7
France, Belgium, &c, serve to throw much light on the life of
this period, of which they represent the latter part, although it
is not certain that the Cave-dwellers were the descendants of the
River-drift men. The remains found in these caves show a
Fauna similar to that of the river gravels, but the implements
indicate a higher grade of development. Together with tools of
bone and stone, under the stalagmitic floors of the caves and
rock shelters, the remains of man himself have been discovered,
Fig. 6. Palaeolithic Implement in a preparatory stage. From Acton,
(In Brit. Mus.)
and have in some cases been found to represent a particularly
low type, though in no case can the human-like remains be
classed as lower than " man." Judging from the relics found in
the caves, Palaeolithic man appears to have been in the nomadic
hunting stage, contending for his existence against mighty and
ferocious animals which he stalked and slew with the spear. He
inhabited caves and other natural shelters, was clothed with
skins which were stitched with bone needles and a cord made
from the intestines of animals. He was unskilled in the arts of
weaving fabrics, agriculture, or of making pottery and had not
learned to domesticate animals. The most remarkable charac-
teristic of the Cave-dwellers is the wonderful artistic, qualities
they possessed. Most vigorous and spirited representations of
the mammoth, reindeer and other objects have been engraved and
carved on pieces of bone, or on pebbles; more rarely man him-
self is portrayed ; he is shown stalking his quarry and is naked.
The appreciation of form displayed in the art of this early period
is in startling contrast to the conventional productions of most