SYMBOLS FOR CHARTS OF PRE-IIISTORIG ARCHAEOLOGY. 225 



The signs sliould form a specios of nlpbabet, out of which new words 

 niij;lit bo created when the occasiou arises. With this iu view, we have 

 distributed them iuto three series, suflicieiit for all our needs : ihc radi- 

 cals^ the derivatives, and the complemcnturics. 



§ 2. liadical sijmhols. 



Tlie radicals are the sinii)lest symbols, characterizin.G^ ^i'eneral facts, 

 the salient points of prehistoric arclueologj. They can be modilied easily, 

 and so combined as to form new symbols, more or less numerous, as the 

 case may demand. Nine radical symbols will sufllce for the prehistoric. 



Cavern, souterrain, shelter. 

 /\ Menhir, iiillar, standing-stone. 



/ K Dolmen, alleecouverte. 



<^^ Tumulus, mound. 



\__y Sei)nlture, human remains. 



I j Camp, entrenchment, oppidum. 



rrm Palatltte, pile-dwelling. 



/\ Discoveries, stations, hearths. 



'T i\Iine, quarry, digging. 



At the first view these symbols are recognized as simple, and they 

 can be made universal. They are as trenchant as possible. The only 

 ones which have any resemblance are : cavern and tumulus, but the 

 former is a portion of an elongated ellipse, higher than wide, the other 

 is an arc of a circle, and much wider than high ; menhir and find, both 

 triangular, but the former is an oblong isosceles triangle, the latter is 

 equilateral, furthermore, the base of the menhir extends beyond the 

 sides, producing a very niarked difference ; dolmen and palalitte, in 

 the dolmen there are two supi)orts, visibly inclined, while there are four 

 or five beneath the i)ahilitte, and all are i)erpendicular. Furthermore, 

 the upper line or table of the dolmen passes by the supi)ort, while the 

 upper line of the palafitte does not. They are special, having no 

 analogues in ordinary charts. It was for the ])nipose of fulOlling this 

 condition that the symbol for camp, instead of being a closed scjuare, is 

 partly open on one side. We have rejected the closed square, because it 

 is often employed in ordinary charts as a sign for a castle or a tower, 

 and the square entirely open on one side serves to designate the ruins 

 of a castle or a tower. 

 S. Mis. lly Lo 



