Congress of Anthropology and Prehistoric archæology the results were discussed by some of the ablest scientists of the day— the proceedings of which, therefore, contain the latest opinions held on the subject. [1]
M. Rivière's Researches. The first skeleton found by Rivière (1872) was in the fourth cave, at a depth of 6.55 metres and about 7 metres from the entrance (PI. XV.). [2] It lay on the left side, near the right wall of the cave, apparently in the attitude of sleep, the forearms turned upwards— the left being under the cheek—and the legs slightly bent. The head was a little more elevated than the rest of the body, and both it and the spine were close to some stones which appeared to have been a support to the back. Around the head were some two hundred shells from the Mediterranean (Nassa neritea), and twenty-two canine teeth of stags—all artificially perforated. Similar shells lay at the left knee, and were supposed to be part of a garter. Near the forehead was a well-formed pointer, or dagger, made from the radius of a deer ; and under the occiput lay two broken flint knives. A thick layer of peroxide of iron covered the skull and the objects near it. In the earth beneath the body M. Rivière observed portions of the hide and hair of an animal in which he supposed the body had been wrapped, or which had formed the man's outer garment. The soil, both above and below the skeleton, contained bones of Rhinoceros tichorhinus, cave-bear, and cave-lion ; and scattered through it were a few shells of non-Mediterranean species, such as Purpura lapillus and Littorina littorea. The skeleton was that of a tall man some 6 feet in height, with a dolichocephalic head and other characteristics of the Cro-Magnon race.
Later (1874-5), M. Rivière unearthed two skeletons of children from four to six years of age, in the Grotte des Enfants, at a depth of 2.70 metres and 10 metres from the entrance. The bodies lay close together in the extended position, with the feet outwards. Over one of them were about 1000 perforated shells (Nassa neritea) which had been strung together,
- ↑
See Les Grottes de Grimaldi, a magnificent monograph now being published under the auspices of Prince Albert I. of Monaco.
- ↑
2 The photo from which this illustration is taken was purchased in Mentone by Miss Crum, who happened to be residing there at the time of the discovery.
