12 WILLIAM DALE^ ESQ., F.S.A., F.G.S, ON PREHJSTOKIC MAN : 



at the British Association, theological controversy is practically 

 in abeyance. Sir Oliver Lodge says : " At any rate the major 

 conflict is suspended : the forts behind which the enemy 

 has retreated do not invite attack ; the territory now occupied 

 by him is little more than his legitimate province. It is the 

 scientific allies now who are waging a more or less invigora- 

 ting conflict among themselves, with Philosophers joining in. 

 Meanwhile the ancient foe is biding his time, and hoping that 

 from the struggle something will emerge of benefit to himself." 



In no branch of science is it more true that a conflict is raging 

 than in those researches which have to do with prehistoric man. 

 Many of these conflicting opinions I shall have to refer to, and it 

 will be my aim to lead you to make your own reasonable deduc- 

 tions from them. I fear some of the statements of our leading 

 scientists will come with somewhat of a shock, b3sed as they 

 are upon the doctrine of Evolution in its wider sense. Never- 

 theless it is our duty to become acquainted wdth them, and 

 we may bear in mind the words of the Bishop of Birmingham, 

 preaching to the British Association, in September, 1913 : 

 " Whatever religious teachers may have felt as to what is com- 

 monly styled Evolution fifty years ago, I venture to say that 

 to-day there is no one who is not thankful, for the great Creator's 

 sake, that the intertw^ining of His creatures has been accepted on 

 scientific knowledge." 



I wish firstly to refer to some of the evidences of man's great 

 antiquity ; 



Secondly, to show how, according to some of our greatest 

 scientists, the form of man was evolved ; 



Lastly, we will endeavour to show that even if we accept 

 the most advanced views on these points, it in no way necessitates 

 the abandonment of our belief in Eevelation, nor in those great 

 spiritual truths concerning man's position and destiny so dear 

 to all who believe that it was God the Creator Who made man in 

 His own image and likeness and breathed into his nostrils the 

 breath of life, and man became a living soul. 



You are all familiar with the fact that much of the evidence 

 of man's antiquity is derived from the implenaents which he 

 fashioned, with w^hich he hunted and with which he defended 

 himself. The actual remains of man himself, which can authenti- 

 cally be referred to the Older Stone Age, are but few, and will 

 be noticed presently. But from the time when, more than half a 

 century ago, attention was first caUed to the chipped flint imple- 



