THE CAVE MEN OF FRANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 10 (Supplement)

THE CAVE MEN OF FRANCE

By J.M.D. (Christchurch)

r AST week wo loft France in the ;_ throes of the third glacial stage. I'. i« to that time that we now •;; n in continue nur search for the : !v ( nve Men. You will remomHint it is summer time in the !. ..I ■•itK'lnl stage iiiul that there is ,: ■■(■!) -nmv .in tlie mountains; glaciers r:i, ilii' lasgiT valley-; there are small ifi l.crj* in many lakes, but in spite of :■]] thin then- ie n large amount

flowers, while forests of evergreen poking up through the snow. We are in ii Ion;;, broad valley, with patches of snow and much vegetation. The valley is some seven miles across, and we start to walk towards a large river flowing in the inimllo, where we can see animals moving. The walking is easy, and half nn hour's tramp through scrub and email trees and over bare ground with n little snow, brings us close to the river. We now see the animals which we saw from a distance. They nre elephants about 10ft high, with email heads and covered wkli long hair. They seem fairly light in build. hut their bodies are deep. The name of these elephants, which are slowly moving along the bank feeding oi? scrub, is the hairy mammoth. .As we watch, a spear sails, from behind a rock and buries itself in the s-ide of one of the mammoths. This is followed by another and still another, and the beast, mortally wounded, sinks to its knees and falls over—dead. The rest of the herd take fright at this and stampede

down the valley and into the denser ■scrub, but our attention k attracted by a -lumber of thick-set men who are leaping down from the rocks. They are elad in animal skins and ;ire grasping stone hammers, spears and other tools. They are not tall men, but are very muscular and powerful, with long arms, heads set forward on their shoulders, and .••".■use, heavy features. Their hair is thick and matted, and altogether they present a wild and savage appear.nice. They are Neanderthal Men— -o called because their remains are found In the Valley of the Xeander. -Vow that they are engaged in skinning the mammoth, and cutting slices of meat, talking a gutteral language all the while, we come out from cover and approach them. One "f them sees us and calls the other.- , attention to us; they stop work ami remain squatted, watching us with suspicious eyes. We beyin to make

signs of walking and eating, and point in the ilii-i-i tion from where llii" men came. Evidently we are understood, for our iim-onlh relatives stand up, shouldering their loads, and beckon u> to follow. Swift and sure-footed, thev pad over the rough ground at a' great speed while we stumble along in the rear, running at times to catch up. We reach the hills on one side of the valley and start up a well-worn track. We quickly top the hills and enter a much smaller valley with steep walls, the traek now 'looking iike a real thoroughfare. Soon we nre aware of much activity; one valley wall is riddled with caves, from which smoke is rising, and from which conies the sound of" voices and of stone-chipping. The party of men now splits up and the leader, motioning us to follow him, starts up a path leading towards a cave. We see that there is a broad platform in front of the cave, which is large and airy, and in the front of which a fire is burning. We shall see something of cave life next week.