Report of the Board of Regents Volume 14 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860 Excerpt: ...to separate from one another. There is no branch, indeed, in the physical and natural sciences which involves more numerous relations to every part of our knowledge. We see a striking exemplification of this in a memoir relating to geologico-archaeological researches in Denmark and Switzerland, which M. Morlot has communicated to the society, and which signalizes the remarkable relations which subsist between the development of archaeology and that of geology. In effect, it is only from material indications buried beneath the soil that we can ascertain the existence of men at an epoch anterior to all traditional accounts. In imitation of the Scandinavian archaeologists, M. Morlot divides this ante-historic period into three ages--the age of stone, that of bronze, and that of iron. It is only with the age of iron that figures of men and plants make their appearance, as well as coins and alphabets; it is the aurora of history. Different details are presented by M. Morlot respecting these three ages, and the material traces of them which have come to light. As regards geology proper, we have first to notice a memoir by M. Marcou on the classification of the new red sandstone in Europe, North America, and India. The author considers this great series of strata as intermediate between the primary and secondary periods, deciding for this middle term after having discussed the often controverted question whether the permian ought to be annexed to the secondary formations. He distinguishes two formations in this group: 1st, the trios, the composition of which is known; and 2d, the dyas, comprising the zechstein and the rotfdiegende.--(See Archives des Sciences, Ph. et Nat., 1859, t. V.) Another geological memoir is that of M. Favre on the geology of the Mole, which...