in the year 1891. The remains were re- 

 corded by Dubois as of Upper Pliocene age because of their association 

 with a rich fauna containing Stegodon ganesa, Eleplias hysudricus, and 

 other mammals similar to those of the Upper Pliocene of the Siwaliks of 

 India. Eeexamination of the Ivendeng stratum in which Pithecan- 

 thropus occurs, by Holz (1907), Elbert (1908) and others appears to 

 demonstrate that the Pithecanthropus occurs in- strata corresponding 

 with an early Pluvial period following a period of low temperature which 

 would appear to accord with the early Pleistocene of Europe. It is there- 

 fore generally agreed that Pithecanthropus is of early Pleistocene age. 

 Following the monographic description of this very important type by 

 its discoverer Dubois 51 was the keen analysis of Schwalbe, 52 who regards 



50 Boule, Marcellin : "L'Homme fossile de la Chapelle-aux-Saints." Ann. de Palseont. 

 Vol. VI. pp. 111-172, pll. XVI1-XX. 1911; Vol. VII, pp. 21-192, pll. IV-XIX, 1912: 

 Vol. VIII, pp. 1-71. 1913. 



51 Dubois, Eug. : "Pithecanthropus erectus. Eine Menschenaehnliche Uebergangsform 

 aus Java." 4to. Landesdruckerei, 39 pp., 2 pll. Batavia, Java, 1894. 



52 Schwalbe, G. : "Ueber fossile Priroaten und ihre Bedeutung fur die Vorgeschichte 

 des Menschen." Mitteil. Philomat. Ges. Elsass-Lothringen, Vol. IV; No. 1, Decade 16. 

 190S. Strassburg, 1909. 



