ARTICLE II.

On Fossil Human Bones, and other Animal Remains recently found in Germany. By Thomas Weaver, Esq. MRIA. MRDS. MWS. MGS.

(To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy.) SIR,

Tortworth, Wotton-under-edge, Dec. 7, 1822. The admirable paper of Prof. Buckland on fossil teeth and bones, discovered in caves and diluvian gravel, in England and on the Continent,* has excited, as might have been expected, a high degree of interest in the public mind. Persuaded of the value attached to every addition to our stock of knowledge, that may tend in any measure to elucidate the effects of diluvian or post-diluvian action, it appeared to me that an acceptable service might be performed, by conveying to the English reader an account of the fossil human remains lately discovered in Germany, in company with those of other animals, near the valley of the Elster. * The facts detailed, and the speculations thence arising, which proceed from the pen of the Baron von Schlotheim, are contained in the following paper, to which I have added a few notes. You will favour me by inserting it in the Annals of Philosophy; and I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant,

T. WEAVER.

naturalists in general.

Geological Description of the Environs of Köstritz, with an

Account of the Fossil Bones discovered in that Vicinity: The recent discovery of human bones, as well as those of other animals, in a fossil state, in the neighbourhood of Köstritz, cannot fail to render a description of that district interesting to

I had an opportunity of examining that part of the country this spring (1820), in company with Mr. Braun, Counsellor to the Land-Chamber, a gentleman distinguished by his exact mineralogical knowledge. Its geological relations are so well exposed in the ranges of hills, and in the quarries opened on their declivities, that no room is left to doubt the disposition and order of succession of the different floetz formations, which appear in that vicinity.

The valley of the Elster extends from Köstritz to the N, in an average breadth of about 24 English miles, flanked by heights which are covered with fertile fields, and slightly wooded. These eminences form connected ranges on both banks of the

* Published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1822, Part I; and also in the Annala oj i'mw ophy for August and September, la

From the Introduction to the Petrefactenkunde of the Baron von Schlotheim.

Gotha. 1820.

New Series, Vol. V.

Elster, passing Politz and Kaschwitz; that on the E, near Politz, obtaining the greatest elevation. The bottom of the valley itself is perfectly smooth, refreshing the eye with its verdant meadows, diversified with groups of trees, from among which peep villages and mills. From the heights above, an extensive, varied, and very agreeable prospect may be enjoyed, particularly toward the N in the direction of Gera.

The foundation upon which the floetz formations repose, consists of transition reddish-grey clayslate, and firm fine-grained greywacke. The former may be seen in the valley of Eleonore, ranging 30° E of S, and W of N, and dipping 70°°— 75° to the NE. It rests on the greywacke, which first appears behind Köstritz, rising further into a considerable cliff, and exhibiting in this quarter traces of old mining works. Lamellar sulphate of barytes, with disseminated malachite, occurs in one of the old hillocks. The clayslate is immediately covered by the older floetz limestone,* which rests upon it in an unconformable, and nearly horizontal position. The lowest strata are sandy, and occasionally somewhat bituminous; but in some places, where they nearly adjoin the clayslate, they are also micaceous, and of a smoke-grey colour (belonging to the so-called zechstein, or argillaceous limestone), and are traversed by small veins and fissures, which contain galena. In the upper strata, the sand, , mica, and bitumen, disappear entirely, and, in their stead, traces of yellow ochraceous ironstone become visible.

All these appearances are very common in this formation of limestone. We no where observed, in the places we examined, the bituminous or cupriferous marl shale, nor the todtliegende. Both appear to be wanting in the vicinity of Köstritz, and the latter first occurs between Gera and Pforten, where it is exhibited in all its varieties.t

The limestone, just described, ranges principally on the left bank of the Elster toward Gera, as far as the vicinity of Hartmannsdorf, and again on the right bank near Politz, where it is well displayed in several quarries. On the other hand, the gypsum, which is imbedded in, and subordinate to, this limestone,

• The older foetz limestone of the Baron von Schlotheim, noticed above is the same, as the lower floetz limestone formation of Germany described by Freiesleben, the first floetz limestone of Werner, the equivalent of what has been called the magnesian limestone formation of England; in illustration of which, see my papers in the Annals of Philosophy, for October, November, and December, 1821 ; and August, 1822.–T.W.

