Page:Prehistoric Britain.djvu/70

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62
PREHISTORIC BRITAIN

a number of extinct animals, had his attention directed to the Dordogne by seeing, in the hands of a friend in Paris, a carbonized bone embedded in a piece of calcareous breccia which had been found in that locality. This was in 1862, and almost immediately Lartet went to see the spot where the fossil bone had been discovered, and made some excavations merely to gratify his own curiosity. Here he became associated with Henry Christy, a generous Englishman who became intensely interested in such discoveries. These two explorers arranged investigations on a large scale—Christy paying all expenses. They began operations in the now famous station of Les Eyzies, the spot where the Paris carbonized bone had been found, and pushed on the work with such activity that before the end of 1863 the whole débris was cleared out, and the relics scientifically examined and classified. Encouraged by their success, they then extended their explorations to the caves of Le Moustier, Gorge d'Enfer, La Madeleine, Laugerie Haute and Laugerie Basse. While these investigations were in progress Messrs. Christy and Lartet conceived a scheme for the exploration and description of the antiquities of Aquitaine, and at once set about collecting materials for a great work on the subject, under the title of Reliquiæ Aquitanicæ. But, unfortunately, just after the first fasciculus had been placed in the hands of the printer, Mr. Christy died (May 4, 1865). Henceforth the labour of editing the