186 Annals of the Sontli African Museum. 



ostrich egg-shell beads — this typical produce of the industry of the 

 Bushman — which Randall-Maciver found in the same spot and 

 figured in his work, would afford it. 



No other conclusion is 'possible, except that the sites mentioned have, 

 at one time or other, been occupied by Bush people. 



But Professor Henry Balfour is satisfied (see Man., February, 

 1906) that the lines and cross hatchings in intaglio, on some of the 

 painted pottery from Dhlo Dhlo and Khami, were produced, after the 

 clay had already been baked, by means of agate or hard silicious 

 stone flakes which are found profusely with the potsherds. 



The coloured figures of the Dhlo-Dhlo painted pottery in Randall- 

 Maciver's work show certainly the intaglios in white over a black 

 ground ; but is it quite so in the original ? 



I have not seen any painted sherds from either Dhlo-Dhlo or 

 Khami. All those we possess from Southern Rhodesia are in 

 monochrome. 



But we have a fairly comprehensive series of Bechuana pots or 

 vases in polychrome, and they have the very same style of decora- 

 tion and intaglio designs. Yet I am sorry to say that after a most 

 careful examination I am not satisfied that the incised lines, except 

 possibly the very thin, shallow ones, were produced by chips of the 

 kind found in Southern Rhodesia or elsewhere. 



These tiakes are always more convex on one side of the edge than 

 on the other, and the incision produced by such tools must of neces- 

 sity be more slanting on one side. This is not the case with our 

 pottery. When the lines are moderately broad, and this occurs 

 often, the always shallow furrow is of even v^idth and depth. More- 

 over, these incisions in what is painted pottery must have been 

 made after a preliminary baking, not when they had reached the 

 full-baked stage and its corresponding hardness.'" This is proved by 

 the lines which limit the painted squares or triangles. These lines 

 were cut before the colour was applied, and ultimately fixed by 

 supplementary baking. Yet, in spite of the reasons militating 

 against the use of stone flakes for pottery decoration. Professor 

 Balfour's contention receives, perhaps, support from Dr. Schonland's 

 -testimony. 



In his narrative of "A Trip to the N.E. Kalahari " t he says: 



• An extremely hard material, such as agate or other hard siliceous substance, 

 is not, therefore, indispensable for cutting the decorative pattern. Any iron tool 

 would suffice, and it was procurable, because the makers of that pottery — certainly 

 not Bush people — were perfectly familiar with, if not expert in, the use of iron and 

 other metals. 



t Eep. S. Afric. Ass, Adv. Sc, 1904. 