+ The meaning attached by the Baron von Schlotheim to the terin todtliegende, is consistent with that of German writers in general. In the restrictive sense, it signifies the old red sandstone; in the enlarged, it comprehends the coal formation also ; for proof of which it may be sufficient to refer to the Petrefactenkunde, Introduction, p. 5 and 6, where the author observes, “ Certain petrifactions are found in the coal sandstone and slate clay that are subordinate to the todtliegende, or older floetz sandstone,” and again in p. 385, of the work, “ In a general point of view, petrified wood may be said to be of rare occurrence in the coal measures of the older sandstone formation, as well as & in coal formations of more recent origin.” I should hardly have ught it necessary

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occurs at the foot of the opposite range, on the W, near Köstritz and Kaschwitz, in the same manner as it appears near Tieschütz, not far from Hartmannsdorf, in the whole of which extent the numerous gypsum quarries afford an insight into its character. The depressions and sinkings of the earth which occur in the vicinity, proclaim that we have entered upon the domain of the cavernous gypsum and limestone, the latter of which is, as usual, covered by the variegated or new red sandstone formation, which appears near Hartmannsdorf, and on the ridge of the chain of heights near Politz. Over the whole of these Hoetz formations is spread an alluvial loamy tract, which is sometimes sandy, extends for many miles, and yields to the landholder a rich return when duly cultivated.*

After this concise general view of the country, and of the order and succession of the foetz formations, appearing near Köstritz, I now proceed to a nearer description of the limestone and gypsum, with detail of the circumstances under which the bones of land animals are not unfrequently found in those rocks.

The varieties of this limestone formation have obtained, as is well known, different appellations from miners, among which zechstein is one of the principal. Near Politz, that kind of zechstein appears more particularly to prevail, which passes into the cavernous limestone, being traversed, as may be seen in the upper quarries, immediately under the new red sandstone, by very considerable fissures and cavities, which often exceed 12 feet in breadth, the walls of which are coated with stalactite; while the smaller fissures are frequently wholly filled with that substance. The rock ranges 30° to 450 to the E of S, and W of N, with an inclination toward the NE, in strata which are in some places a few feet thick, and in others very thin, alternating with slight layers of clay marl, that are partially sandy ; being also traversed by numerous fissures in various directions. At the foot of the heights, this limestone approaches more nearly to the character of zechstein; and in the next quarry, near Politz, it contains aphrite, distributed in nests, yet only in small portions, and not in such considerable masses as occur on the other side of the Elster toward Gera. In the vicinity of the latter town, the rock appears as gryphite limestone, yielding, as is well known, fine specimens of gryphites aculeatus and g. cymbium, beside indistinct remains of other shells, which seem to belong to mytulites ceratophagus and terebratulites lacunosus. On the

I have throughout this paper employed the expression alluvial tracts or formations (aufgeschwememte gebirge) in the sense established by common usage ; namely, as a general term, comprehending both diluvian

and post-diluvian deposits, yet involving no absolute decision with respect to either era.

Wherever such epochs are distinctly marked, the latter terms become strictly appropriate ; but in questions of a doubtful nature (such as that which constitutes the subject of the present article) the former retains its use. To confine the signification of the word alluvial to that of post-diluvian merely, as lately proposed, would be to deprive ourselves of a useful general expression.

-T. W..

other hand, in the Politz limestone, I have not observed any petrifactions of shells. At the latter place, the upper quarry, situated near the middle of the declivity, is particularly instructive, exhibiting wide fissures and cavities, entirely filled with the alluvial loamy deposit, that covers the whole country to a great extent. Considerable masses of stalactite appear in several places, and here principally were found those bones of large land animals noticed in the following description, and now contained in my collection. They were met with at the depth of about 20 feet, imbedded in the loam of one of the widest cavities. They consist of

