Van Riper recreates scientists' first arguments for human antiquity,
placing these debates within the context of Victorian science. Using
field notes, scientific reports, and previously unpublished letters, he
shows also how the study of human prehistory brought together
geologists, archeologists, and anthropologists in their first
interdisciplinary scientific effort. A vivid account of how the
discovery of human antiquity forced Victorians to redefine their
assumptions about human evolution and the relationship of science to
Christianity.