ments, tend to prove the greater antiquity of the remains found near the Somme. These flint weapons have been actually found in situ by Prestwich, Flower, Gaudry, Pouchet, and others; but even without this satisfactory evidence, the genuineness of the weapons is, as M. Boucher de Perthes and Mr. Prestwich have shown, completely proved by their condition. Those which have lain in siliceous or chalky sands have a peculiar vitreous lustre very different from the comparatively dead surface generally presented by a newly broken flint. Mr. Evans, however, has shown me a flint in which the recently fractured surfaces have a gloss, certainly very much like that of the Amiens and Abbeville specimens, which therefore, though generally a good voucher for antiquity, cannot in all cases be implicitly relied on. More conclusive is the evidence when the flints have lain "in ochreous sand, by which, especially if argillaceous, they are stained yellow, whilst in ferruginous sands and clays they assume a brown colour," and in some beds they become white and porcellaneous. As will be seen, however, in Pl. VII., fig. 11, this alteration of colour is quite superficial, and follows the outline of the present surface, whereas if the weapon had been tampered with by the workmen, they would have broken through the outer coating and exposed the dark flint, as has, in fact, been done by the accidental fracture shown in the figure.
Moreover, the great antiquity of these most interesting remains is farther proved by the position of the gravel beds in which they are found. Not only are these strata covered by several feet of sand, containing unbroken though very delicate land and freshwater shells, and this again by brick earth, but they cap the hills on each side of the Somme valley, which must therefore have been excavated, in part at least, since they were deposited. The lower parts of the valley are now occupied by peat, in which are found remains referred by M. Boucher de Perthes to the Stone period, and it would seem therefore that we have here, at least, good evidence of two Stone ages, one of which would be much older than the other, and would carry back the origin of the human race to a date, at least, twice as remote as that usually assigned to it. Further, it is evident that man must have originated in a hot climate, and he could not have supported the climate of the North until he had made some steps in civilization; at least, until he had learnt to light a fire and provide himself with a dwelling place.
Intensely interesting, therefore, as are the antiquities of Northern Europe, it is, after all, in a hotter part of the world, and probably in the tropics themselves, that we must look for the true cradle of the human race.
Prof. Steenstrup has promised to send us an account of his recent progress in the investigation of the Kjökkenmöddings; and I hope also, perhaps in a future number of this Review, to compare the early history of Denmark, as indicated by the tumuli and the ancient weapons, with that of other neighbouring countries.
The length to which this article has already extended, prevents