1. Lower bones of the foot, hollow bones, dorsal vertebræ, and single fragments of bones, of the rhinoceros antiquus of Blumenbach. 32. Lower jaws and single teeth of a species of horse of the former world, particularly distinguished by the extraordinary length of the teeth. 93. Dorsal vertebræ and hollow bones of ruminating animals, belonging to species of the ox and deer tribes of the ancient world, of an unusually large size. Of the latter occur also very large pieces of the horns, with the coronets adhering, and brow antlers and branches of great length: these closely resemble the drawings of Cuvier, tom. iv. pl. I, fig. 3; but it is doubtful whe ther they are derived from the Cervus elaphas primordialis, or from the Alce gigantea, the upper or palm part of the horns being wanting 2.4. Lower jaws, with the teeth mostly in a perfect state of preservation, of a large species of hyæna of the former world, canis crocut@formis major. Cuvier, tom. iv. p. 28, figs. 10, 12, and 14. 2:15. Fragments of the upper and lower jaws, and single tusks of the leo diluvianus, which approaches most nearly to the jaguar. Cuvier, tom. iv. pl. 1, figs. 3, 7. Compare with Mem. sur les grands Chats, pl. 1, figs. 3, 5. It is doubtful whether the fragments of one of these jaws do not belong rather to a kind of tiger of the former world. 14 All these bones are more or less changed and penetrated with .calcareous matter, the alteration being particularly observable in the bones of the rhinoceros, and in those of the ruminating animals. The condition of the greater part of the bones of the other animals is nearly the same as that of the bones found in the caverns at Gaylenreuth, Scharzfeld, and elsewhere, and hence it seems probable that they are of an equal age, and referable to the same epoch of the ancient world." As, however, the fossil bones of the rhinoceros, and of the ox and deer tribes, are principally met with in loam, calcareous tufa, and other alluvial beds; and the latter in particular have hardly occurred in the chambers of the cavernous limestone (lühlenkalkstein) in company with those of bears, layænas, lions, &c, it is certainly possi

The

ble that the remains of the land animals thus found commingled in the fissures of the limestone, compacted in the same alluvial soil that covers its surface, may be derived from different periods.* But as, on the one hand, the remains of several of the animals mentioned above have been found accompanying each other in tufaceous and loamy beds, e.g. near Kannstadt, Osterode, Thiede, and other places, it is also possible that they may be of a contemporaneous origin.t i Turning now our attention to the NW side of the Elster, to the heights above Kaschwitz, we find the gypsum there imbedded in the limestone, and appearing in the declivities. The former seems to have been laid bare by the destruction of the superincumbent limestone; but the latter becomes again visible in the slopes and eminences, proceeding toward Rubitz and Gera, occurring there in the form of zechstein and gryphite limestone.

The gypsum seems to constitute in this quarter a large isolated mass, included in the limestone. As far as 'exposed in the quarries, which have no where penetrated deeper than 30 or 40 feet from the surface, it is compact, and of so firm a consists etcy as to require to be blasted with gunpowder. Colour, greyish-white, rarely inclining to yellowish and flesh-red.

It is sometimes striped in the ribbon and undulated manner, and alternates with slight layers of clay, in the vicinity of which it passes into the foliated variety, and acquires partially a greyishblack colour.

Farinaceous gypsum occurs adjacent to the fissures, and also in their interior, in the form of nests. Specular gypsum has been met with only in crystals in the smaller crevices. Other varieties would probably be found, in the same manner as in Mansfeld, were the quarries conducted to a greater depth. No traces of salt springs have been discovered in the vicinity of the gypsum, though from the geological position of the latter such might have been expected.

The entire gypseous mass is intersected and perforated by fissures and cavities, which follow every direction, and are connected with each other by serpentine channels, of larger or smaller dimensions. But these fissures no where attain so great a breadth as those of the superincumbent limestone near Politz. They are, however, filled

throughout in a similar manner with the same alluvial loamy deposit, even to the greatest depth ; and this loamy sediment appears horizontally disposed for short dist

* This argument seems to be invalidated by the consideration, that such remains hate occurred together in other caverns, e. g. in England. (See Prof. Buckland's exceldent paper referred to above, and also the Quarterly Review,

Oct. 1822.)--T. W. en of

of Gaylenreuth, Liebenstein, Scharzfeld, &c. and the remains of bones found in the alluvial formations, belong to very different periods of the ancient world. Ljus opinion, however, requires the stricter examination, since it is stated that the bones of elephants have occurred in some of those caverns; and in particular a large part of

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