Tlic Stone Ages of South Africa. 17 



from Algeria,* &c., Ac, which form part of the ^Museum collec- 

 tion. 



I shall never forget my pleasurable astonishment in discovering 

 quite accidentally in a clay pit in Stellenbosch one of the most 

 perfect implements of its kind, but of relatively small size (PI. I., 

 Fig. 4). 



This find led to the discovery of deposits or "stations" all over 

 the Stellenbosch and neighbom-ing districts in the Cape Colony — 

 discoveries which still continue. 



The Different Types of South African Pal.eolithic Implements. 



In spite of their general resemblance to each other, a glance at 

 the illustrations completing this paper suffices to show that these 

 bouchers exhibit a discrepancy in form and workmanship, in tech- 

 nique and composition, which, although in many cases slight to the 

 unaccustomed eye, may be taken to indicate that they have not all 

 been manufactured by the same race, or at the same time, or in the 

 same localities. 



Probably through long practice, I find no difficulty now in 

 dividing the South African bouchers into several types, owing to 

 their appearance or facies or to the material of which they are 

 made. 



I thus venture an attempt at the classification of the types as I 

 understand them. I must explain, however, that this classification 

 is based on those implements which by their shape, size, or con- 

 figuration correspond with the cleaving, digging, or smiting tools of 

 the Chellean-Mousterian periods, as generally accepted. The evi- 

 dence alforded by scrapers, knives, missiles, burins or bores, pottery 

 or other implements of domestic use cannot be taken into account 

 here. It will be fully treated in other chapters. 



I may preface the description of the stones by explaining that in 

 the best finished implements which are not obviously cleavers, hand- 

 wedges, or axes, the tongue or amygdaloidal shape prevails ; the 

 ovoid or discoidal is extremely rare, no matter to what type the 

 implement may belong (c/. Fig. 24, PI. III.). 



I may also state that the specimens figured have not been selected 

 on account of their singularity or finish, and although no two pieces 

 are ever alike, yet the figures are strictly representative of various 

 forms occurring in South Africa. 



* M. Boule, " Etude paleontolog. et Archeolog. sur la station paleolithique du 

 lac Karar (Algerie)," L'Anthropologie, xi., 1900. 



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