FOSSIL MAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1937, Page 6 (Supplement)

FOSSIL MAN

OUR time travelling now takes us to an entirely new locality— namely, what is now known as the Island of Java, but what was, a little less than a million years ago. part of the continent of Asia. We rr:inge things to arrive in Java in the Upper Tertiary era (Pliocene period), that is, about a million years ;1g o. The ookinetes which we noticed on «-nr last trip to North America at this time is not noticeable here; that is because we are near the equator. Tropical jungle surrounds Ue and the air is filled with the noise of birds. As we walk through the trees, numerous animals flee, some of which tapirs and many more resemble pigs. We come out of the jungle on to a broad river flat and ]>ause to look at our surroundings. To the south ere hills and smoking volcanoes. The river seems to rise there and flow to the low country towards the north, jungle covering all the land we can see. It is now that we become aware <->f sounds like guttural voices coming from the other side of a sandlrank in front of us. We climb up and cautiously peep over. There are five men of savage appearance, apparently liehing with wooden spears. Thev are tall, coarse men, powerfully built, uith long, muscular arms. They appear to walk with a stoop, but if >ve look closer we see that their heads :;re set forward on tfceir shoulders, riot on top of the shoulders as ours • : re. They wear skin loin girdles, and as one turns around we see his face. It is brutal and ape-like, and the head is much smaller than ours, the forehead jutting out above the eyes, forming the brow ridges which modern men do not possess. The speech of these men consists of a variation of grunts. As we watch, two men drive their spears into the water and haul out a large fish. Each man seems to claim it for his own, and soon & fic;ht begins. They squeal, bite, kick, then one will try to throw the other to the ground and jump on him. At last one conquers and heaves the other into the river, where he is swept downstream. His bones will

By J.M.D. (Christchurch)

be found one million years later (about 1890) by Dr. Dubois, of Amsterdam, and he will be called the Ja\a Man and given the long name Pithecanthropus erectus. The other Java men watched the fight calmly, and now all continue fishing. Evidently a life did not mean much to them.