THE DATING OF EARLY HUMAN REMAINS. 
45 
including the Pliocene elephant Stcgodon, and the other a con¬ 
temporary Pleistocene series. Examination of the mineral 
condition of the bones shows that Eoanthropus belongs to the 
later group. The remains of the Pleistocene fauna are at present 
scanty, and insufficient for purposes of exact correlation. But 
the conditions deduced from the primitive character of the 
remains themselves, and the general probabilities of the case, 
fully justify the assumption of an early date. 
Apart from the human bones, the most important discovery 
in the deposit is a club-shaped implement of bone, pointed at 
at one end. It was made out of the femur of a large elephant 
such as Elephas antiquus or E. meridionalis —most probably 
the former. 
It would appear almost inevitable that this implement must 
have been cut by some sharp-edged flint tool. But the chipped 
flints so far found in the deposit are by no means convincing, 
although the above consideration gives them greater probability. 
Among these the most conspicuous are : (i) a chopper-shaped 
object ; this has the greatest probability of being human 
workmanship of any of those found. (2) A flint chip which has a 
deceptive resemblance to a Mousterian trimmed flake ; this 
may be human, but it is a matter of considerable doubt. (3) 
A triangular piece of flint found in situ in the deposit by Father 
P. Teilhard ; this one can determine without reservation as 
non-human. In all probability it owes its form to a forceful 
rending of the material during deeply-seated movement while 
the parent nodule remained in place in the chalk. It is not 
the result of the mechanical concussion of one stone against 
another, still less of flaking by human blows, but bears evidence 
of the giving-way of the material under a tearing strain. 5 
In addition, a certain number of so-called eoliths have been 
found, but most of them are but very indifferent examples of 
their class. 
It is remarkable that, in spite of the careful investigation 
which has been conducted by Dr. A. Smith Woodward and Mr. 
Charles Dawson, no evidence of a satisfactory flint industry 
has yet been found. Negative evidence is notoriously dangerous, 
5 The ipecimens referred to here as 2 and 3 are fgured in Quart. Journ, Grot. Sec. vol. 
Ixix , pi xvi, figures 1 and 2 respectively. A few other flints showing seme slight chipping 
have also been fi und, and some are figured, but there is little probability of their Leing 
human workmanship. 
