Page:The Journal of geology (IA journalofgeology21894univers).pdf/154

ants of the interglacial Norwegians and that the whole deuteroglaciated country was peopled by Aryan dolichocephals in early post-glacial, boreal time. We know that these new immigrants had at least four domesticated animals, and were in possession of the art of grinding their stone implements. Can we now date the appearance of neolithic man by more direct geological means? There are found so many flint implements in such depth in probable subglacial terraces in Norway that it may be taken for granted that the country was populated, however sparsely, up to and beyond the polar circle in subglacial time. In Sweden polished implements have been discovered in the peat layers below the subglacial beach, so it will perhaps be reasonable to refer the first appearance of neolithic man also on geological dates to the genial Boreal period between epiglacial and subglacial time. Approaching our own culture, we find that the country in the bronze age was still depressed. In Smålenene, to the east of Kristianiafjord, are observed about 150 rock sculptures from the bronze age which are situated at about 22 to 25 meters above the sea; none at lower levels. As these sculptures almost always are made along a shore, we are justified in supposing that more than ten per cent. of the land yet was unfinished in early bronze age. From early iron age we have barrows quite near the present constant sea level, so we may assume that the recent geological period coincides with the iron age and historical time.

If the theory of ice depression is correct, there must, even in the bronze age, have existed a remnant of the inland ice, which, as explained before, must be sought for across the middle of eastern valleys. In this zone we could not expect to find implements from the stone age or bronze age. There has as yet been found only four stone hatchets in all the districts near the former ice shed, against many hundred stone implements in the districts on both sides of the same valleys, and these perforated hatchets have been in use far down in metallic time.

The ice zone must have stopped the immigration as the inland ice of Greenland does now. This is the reason together with the