Note 17 — PERIOD III

In circles untouched by general European thought such beliefs lasted much later. Sir Francis Galton (Memories of My Life, p. 67) says: "The horizon of the antiquarians was so narrow at about the date (1840) of my Cambridge days that the whole history of the early world was literally believed, by many of the best-informed men, to be contained in the Pentateuch. It was also practically supposed that nothing more of importance could be learnt of the origin of civilisation during classical times than was to be found definitely stated in classical authors."