The Stone Ages of South Africa. 13 



still origin is attributes, but no implements seem to have been found 

 with it/'' 



For our purpose the lithological or other divisions follow^ing those 

 already enunciated beyond, if not including the Azilian, do not bear 

 any distinct connection with the South African ; and even the 

 Solutrian-Magdalenian stage does not seem to exist here in the 

 succession claimed for it in the Palaearctic region. 



But we have traces of culture in the shape of petroglyghs or 

 glyptics that remind one of those of the Solutrian, if not 

 Aurignacian, period. We have also an autochthonous race, or the 

 remains of it, the " San," Strand Looper, Barwa or Bushman, the 

 cephalic index of which, inferior to that of any other living man, is 

 perhaps only slightly superior to that of the man of the " Chapelle 

 aux Saints." f Members of that race were undoubtedly capable of 

 producing glyptics ; of this there is no doubt. 



It is not so certain, however, that the numerous petroglyphs (rock 

 engravings), fairly numerous in South Africa, were executed by 

 them.:|: But of one thing we are sure, and that is that these rock 

 engravings have been executed with stone tools. § 



Eoliths. 



It seems logical that there should have been a beginning in the 

 manufacture of these stone implements that show a considerable 

 skill in the making. Primitive man made use of round, flat, or 

 pointed stones, either rolled by water, detached, or sharpened by 

 natural or accidental agencies ; that afterwards he attempted to 

 improve on them, or made them more suited to a i-equisite purpose, 

 appears to us now very natural. This hypothesis is, moreover, borne 

 out by the progress made in the manufacture of implements from the 

 palaeolithic type to the polished Stone Age forms. 



When, therefore, flints somewhat or greatly amorphous in general 

 appearance, and which were afterwards dubbed " eoliths," were 

 firstly discovered on the Kent Plateau, in England, by Harrison, it 

 was claimed by him and others on the ground that evolution should 



* Alsberg, M., " Recently discovered Fossil Human Remains," Globus, vol. xcv., 

 1909. 



t The cranial capacity of Bushmen is l-'285 c.c, according to Shrubsall, "Notes 

 on some Bushmen Crania, Ac," Ann. S. Afric. Mus., v., 1907, p. 235. Previous 

 observations bad given 1-330 c.c. (male) and 1-2.55 (female). 



\ Peringuey, " On Rock Engravings of Animals and the Human Figure, the 

 Work of South African Aborigines, etc.," lor. cit., vol. xvi., 1906. 



§ Peringuey, " On Rock Engravings of Animals and the Human Figure found 

 in South Africa," Trans. S. Africa, Phil. Soc, vol. xviii., 1909. 



