Early Man in Britain and His Place in the Tertiary Period

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Early Man in Britain and His Place in the Tertiary Period (1880)
by William Boyd Dawkins
3154862Early Man in Britain and His Place in the Tertiary Period1880William Boyd Dawkins

EARLY MAN IN BRITAIN

AND

HIS PLACE IN THE TERTIARY PERIOD

BY

W. BOYD DAWKINS, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., F.S.A.

CURATOR OF THE MANCHESTER MUSEUM, AND PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY AND
PALÆONTOLOGY IN OWENS COLLEGE, MANCHESTER

ILLUSTRATED BY WOODCUTS

London

MACMILLAN AND CO.

1880

[The Right of Translation and Reproduction is reserved.]

Printed by R. & R. Clark, Edinburgh

PREFACE.

In my work on "Cave-hunting," published in 1874, I endeavoured to clear the way for the present enquiry into primæval man, his growth in culture, his conditions of life, and his relation to history; and I found it necessary to treat of cave-exploration in detail, before I could venture to grapple with the difficulties inherent in a work which treats of the borderland of geology, archæology, and history. In dealing with them, I have to acknowledge my debt to the writings of Sir Charles Lyell, Sir John Lubbock, Mr. John Evans, Dr. Thurnam, and Mr. Franks in this country; to Professors Gaudry, Steenstrup, Capellini, and Drs. Broca, Virchow, Wiberg, Rütimeyer, Forsyth Major on the Continent, as well as to many contributors to the scientific periodicals of France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, and more especially to the valuable memoirs in the Comptes Rendus du Congrès International d'Anthropologie et d'Archéologie Préhistoriques. I have also used the materials accumulated in some of my own Essays published in the Edinburgh and Fortnightly Reviews, and in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. I have attempted more particularly to prepare myself for the present enquiry, by the examination of the more important Museums in France and Italy, and of some of those in Germany and Switzerland.

Among many friends who have aided me in various ways, my thanks are more particularly due to Mr. A. E. Dobbs for revising the proofs; to Dr. R. Angus Smith, and Messrs. R. D. Darbishire, John Evans, J. F. Philips, A. W. Franks, Worthington, G. Smith, and Marcus M. Hartog, for assistance of various kinds in the letterpress. For the use of many wood blocks, I have also to thank Messrs. Cheadle, Pengelly, Gardner, Greenwell, Evans, Mello, Franks, Parker, Williams and Norgate, General Lane Fox, and Professor Daniel Wilson, as well as the Councils of the Geological Society of London, of the Society of Antiquaries, and of the Plymouth Institution. And lastly, I have to thank Mr. Rowe, a young and promising artist, for the care with which he has represented the groups of Eocene, Meiocene, and Pleiocene life.

In laying this book before my readers, I am conscious of its many defects, arising to some extent from the nature of the subject, and from the swiftness with which our knowledge of Early Man is being enlarged by new discoveries.

W. B. D.

Owens College, Manchester,
1st Jan. 1880.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER IV.

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VII.

Palæolithic Men of the Caves of Somerset and Devon
193
The River-drift Men preceded the Cave-men in Caves of France
198
M. de Mortillet's Classification
199
Chronological Sequence, based on the Associated Mammalia, unsatisfactory
203
Cave-men throughout Europe in the same Stage of Culture
203
Range of the Cave-men compared with that of the River-drift Men
204
Civilisation of Cave-men
205
Dwellings
206
Domestic Pursuits
208
No Pottery
209
Means of obtaining Fire
210
Implement-making
210
Sewing
210
Dress and Ornaments
211
Hunting, Fowling, and Fishing
212-219
Art
220
Engraving
220
Sculpture
223
Skeletons of Cave-men
224
The Cave of Duruthy
226
No Interments proved to be of Palæolithic Age
229
Relation of Cave-men to River-drift Men
230
Cave-men probably Eskimos
233
not now represented in Europe
242
General Conclusions
244

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE PREHISTORIC FARMER, AND THE HERDSMAN.—
THE NEOLITHIC CIVILISATION.

Definition of the Prehistoric Period
247
Geography of Britain
248
Submerged Forests
248
Climate of Britain
255
Prehistoric Mammalia—Wild Species
257
and Historic Periods belong to the Tertiary
262
Magnitude of Interval between Pleistocene and Prehistoric Periods
263
Relative Length of Pleistocene and Prehistoric Periods
265
Neolithic Inhabitants of Britain and Ireland
265
Hut Circles and Log Huts
266-269
The Neolithic Homestead
271
Implements
274
Spinning and Weaving
275
Pottery
275
The Flint Mines near Brandon
276
The Implement Manufactory at Cissbury
278
Commerce
280
Navigation
281
Warfare and Camps
282
Britain occupied by Tribal Communities
283
Burial of Dead
284
Belief in a Future State
287
General Conclusions as to Neolithic Culture in Britain
290
Neolithic Civilisation on the Continent
290
The Pile-Dwellings of Switzerland
291
The Domestic Animals and Cultivated Plants
295
The Shell-mounds of Denmark
302
The Neolithic Art
305
Civilisation derived from Central Asia
306
General Conclusions
307

CHAPTER IX.

