FLINT FRACTURE AND FLINT 

 IMPLEMENTS 



By J. REID MOIR 



The correct determination of human flaking upon a flint has 

 always been a vexed question with archaeologists. The diffi- 

 culty arose apparently, in the first place, with the discovery of 

 the Neolithic axes and arrow-heads, as the late Sir John Evans 

 (Ancient Stone Implements of Great Britain, 2nd edition, pp. 56 

 and 362) mentions that in certain old books these specimens 

 are described respectively as " Thunder-bolts " and " Elf 

 Arrows," clearly proving that a supernatural origin was ac- 

 corded to them. Though we have no evidence that advanced 

 archaeologists were in existence in those somewhat remote 

 times, yet it seems feasible to suppose that even then there 

 were some unable to accept the supernatural theory and who 

 claimed that the flint axes and arrow-heads represented the 

 work of human brains and hands. Be that as it may, the fact 

 remains that no one has for many long years disputed the 

 human origin of these particular flaked flints, which are now 

 universally accepted as affording conclusive evidence of human 

 intention. 



But the condition of quiescence so long prevailing in pre- 

 historic circles was rudely shattered by the discoveries of 

 Boucher de Perthes in the valley of the Somme. About the 

 year 1841 it became noised abroad that definite flint implements 

 of man had been found in undisturbed river-gravels of this 

 district, associated with the bones of extinct animals, and that 

 these discoveries afforded evidence of the existence of man at 

 the remote period when these animals existed, and prior to the 

 time when the ancient gravels containing their remains were 

 laid down. Immediately these discoveries were made known 

 to the scientific world, archaeologists were plunged into a most 

 violent and bitter controversy regarding the flaked flints dis- 

 covered. The majority of authorities made haste to repudiate 

 the claim of Boucher de Perthes, and asserted that the flints 



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