Page 214 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

THE
ARCTIC HOME IN THE VEDAS

CHAPTER I

PREHISTORIC TIMES

The Historic Period-Preceded by myths and traditions-The
Science of Mythology-Fresh impulse given to it by Comparative Philo-
logy-Unity of Aryan races and languages-The system of interpreting
myths, and the theory of Asiatic Home-Recent discoveries in Geology
and Archreology-Requiring revision of old theories-The Vedas still
partially unintelligible-New key to their interpretation supplied by
recent discoveries-The Ages of Iron, Bronze and Stone-Represent
different stages of civilization in Prehistoric times-The Ages not
necessarily synchronous in different countries-Distinction between
Neolithic and Palreolithic or new and old Stone Age-The Geological
eras and periods-Their correlation with the three Ages of Iron,
Bronze and Stone-Palreolithic Age probably inter-Glacial-Man in
Quaternary and Tertiary eras-Date of the Neolithic Age-sooo B. C.
from lake dwellings-Peat-mosses of Denmark-Ages of Beach, Oak
and Fir-Date of the Palreolithic or the commencement of the post-
Glacial period-Different estimates of European and American geolo-
gists-Freshness of fossil deposits in Siberia-Favours American esti-
mate of 8ooo years-Neolithic races-Dolicho-cephalic and Bracy-
cephalic-Modern European races descended from them-Controversy as
to which of these represent the Primitive Aryans in Europe-Different
views of German and French writers-Social condition of the Neolithic
races and the primitive Aryans-Dr. Schrader's view-Neolithic Aryan
race in Europe cannot be regarded as autochthonous-Nor descended
from the Palreolithic man-The question of the original Aryan home
still unsettled.
If we trace the history of any nation backwards into the past,
we come at last to a period of myths and traditions which even-
tually fade away into impenetrable darkness. In some cases,
as in that of Greece, the historic period goes back to 1000 B. C.
while in the case of Egypt the contemporaneous records, recently
unearthed from ancient tombs and monuments, carry back its
history upto about 5000 B. C. But in either case the historic
period, the oldest limit of which may be taken to be 5000 or
AI