THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST. 



Vol. xvi. — NOVEMBER, 1882. — No. II. 

 THE ANCIENT MAN OF CALAVERAS. 



BY W. O. AYRES. 



TN the minds of almost all, the existence of prehistoric man inCali- 

 -*■ fornia is associated mainly with the famous " Calaveras skull," 

 and inasmuch as doubt has been cast on the authenticity of that 

 relic, the whole subject has been badly neglected, and even by men 

 of science has been unreasonably set aside. We will speak of that 

 skull presently, but it is only one of the many evidences to be 

 considered, and we will at first put it out of view. We shall find 

 that if it had never come to light at all, the proofs that man 

 existed when, or rather before, the auriferous gravel was depos- 

 ited, are so complete that he who doubts them would as readily 

 doubt that Napoleon Bonaparte died on the Island of St. Helena. 



The auriferous gravel of the books is the pay-dirt of the 

 miners, and that we may know what the existence of man at 

 the time of its deposit means, we must endeavor to ascertain 

 how long ago that deposit occurred. If we say to a geolo- 

 gist that the gravel is of Pliocene age, he carries back his 

 thoughts over an interval of which the years reckoned by thou- 

 sands are never counted, though he knows the thousand must be 

 very many. But for those to whom Pliocene and Post-pliocene 

 sound like barbarous terms it may be possible to adduce a form 

 of proof which appeals to the eye, and which brings with it there- 

 fore, a force which all can appreciate. 



It is well to state at the outset that the pay-dirt is manifestly 

 fU of one formation and of one geological age, wherever we find 

 it- Some of it is lying opened and exposed ; we will let that 

 P as s. Some of it is covered by volcanic rock, and of course is 

 itself older than the rock ; that is, the lava flowed out and cov- 



