Research Items

Abstract

FURTHER EXCAVATIONS AT SOLUTRE.-La Nature, February 14, contains an illustrated report of the excavations at the prehistoric station of Crot-du-Charnier, Solutre, in 1924, which was presented to the Paris Academy of Sciences by MM. Deperet, Arcelin and Mayet on December 15 last. The trench in which three skeletons were found in 1923 was carried farther to the west and revealed the continuation of the thick, undisturbed bed of horse-bone magma. Immediately beneath this was found a fourth skeleton, a male, of Aurignacian age, as was revealed by the associated implements - gravers, flakes, scrapers, etc. Three stone slabs were placed on a level with the head. The legs of this skeleton had been destroyed by the excavations of the Abbe Ducrost in 1875. A fifth skeleton was that of a young woman which lay, not beneath, but actually in the horse-bone bed, which showed no sign of disturbance. The skeleton had clearly been buried there during the period of formation of the bone-bed, which is nothing but the kitchen refuse heap of the Aurignacian hunters, who fed on the horse. This skeleton had no sepulchral slab. A detailed description of the skeletons by Dr. Mayet is in course of preparation. A preliminary report shows that the fourth skeleton is a male of about 40 years of age, in height 1.67 m. to 1.70 m., dolichocephalic, but with a tendency to brachycephaly- index 77–89. The cranium is relatively high, the face broad but low, with prominent cheek bones, orbits quadrangular, low and elongated with an index of 69.7. The fifth skeleton is a female of about 30 years, in height the same as skeleton No. i-1-53 m. to 1-55 m.-cephalic index 83-24, face broad and very low, orbits oblique, oval and mesoseme-index 86-5. In general it shows a striking resemblance to the female skeleton No. i found in 1923. The suggestion that the women belong to a different ethnic group is plausible, although it is recognised that in many ethnic groups the men are big and the women small.