dge only after the passage of many years, when
they were ignorant of it. This bespeaks a profound antiquity for the
Aryan family.

As we have seen, Europe, while yet inhabited by Neolithic people, was
invaded by a branch of the Aryans. We do not know the date of this
invasion, yet it must have been an early date, since the Celts separated
from the Aryans before the use of metals. The Aryans have ever been
noted as an aggressive people, and under different names have, in modern
times, carried victorious arms in all quarters of the globe. This
is equally characteristic of the primitive Aryans. Though it is not
apparent that they possessed any higher culture than the people who
already inhabited Europe, yet they everywhere triumphed over them and
possessed themselves of the fairest portion of the Neolithic domain,
driving the primitive inhabitants to those mountainous regions where
their descendants are found to-day.

It is not probable that the Aryan invaders waged exterminating war
against the Neolithic tribes. The evidence shows that there was
considerable mingling of the two races. It has been suggested, however,
that the Neolithic people who were not driven away were reduced to
slavery.<4> However that may be, the remains of the two people are found
side by side in chambered tombs and sepulchral caverns, showing that
they dwelt together in the same area. As before remarked, the Aryan
invaders are identified as the Celts. That it was relatively late in the
Neolithic Age when they made their appearance, is shown by the fact that
they had only reached the English Channel when a knowledge of bronze
caught up with them.

We must now endeavor to learn the origin of bronze. The impulsive
energies of this newer race found vent not only in conquest over the
neighboring tribes, but it is extremely probable that they are the ones
who first compelled nature to yield up her metallic stores to be of
service to man. If the knowledge of fire was the starting point of human
advancement, surely the knowledge of metals, their useful properties,
and how to extract them from their ores, may lay claim to being the
starting point of our present enlightenment. We have but to glance
around us to see how many of our daily comforts are dependent on the use
of metals. Should we, by any mischance, become deprived of the use of
iron, or of the useful alloys, bronze and brass, our civilization would
be in great danger of reverting to Savagism. M