THE NEOLITHIC INHABITANTS OF BRITAIN OF IBERIAN RACE.

Physique
309
Range over British Isles
310
on the Continent
313
Identification with the Iberian Race
314
Celtic Invasion of Gaul and Spain in the Neolithic Age
315
Historic Evidence as to Iberic and Celtic Races in Spain and Gaul
317
The Iberic Race in Retreat
320
the Older
321
Historic Evidence as to Iberic and Celtic Races in Britain
321
Relation of Iberians to Ligures and Etruskans
322
Iberic Element in the Present Population of Spain
323
Celtic, and other Elements in the Population of France
324
Element in the British Isles
330
The Witness of Language
331
Traces of Neolithic Culture in Basque Dialects
334
Survivals from the Neolithic Age
335
Neolithic Superstitions still current in Europe
338
General Conclusions
340

CHAPTER X.

THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURE.—THE BRONZE AGE.

Celtic Invasion of the British Isles
342
Classification of the Bronze Age in Britain
344
The Axe in Culture
349
Habitations in Britain and Ireland in the Bronze Age
352-354
Clothing and Ornaments
355
Lighting Fires and Woodcutting
358
Spinning and Weaving
359
Agriculture and Farming
360
Pottery, Cups of Gold and Amber
360
Bronze Working
362
Weapons and Warfare
364
Burial Customs
366
Temples
371
Artistic Designs
378
France and Switzerland in the Bronze Age
379
The Early Bronze Age
380
The Late Bronze Age
381
Hoards of Bronze Merchandise
383
Hoards of the Bronze-smith
384
Lake-dwellings of Late Bronze Age
388
Scandinavia in the Bronze Age
389
Sculptures
392
General Conclusions
396

CHAPTER XI.

THE INTRODUCTION OF BRONZE, AND OF THE BRONZE CIVILISATION, INTO EUROPE.

No Copper Age in Europe
397
Copper Mines worked in Britain and Spain in the Bronze Age
399
Tin-stone often associated with Gold
400
Tin in Scandinavia, Germany, and Britain
402
Tin Mines worked in France and Spain in the Bronze Age
403
Tin Mines in Tuscany worked by the Etruskans
405
Probable Sources of Assyrian and Egyptian Tin
407
Bronze introduced into Europe from one Centre
410
Knowledge of Bronze derived from Asia Minor
412
The Early Bronze Implements in Europe
413
The Development of the Bronze Industry in the late Bronze Age
413
Local Centres of Bronze Industry in the late Bronze Age
414
Distribution of Gold in Europe
416
Distribution of Amber in Europe
417
The Duration of the Bronze Age north of the Alps
420
Commercial Relations of Britain in the Bronze Age
421

CHAPTER XII.

THE PREHISTORIC IRON AGE NORTH OF THE ALPS.

Definition of the Iron Age
423
The Introduction of Iron into Europe
423
The Prehistoric Iron Age in Britain
426
Arms and Equipage
426
Personal Ornaments
428
Burial Customs
429
The Late Celtic Art
434
The Etruskan Influence on the Art
436
The Influence of Ancient Greece
436
Coins and Commerce
438
The Prehistoric Iron Age on the Continent North of the Alps
439
The Prehistoric Iron Age in Scandinavia
440
Survival of the Late Celtic Art into the Historic Period in Britain
443

CHAPTER XIII.

THE OVERLAP OP HISTORY.

The Egyptians and their Influence
447
The Assyrians and their Influence
450
The Phœnicians and their Influence
451
The Phœnicians possessed no Art of their own
455
The Position of the Phœnicians in the West
456
The Spread of Phœnician Commerce to Britain
457
The Etruskans and their Influence
462
The Etruskan Trade-Routes to the Amber Coasts
466
Traces of Etruskan Influence North of the Alps
469
The Downfall of the Etruskan Trade
471
The Greeks and their Influence
473
The Trade-Route from Olbia
473
Massilia
475
The Voyage of Pytheas
477
General Conclusions
479

CHAPTER XIV.

BRITAIN IN THE HISTORIC PERIOD.—CONCLUSION.

The Exploration of the British Coasts
481
Physical Geography and Climate
482
Population at the time of the Roman Conquest
485
Roman Britain
488
The English Conquest
490
The English Breed of Cattle
491
The Extinction of the Larger Wild Animals
493
Conclusion
494

APPENDICES.

I. THE EOCENE MAMMALIA OF BRITAIN AND FRANCE.
A. Of Britain
501
B. Of France
502
II. THE MEIOCENE MAMMALIA.
A. The Lower Meiocene Mammalia of France
505
B. The Mid-Meiocene Mammalia of France
506
C. The Upper Meiocene Mammalia of the Continent
509
III. THE PLEIOCENE MAMMALIA.
A. Lower Pleiocene Mammalia of France
511
B. Upper Pleiocene Mammalia of France
512
C. The Pleiocene Mammalia of Italy
513

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1929, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 94 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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