THE DATING OF EARLY HUMAN REMAINS. 45
including the Pliocene elephant Stegodon, and the. other a con-
temporary Pleistocene series. Examination of the mineral
condition of the bones shows that Eoanthropus belongs to the
later group. The remains of the Pleistocene fauna are at present
scanty, and insufficient for purposes of exact correlation. But
the conclusions deduced from the primitive character of the
remains themselves, and the general probabilities of the case,
fully justify the assumption of an early date.
Apart from the human bones, the most important discovery
in the deposit is a club-shaped implement of bone, pointed at
at one end. It was made out of the femur of a large elephant
such as Elephas antiquus or E. meridionalis—most probably
the former.
It would appear almost inevitable that this implement must
have been cut by some sharp-edged flint tool. But the chipped
flints so far found in the deposit are by no means convincing,
although the above consideration gives them greater probability.
Among these the most conspicuous are: (1) a chopper-shaped
object; this has the greatest probability of being human
workmanship of any of those found. (2) A flint chip which has a
deceptive resemblance to a Mousterian trimmed flake; this
may be human, but it is a matter of considerable doubt. (3)
A triangular piece of flint found in situ in the deposit by Father
P. Teilhard; this one can determine without reservation as
non-human. In all probability it owes its form to a forceful
rending of the material during deeply-seated movement while
the parent nodule remained in place in the chalk. It is not
the result of the mechanical concussion of one stone against
another, still less of flaking by human blows, but bears evidence
of the giving-way of the material under a tearing strain.5
In addition, a certain number of so-called eoliths have been
found, but most of them are but very indifferent examples of
their class.
It is remarkable that, in spite of the careful investigation
which has been conducted by Dr. A. Smith Woodward and Mr.
Charles Dawson, no evidence of a satisfactory flint industry
has yet been found. Negative evidence is notoriously dangerous,
5 The specimens referred to here as 2 and 3 are figured in Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol.
lxix., pl xvi., figures 1 and 2 respectively. A few other flints showing some slight chipping
have also been found, and some are figured, but there is little probability of their being
human workmanship.