70 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
A HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS AGO. 
ABSTRACT OF LECTURE BY REV. W. SHARMAN, F. G. S. 
(Read October 20th, 1881.) 
The Lecturer first exhibited an implement made of polished stone 
as typical of the civilization of Neolithic man. He briefly gave an 
account of the culture attained in the New Stone Period, and stated 
that it was probable that the users of such tools reached England 
20,000 years ago. He next exhibited an implement made of 
chipped flint as typical of Palaeolithic civilization. The stage of 
culture reached by the cave-men was then described, and it was 
pointed out that their remains were found associated with those of 
animals like the hyaena, the sabre-toothed tiger, the cave bear, the 
mammoth, and the reindeer, a fact indicative of climatic conditions 
strangely different from our own. A glaciated and striated boulder 
was next shown as a proof of the former prevalence of a great Ice 
Age in England. Astronomical reasons were given for dating the 
beginning of the glacial epoch at 210,000 years ago, and its 
continuance, with interludes of less severity, at 160,000 years. 
As the remains of man were found in interglacial deposits, it was 
inferred that he was an inhabitant of Britain at least 100,000 
years ago. 
