The Stone Ages of South Africa. 183 



polished by grinding, and is either conical or affecting a non-primi- 

 tive shape (and this occurs occasionally), it is safe to assume that it 

 is a primitive pounder that has been re-shaped or improved upon by 

 a Kaffir. 



The stone implements alluded to as being attributable to Kaffir 

 industry have a facies of their own, a facies so different from that of 

 the South African palgeolithic and neolithic series, that a confusion 

 between them seems impossible. 



The latter -are artefacts produced in a tentative way, that became 

 crystallised after having made very little progress. 



The former is an adaptation, or rather conservance, of ancient 

 methods, perfected owing to the scarcity of, or difficulty in, pro- 

 curing, the material, the superior value of which was fully known. 



In Southern Ehodesia as well as in parts of the Transvaal 

 (Lydenburg and Waterberg Districts) there are found not un- 

 commonly stones that show plainly that they have been used for 

 a purpose. 



When discovered along the edges of ancient workings from which 

 gold or other metal was obtained, it is claimed for them that they 

 are, on account of their partial wear, the pounders used for extract- 

 ing from the matrix, before smelting, the smallest particle of mineral. 



That such stones have been used for the purpose above mentioned 

 is most probable ; that they were all used in the manner alleged is 

 not a fact. 



The Museum has lately received three stones of a size suited for 

 hand use. They were found in the Lydenburg District (Transvaal). 

 They are roughly worked into facets, most of which have in the 

 centre a moderately deep, smooth hole. The smoothness of the 

 latter, added to the find of the stones near supposed old mines or 

 ancient workings, led to the belief that they were hand hammers 

 used for driving drills. In order, however, to explain the smooth- 

 ness of the hole, the conclusion arrived at is that drills made of 

 wood had been utilised ! 



Drilling has nothing to do with the presence of these smooth 

 holes, the object of which is either a modification of, or perhaps an 

 accessory to, the " f uba stones" mentioned by Eandall-Maciver in 

 " Mediaeval Ehodesia," 190G, pi. xiv., &c. " Some of these stones 

 have been worked into a rectangular series of holes, evidently for 

 playing ' Fuba,' which is a well-known game among the natives of 

 the present day," loc. cit. 



Von Luschan has published in vol. xxxviii. of the Zeitsch. 

 f. Ethnol., 1906, a photograph of two Zambesi natives playing 



