HARPOONS. 



109 



Besides being employed for handling the stone axes, the 

 bones and horns of animals were much used as the material 

 of various simple implements, and those of the stag appear to 

 have been preferred, as being the hardest. The commonest 

 bone implement is the pin or awl (fig. 127) ; FIG - 128 - 



not much less numerous are certain oblong 

 chisel-like implements (fig. 128), the use of 

 which it is not easy to determine. Eibs split 

 open, and pointed at one end, are sometimes 

 found, and have been supposed by some 

 archaeologists to have served in preparing 

 flax ; by others, to have been used in the 

 manufacture of pottery. Arrow-heads, spear- 

 heads, chisels, and bone harpoons (figs. 129, 

 130), also occur. Fig. 130 represents a bone 

 harpoon belonging to the Keindeer period, 

 which will be described in the chapter on 

 Caves. Fig. 131 represents a North American Bone i mp i e ment. 

 bone chisel used in dressing deer-skins for taking off the hair. 

 Pierced teeth also were not unfrequently worn as amulets. 



Stone implements are frequently found on the surface 

 of the ground, or are dug up in agricultural and other opera- 

 tions. But those found singly in this manner have compara- 

 tively little scientific value : it is specially when they occur in 

 considerable numbers, and especially when associated with 

 other remains, that they serve to throw much light on the 

 manners and customs of ancient times. As already men- 

 tioned, the tumuli, the lake habitations, and the shell- 

 mounds are specially valuable in this respect, but I must 

 also say a few words about the " coast-finds " of the Danish 

 antiquaries. "Coast-finds" are discoveries of rude flint imple- 

 ments, which are found lying in large numbers on certain 

 spots along the whole line of coast. Owing probably to 

 the elevation of the land which has taken place in Jutland 



