第49章
加入书架 A- A+

  ButerelonghumanboneswerefoundinthedepositsoftheearlyQuaternaryperiod,orindeedofanearlierperiod,invariousotherpartsoftheworld,andthequestionregardingtheMoulinQuignonrelicwasoflittleimportance。

  WehaveseenthatresearchesregardingtheexistenceofprehistoricmaninEnglandandontheContinentwereatfirstmainlymadeinthecaverns;buttheexistenceofmanintheearliestQuaternaryperiodwasconfirmedonbothsidesoftheEnglishChannel,inawayevenmorestriking,bythecloseexaminationofthedriftandearlygraveldeposits。TheresultsarrivedatbyBoucherdePertheswereamplyconfirmedinEngland。

  RudestoneimplementswerefoundinterracesahundredfeetandmoreabovethelevelsatwhichvariousriversofGreatBritainnowflow,andundercircumstanceswhichshowthat,atthetimewhentheyweredeposited,theriversofGreatBritaininmanycaseswereentirelydifferentfromthoseofthepresentperiod,andformedpartsoftheriversystemoftheEuropeancontinent。

  ResearchesinthehighterracesabovetheThamesandtheOuse,aswellasatotherpointsinGreatBritain,placedbeyondadoubtthefactthatmanexistedontheBritishIslandsatatimewhentheywereconnectedbysolidlandwiththeContinent,andmadeitclearthat,withintheperiodoftheexistenceofmaninnorthernEurope,alargeportionoftheBritishIslandshadbeensunktodepthsbetweenfifteenhundredandtwenty-fivehundredfeetbeneaththeNorthernOcean,——hadrisenagainfromthewater,——hadformedpartofthecontinentofEurope,andhadbeeninunbrokenconnectionwithAfrica,sothatelephants,bears,tigers,lions,therhinocerosandhippopotamus,ofspeciesnowmainlyextinct,hadlefttheirbonesinthesamedepositswithhumanimplementsasfarnorthasYorkshire。Moreover,connectedwiththisfactcameinthenewconviction,forcedupongeologistsbythemorecarefulexaminationoftheearthanditschanges,thatsuchelevationsanddepressionsofGreatBritainandotherpartsoftheworldwerenotnecessarilytheresultsofsuddencataclysms,butgenerallyofslowprocessesextendingthroughvastcyclesofyears——processessuchasarenowknowntobegoingoninvariouspartsoftheworld。Thusitwasthatthesixorseventhousandyearsallowedbythemostliberaltheologiansofformertimeswereseenmoreandmoreclearlytobebutamerenothinginthelongsuccessionofagessincetheappearanceofman。

  Confirmationoftheseresultswasreceivedfromvariousotherpartsoftheworld。InAfricacamethediscoveryofflintimplementsdeepinthehardgraveloftheNileValleyatLuxorandonthehighhillsbehindEsneh。InAmericathediscoveriesatTrenton,N。J。,andatvariousplacesinDelaware,Ohio,Minnesota,andelsewhere,alongthesouthernedgeofthedriftoftheGlacialepochs,clinchedthenewscientifictruthyetmorefirmly;andthestatementmadebyaneminentAmericanauthorityis,that“manwasonthiscontinentwhentheclimateandiceofGreenlandextendedtothemouthofNewYorkharbour。”ThediscoveriesofprehistoricremainsonthePacificcoast,andespeciallyinBritishColumbia,finishedcompletelythelastchanceatareasonablecontentionbytheadherentsoftheolderview。AstotheseinvestigationsonthePacificslopeoftheUnitedStates,thediscoveriesofWhitneyandothersinCaliforniahadbeensomadeandannouncedthatthejudgmentofscientificmenregardingthemwassuspendeduntilthevisitofperhapsthegreatestlivingauthorityinhisdepartment,AlfredRusselWallace,in1887。HeconfirmedtheviewofProf。Whitneyandotherswiththestatementthat“boththeactualremainsandworksofmanfounddeepunderthelava-flowsofPlioceneageshowthatheexistedintheNewWorldatleastasearlyasintheOld。”TothismaybeaddedthediscoveriesinBritishColumbia,whichprovethat,sincemanexistedintheseregions,“valleyshavebeenfilledupbydriftfromthewasteofmountainstoadepthinsomecasesoffifteenhundredfeet;thiscoveredbyasuccessionoftuffs,ashes,andlava-streamsfromvolcanoeslongsinceextinct,andfinallycutdownbythepresentriversthroughbedsofsolidbasalt,andthroughthisaccumulationoflavasandgravels。”TheimmenseantiquityofthehumanremainsinthegravelsofthePacificcoastissummedupbyamosteminentEnglishauthorityanddeclaredtobeproved,“first,bythepresentriversystemsbeingofsubsequentdate,sometimescuttingthroughthemandtheirsuperincumbentlava-captoadepthoftwothousandfeet;secondly,bythegreatdenudationthathastakenplacesincetheyweredeposited,fortheysometimeslieonthesummitsofmountainssixthousandfeethigh;thirdly,bythefactthattheSierraNevadahasbeenpartlyelevatedsincetheirformation。”[187]

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