tract now covered by the estuary of the Severn and the Irish Sea (Fig. 32). When all these facts are taken into consideration, it is difficult to escape Mr. Pengelly's conclusion that the two sets of implements represent two distinct social states, of which the ruder is by far the more ancient.[1]
The River-drift Men preceded the Cave-men in the Caves of France.
These two stages of culture have been recently proved by the researches of Dr. M. J. Parrot to be equally represented in Central France. In the Grotte de l'Eglise at Excideuil (Dordogne)[2] the strata containing the remains of Man were in the following order:—1st, At the bottom of the cave a yellow sand contained rough choppers and rude flakes "of jasper," and other simple forms of the same kind as those in the red sand of the Cresswell Caves, and like them unaccompanied by any higher forms. They were associated with the bones of the bear and bison, the former of which, as we have seen in the preceding paragraphs, is characteristic of the lower breccia in Kent's Hole. 2d, Above this was a layer of red earth, with implements of the same sort as those below, and composed of the same material, but accompanied here by a few simply chipped implements of the type of Moustier. At this horizon the reindeer, cave-bear, and horse were discovered. 3d, A layer of black earth underneath a sheet of stalagmite formed the upper layer, in which the implements are of a far higher order: those of flint consisting of flakes, saws, and
