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Abstract

THIS volume forms one of the well-known series, “Bibliothèque Scientifique Internationale,” published under the direction of M. Ém. Alglave. The subject, we need scarcely say, is one with which M. Cartailhac is eminently competent to deal, and all who are interested in the study of prehistoric times will be glad to have so compact and lucid an account of the facts to which the work relates. He begins with a good sketch of the rise and progress of modern ideas with regard to primitive civilizations and the antiquity of the human race; and this is followed by a discussion of the questions connected with man's place in Nature, his origin, and the supposed traces of his existence during the Tertiary period. An admirable chapter is devoted to the striking manifestations of artistic impulse by men of the Palæolithic age. The monuments of the Neolithic era in France are grouped with perfect clearness, and M. Cartailhac has not failed to do justice to any one of the various questions which these monuments have forced upon the attention of students. The scientific value of the book is enhanced by the fact that he avoids as much as possible the use of purely hypothetical reasoning. When he comes to sets of phenomena which cannot be simply and naturally accounted for, he thinks it better to offer no theory at all than to suggest purely conjectural explanations. The illustrations, although in no way remarkable, will be of considerable service to readers who have not made themselves familiar with the aims and. methods of archæological science.