with Ape Skulls. 



13 



Ancient Human Remains. 



Complete human skeletons of great antiquity have not been 

 discovered in very great numbers, and those discovered are not 

 stated to have been very markedly approximate to those of the 

 apes or other animals. Skulls have been found, however, in 

 greater number than full skeletons, and degrees of inferiority have 

 in their case been noted greatest in those of greatest antiquity. 



Second, the oldest human skulls, that is, those found lowest 

 down in the drift and cave deposits, are found to be the most 

 simian in their character. The jaws are most prognathous ; the 

 lower jaw is most deficient of the chin prominence; the fore- 

 heads are most receding, and the brow-ridges most developed, 

 and the crania have on the whole the smallest capacity. 



In England the ancient human remains found are of two 

 classes — namely, those discovered in round barrows and those in 

 long barrows. Those found in round barrows are of a mixed 

 kind, being partly brachycephalic or broad-headed, and partly 

 dolicocephalic, or narrow-headed, and are accompanied by metal. 

 The long barrows contain polished stone implements and skulls 

 for the most part thoroughly dolicocephalic. These latter are 

 described as prehistoric, and as belonging to the Neolithic age. 

 The Neanderthal skull before referred to belonged to the rough 

 stone epoch, when man's weapons were but rude, unpolished flint 

 chips. This is called the Palaeolithic age, when man was con- 

 temporary with the mammoth. He has left us traces of his 

 artistic powers in the shape of sketches of animal forms on 

 bones and on ivory. 



As yet anthropology has found nothing lower than the skull 

 of the Neanderthal man of the mammoth epoch ; and though 

 this is plainly a long way towards a simian type, it must be 

 admitted that many links will require to be found before the 

 simian origin of man be placed upon a demonstrative basis like 

 that which has been laid in the case of the horse. 



But does the mere absence of these links between man and 

 the animals thus shown so closely related to him compel us to 

 believe that transitional links never existed ? Certainly not ; for 

 as previously existing gaps have already been filled up between 

 more widely divergent types in the case of the lower animals 

 than exist between man and apes, so we may rest assured 

 " missing links " exhibiting the transitional or pithecoid form 

 will yet be found. 



Why, it may be asked, have these links as yet remained un- 

 earthed ? 



To this I reply, because the quarter in which they are most 

 likely to be found is the very region which has been as yet least 



