A descriptive catalogue of the Reading Museum. Part 1, Ethnological collection / by Joseph Stevens.

  • Museum (Reading)
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A descriptive catalogue of the Reading Museum. Part 1, Ethnological collection / by Joseph Stevens. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/128 (page 8)
    Rock-shelters are not caves in the ordinary sense, but over-hanging masses of rock, underneath which savage tribes took shelter from time to time. Here they made their fires, and cooked their food, using heated stones for that purpose, if we judge from the nnmber of pot-boilers found on the floors. Their arts of life were of the simplest, for they appear to have been ignorant of the potter’s art, and of spinning and weaving; and among their stone implements no polished specimens have been found. But from the quantity of flint scrapers discovered, some of which resemble those made by the Esquimaux, there is no doubt that they were largely used in the preparation of the skins of reindeer and other animals for clothing. From the shape of some of the scrapers it seems likely that they were hafted after the manner of Esquimaux scrapers. The suggested method of clothing with skins is corroborated by the presence of bone needles with well-wrought eyelets which were employed to sew the skin garments together with threads made most likely from the sinews of deer. . The caves which yielded the articles arranged in the case are Le Moustier, Laugerie Haute, and Le Madelaine. The first, or Le Moustier, occupies an elevation of 90ft. above the Vezbre, it is therefore older than the lower rock-shelters. Remains of Mammoth and Hyena were found in it, but no wrought bones or figures of animals carved on bone; and the flint implements were of the drift types, particularly the scrapers, some of which resemble scrapers from the Thames drifts. Laugerie Haute is a rock-shelter on the right bank of the Vezkre. Here the implements were better wrought, particularly the chipped flint lance-heads, which came closely in character to those found in Denmark and in England. Flint drills also were present; but harpoons and arrow- heads of bone were not plentiful. From the rock-shelter, la Madelaine, most interesting relics were taken, particularly those showing carvings of animals on bone and ivory. The implements discovered here came nearer in type to those of the Neolithic Era. Well-wrought needles with eyelets, and harpoons of bone, ornaments of shell, and scrapers for cleansing skins or planing wood were taken from this rock-shelter. And of the sculptures on bones, designs of reindeer, horses, and bison were found. As expert copyists, the rude cave-men appear to resemble the Esquimaux, who decorate with carvings of reindeer their bone tools. The Esquimaux also