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When the Reindeer Lived at Mentone 1

1907; Nature Portfolio; Volume: 76; Issue: 1980 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1038/076590a0

1476-4687

William Wright,

Archaeological and Geological Studies

OF all Quaternary sites remains of man none is more important than that constituted by the of Grimaldi. The deposits are of great depth. rich in archæological and anthropological remains. They exhibit, moreover, a perfect continuity, and enable us to review in definite order the events of a remote and extended period. It is fortunate that the explorations were undertaken by such savants as Villeneuve, Boule, and Verneau, and that the results of their labour have been enshrined in so noble a work as that under notice. The book is in three folios; the first furnishes us with a full topographical description and historical account of the locality, which takes its name from Charles Grimaldi, Prince of Monaco, in the fourteenth century. The rocks, which contain the caves are of superior Jurassic formation, and from their rose-red colour have been denominated the Baoussé Roussé or Balzi Rossi. They originally projected as a V-shaped mass into the Mediterranean, the apex of the V being the Baoussé de Torre, at the foot of Which are two caves, the Barma Grande and the Barma della Cippia di Ponte. On the western side of the projection, passing from the Baoussé de Torre, we meet in order La Grotte du Cavillon, La Grotte de Florestan, L'Abri Lorenzi, and La Grotte des Enfants. On the eastern side are La Grotte du Prince and two other caves of minor importance. The caves all open by high, narrow ogee mouths towards the Mediterranean (Fig. i). They are filled with deposit to the height, in some cases, of 40 metres. In this deposit foyers can be recognised; a foyer is defined as a surface which, from the presence of cinders or products of industry, may be regarded as affording evidence of man's presence.