THAT RHODESIAN SKULL

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1926, Page 1

THAT RHODESIAN SKULL

(By Science Service.)

A single skull of prehistoric African main, which has puzzled scientists since its discovery in a lead mine of Northern Rhodesia five years ago, is like no known race inhabiting the dark c»njtinent in modern times. Du Ales Hrdlicka, of the Smithsonian Instituion, who recently visited Africa especially to determine the conditions under which it had been unearthed says that this Rhodesian “find” is much more complex than has formerly been supposed. Duo to the fact that no scientist was on hand when a miner’s pick revealed it, much valuable data has been lost and carrying conflicting conclusions have been deducted by the anthropologists who have studied it. In a forthcoming issue of the “Journal of Physical Anthropology,” Dr Hrdlicka refutes the contention that other human hones found iii the same cave were a part of the same skeleton, as previously believed. From the evidence that lie has collected it is apparent, lie says, that the other remains are those of a recent hut primitive people who used the cave as a place of feasting. Broken bones of humjan beings, as well as of animals, indicate that they were probably cannibals . “The skull itself,” he says, “is positively not the skull of any now known African typo of man or their •normal variants. Neither is it any . known pathological monstrosity, such as gigantism or leontiiasis. It is a most remarkable speoiment of which tlio age, provenience, history, and nature arc still anthropological puzzles. It is similar in some respects to the Neanderthal types of Europe, inferior in somo details, But superior in others to anything yet known of the Neanderthal mlan. The mining operations at the site at which it was originally discovered are still going on and will gradually demolish what still remains of the crevice in which the bones werefound. “AHI this work should he intently watched,” concludes Dr Hrdlicka, “for any day it may uncover new evidence of much importance.”