132 Primaeval Man in the Valley of the Lea.
periods, even down to Neolithic times. No doubt the fossil
bones, if a good series could be obtained, would show a
succession of, or possibly different groups of, animals in the
different deposits; but the bones, antlers, and teeth met with
by me are at present insufficient to define any such groups
with distinctness.
The day will come when we shall know much more of
Palaeolithic men than we know now. At present we only
know that such men once existed, and made weapons and
tools of stone during long periods of time. How or where
they first appeared as human creatures we can only guess.
When we know more we shall modify our use of such terms
as "River Drift Men," "Cave Men," &c., and we shall pro-
bably be able to mark out more or less distinctly a succession
of men, a succession of geological events, and a distinct
succession of progressive steps in the men from the lowest
savage to the barbarian. Some of our ignorance is undoubt-
edly caused by the undue attention which has been bestowed
on the collection of ornate implements, and to the employment
of gravel-diggers for their collection. No greater mistake can
be made than the mere getting together of the more highly-
finished and perfect implements. We only learn from them
that certain makers—at first few and far between, common
at last—acquired extraordinary skill in the manufacture of
stone tools and weapons. For one perfect example, twenty
have their points, butts, or edges injured either by peaceful
or warlike work. Collectors will not put the damaged ex-
amples and failures in their "cabinets"; but every damage
tells some story of the use of the implement, and throws
some light on the character of the being who made and used it.
Implements could not have been made without fabricating-
tools—without punches, hammer-stones, and anvils ; where
the ordinary implements are these latter things also are.
Implements such as are seen in museums are only fit for
moderately rough work; very rough work was sometimes
done, but rough and massive stones artificially worked are
seldom seen in collections.
The Valley of the Thames has yielded me between 400 and