The Stone Period. 



29 



According to one theory, man in the lowest, or even in anything 

 approaching the lowest, stage of savagery never did, and never can, 

 unaided, raise himself to a higher state of culture. It is contended 

 that when savages are brought into contact with civilised races, 

 it is extremely difficult to teach them the simplest arts ; that they 

 seem never to invent or discover anything for themselves and for 

 the reason that even " necessity is not the mother of invention '* 

 except to those who have some degree of thoughtfulness and in- 

 telligence. In point of fact, that we are to regard all savages as 

 degraded men, whose ancestors lived in a higher state of culture, but 

 privation, suffering, or oppression, have done their work, and in 

 these savages we see the result. 1 



Another school arrives at a diametrically opposite conclusion. 

 They consider that the primitive condition of man, was that of 

 savagery in its lowest stage and that from this condition certain races 

 have independently raised themselves. According to this theory, 

 instead of existing savages being the degenerate descendants of 

 men who enjoyed a higher state of culture, all civilised races have 

 sprung from savages. 



There is something to be said for, and against, both theories, and 

 the truth probably lies between the two extremes. 



The assumed inability of savages to raise themselves to a higher 

 state of culture appears at first sight to be borne out by experience ; 

 for instance, successive forms of civilisation have swept over the 

 Bheels, in India, but they remain savages still, and although they 

 now carry the breech-loading rifle of the Englishman, they are 

 armed themselves with bows and arrows of the same pattern as 

 those used by their forefathers in the time of the Greeks. In fact, 

 the state of culture with some tribes appears to have fossilised and 

 become stationary for an indefinite period, or until destroyed by 

 being brought into contact with races in an advanced state of 

 culture. 



Unfortunately, very slight evidence of the early history of 



1 See " Origin of Civilization," by Dr. AVliately. See also "Primeval Man," 

 by the Duke of Argyll, in which latter work some of these views are not 

 supported. 



