It is an evidence that life
on land is becoming as stimulating as we find it in the age of
Deinosaurs or early mammals. These pile-villages of Switzerland
lasted until the historical period, and the numerous remains in
the mud of the lake show the gradual passage into the age of
metal.
Before the metal age opened, however, there seem to have been
fresh invasions of Europe and changes of its culture. The
movements of the various early races of men are very obscure, and
it would be useless to give here even an outline of the
controversy. Anthropologists have generally taken the relative
length and width of the skull as a standard feature of a race,
and distinguished long-headed (dolichocephalic), short-headed
(brachycephalic), and middle-headed (mesaticephalic) races. Even
on this test the most divergent conclusions were reached in
regard to early races, and now the test itself is seriously
disputed. Some authorities believe that there is no unchanging
type of skull in a particular race, but that, for instance, a
long-headed race may become short-headed by going to live in an
elevated region.
It may be said, in a few words, that it is generally believed
that two races invaded Europe and displaced the first Neolithic
race.
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