The Stone Ages of South Africa. 83 



chipped on both faces are common ; arrow- and javehn-heads, thin 

 symmetrically produced into a laurel- or willow-leaf shape appear ; 

 some of the points have a truly characteristic tang continued on 

 one side for hafting. Every piece denotes a great advance in the 

 lithic industry. The large palacoliths, whether amygdaloidal or not, 

 bifacial, or simple on one side, are now discarded. Ultimately 

 this Solutrian technique will also be partly abandoned, to be partly 

 replaced by the bone industry which characterises the Magdalenian, 

 the epoch that foUoAvs the Solutrian. 



This sudden advance from the Mousterian to the Solutrian is not 

 easily explained, but in order to fill the gap the Aurignacian division 

 has been adopted. 



It is said to be characterised by a less finished style than the 

 ensuing Solutrian lithic industry. Many pieces of the cruder 

 Mousterian type are still found with it ; the bone, in the shape of 

 points with a transverse basal notch, begins to be used, together 

 with "double" stone scrapers with secondary trimmings (i.e., 

 scrapers of which both ends could be used) ; boring tools, burins 

 are found, for here begins the dawn of sculpture in the shape of 

 gravings, and also that of painting in the shape of petroglyphs. 



The conclusions drawn from the stratigraphical evidence that led 

 to the acceptation of the Aurignacian finds of France as older than 

 the Solutrian, and the latter as having preceded the Magdalenian are 

 doubtless justified. But what is sometimes true on this side of the 

 Alps, is often erroneous on the other, and it seems as if the 

 Aurignacian proves now in Poland and elsewhere to be quite equal 

 in finish to the Solutrian. 



As far as the South African lithic methods go, and leaving out the 

 bouchers of the Stellenbosch and other types, it may be taken for 

 granted that a Mousterian facies is found. It cannot be said 

 that evolution led generally to the adoption of this great advance, 

 i.e., trimming on each side, and secondary trimming of edges, yet we 

 have instances of crude imitation in that direction. Moreover, we 

 have also, and apparently simultaneous or coeval, bone ; and lastly, 

 Tardonian, or early Neolithic, in the shape of "pygmies." In fact, 

 these pygmies are connected here with the ostrich egg-shell bead 

 industry quite as much as the Magdalenian is associated with the 

 Eeindeer epoch. 



Had flint been available as material instead of quartzite, in- 

 durated shale, silicious quartzite, chert or chalcedony, it is probable 

 that the workmanship would have greatly resembled that of Europe. 

 But on that account, perhaps also for other reasons, the South 



