ANCIENT MAN IN BRITAIN

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1923, Page 4

ANCIENT MAN IN BRITAIN

In the preface to “Ancient Man in Britain'’ Mr Donald A. McKenzie remarks that artists, particularly humorous artists, have liuen responsible for many misconceptions concerning the early Briton of the Stone Age. Thee confuse periods, and with a gay disregard for chronology depict him as a .semi-naked individual hotly pursued by terrifying monsters, which, as a matter of fact, ceased to exist before mammals made their appearance on earth. Some of the characteristics atlrdmtecl to him might have belonged to the .Neanderthal man who was an undeveloped simian-like creature with clumsy hands; incapable of delicate workmanship. But the Neanderthal man is no relation of ours. His race perished utterly, although some believe that certain people, such rs tli .* Australian aboriginals, display certain traits of the extinct species. But the Neanderthal man lived in the J’alenlitliic Age. whereas we derive from the Cro-Magnons ol the Neolithic Age. whose culture began in its Anrignaeian phase, probably about 20.000 years ago. Mr Mackenzie considers that the terms “old stone age' 1 ’ and “new stone age" have become inappropriate and would substitute for them, in relation to British history at any rate, those ot “prc-ngrieult'.iral age,” “early agricultural age," and “liomauo-Bi'itish ace. But we imagine that the others are too firmly established in popular Usage t-: i he easily supplanted. And he stiongly objects to the expression “piehistoric.” as applied to the men oi the stone age. We actually know more about pre-Homan times in .Britain Hum about the dark period after the Homans had departed. “A plainer, clearer, and inure reliable story is revealed by the hunt's and artifacts (articles made by mam. and the surviving relics ol the intellectual life t: l ' oni reunite ancestors than by the writings of some early chroniclers and some early historians." Tt is really extraordinary how vivid and complete tt picture of these people the student can paint from material which might at first sight seem ridiculously inadequate. It is literally a ease of sermons in stones. Mr -Mackenzie is concerned with the (‘ro-Maginiiis and their successors. r ! he former came to Britain when Britain was stili part of the continent. The English Channel and the North Sea were then dry land. r l lie Kibe, the 1 Hliine, the Thames the Forth, and the Toy all ultimately joined into a single stream which debouched into the ocean olf the Norwegian coast. The Cro-Mag-nons themselves had originally migrated from some centre of culture in North ern Africa. They crusted to Europe probably by the Italian land-bridge al the end of the fourth glacial period. They found reindeer and hairy mammoths browsing in the lowlands ol Fiance ami dernifiny, and Neanderthal man. who made* way lor i hem. Ihe slow-footed, slow- wit ted Neanderthals would have been no match for the tall, physically and mentally active Cro-Mag-nons. But there is no reason to suppose that there was any war of extermination. Contrary to popular belied, primitive man was not a hellieo-e person. There is no evidence at all that the two races fought. It is mere likelv that the Neanderthals simply retreated. yielding up their flint qunirics, their cive.s. and their grottoes, while the Cro-Magnons continually moved further north. At length, perhaps, through the agency of imported disease. the Neanderthals perished uttorlv, and the newcomers were lelt in

sole possession. The Cro-Magnon was anything hut uni until and grotesque in appearance He was wcll-huill and nil In one branch the average height was lilt. 1 'in. In essentials the Cro-Magnons were ol the Hinder n type. A reconstruction w Inch anatomists have made from the billies shows a lace of singular dignity, thoughtfulness, ami austerity. Hid Crn-Magumi is. modern* < loiliiiig. and he would walk through llie streets unnoticed— uuh": his foie physique ami rather strikin ; features attracted .itrciition. And he was a man el many it tin varied nreoiuplislnncnis. 11l- ooiral paintings, executed thousands o| yea’s before the development of Creek' art show wonderful artistry and accuracy. He could make out of Hint, knives, which still possess a cutting edge as keen as that of a razor, and tiny *w« with '27 teeth to the inch. Nor "a* Hint his oiils material. lie could work with lane and horn, and knew how In weave. Me could successfully | erloi 1:1 the difficult surgical operation of trepanning the skull, fur the healing <1 the hones proves that the patient suivived. From his funerary practices it is clear that lie speculated on the after life. His .successors handed on the torch. One of the most interesting chapters concerns the liislaiy of navigation. The discovery at Mentone of a sen-shell peculiar rn the Indian Ocean suggests

that at a very early date the CrnAlaguons find dealings with the Hast. Xavigat ion in Britain began w hen the land sub-ided anil the rivers became seas. This was long before the Cretan'- and later, the I’lioeiiieians. found their way to Britain, and kept the route secret. Bv 2oCO ?>.('. there was a Dalli" in jet between Whitby. in Yorkshire and Spain. A very ancient boat found near (Jlasgow contains a plug of eerk which must- have come from Spain or Italy, Kgyptian beads | belonging to the period of about DIO!) B.C. have been found in Kngland in association with relics of the British Bronze age. The pre-Roman British had ships of superior quality, and before Cae.-nr invaded Britain scut a squadron to co-operate with the Vend i against the Romans. Incidentally the best enamel in the world was manufactured in pre-Roman. Britain and Ireland. Air Mackenzie has a fascinating story to tell, and lie has done full justice to it.