GENERAL VIEWS ON ARCHEOLOGY. 303 



many objects of flint found elsewhere, especially in the tombs. 

 This has caused it to be believed, that the Kjoekkenmoedding might 

 belong to a first age of stone, which should be distinguished from a 

 second one, to which ought to be attributed the handsome specimens 

 so frequently found in the North, and which bear witness to a general 

 progress of civilization. It is possible that this is really the case, but 

 there is as yet no decisive reason in favor of this opinion. If none 

 but very rough objects are found in the Kjoekkenmoedding , it is not 

 very strange; since in ancient times, any more than now-a-days, would 

 people be likely to scatter objects of value among their sweepings, and 

 we should, therefore, merely find the refuse of their industry. Not- 

 withstanding, there have really been found in the Kjoekkenmoed- 

 ding some rare specimens of fine workmanship. They are, a lance- 

 head of silex, an arrow-head of silex, and a little hatchet of trap 

 (volcanic rock) of regular shape and nicely bored, all which would 

 certainly not indicate an industry just at its origin. Finally, the 

 bones of the animals which have served as food to the primitive popu- 

 lation bear positive witness to the use of well made instruments. 

 They (the bones) have been jagged and chipped in divers ways, either 

 when the animal was being cut up or when portions of it were being- 

 eaten, and the flesh was separated by means of knives. Now, on ex- 

 amining attentively these marks, we recognize that the primitive 

 population made use of well ground and keen-edged instruments, 

 which have made incisions in the bone as clearly as a good steel knife 

 would do. A simple splinter of flint, however sharp it may be, and 

 supposing it not to be ground, will leave a mark bearing the character 

 of the saw ; that is to say, there will easily be seen in it, by the aid of 

 a magnifying glass, a number of parallel stria?. Therefore, in the age 

 of the Kjoekkenmoedding they had already instruments of silex of good 

 workmanship, only they did not fling them away among the rubbish, 

 but they took good care of them since they must have cost much 

 more labor than our steel instruments. 



Besides the rough instruments of silex, already spoken of, there are 

 found in the Kjoekkenmoedding a tolerably large quantity of hewn 

 pebbles, but in such a shapeless manner, that the workmen could evi- 

 dently have had no other intention, when thus preparing them, than 

 to give them sharp edges and angles. Now, if we reflect, that an 

 angular pebble will wound much more severely than a round one, it 

 becomes very probable that we are here presented with the offensive 

 projectiles of the primitive population. 



Pebbles cut in this way are frequently found in the turf-bogs of 

 Denmark. They were probably thrown in old times, either by hand 

 or by slings, at aquatic birds, and have since become inclosed by the 

 turf in its process of formation in these localities. Let us remark 

 lastly, that in the salt-works of Hallein, in Austria, there were found, 

 together with a bronze hatchet, a little wallet of skin containing two 

 projectiles like those above alluded to. 1 



The Kjoekkenmoedding furnish a tolerable quantity of ends of decr- 



1 These articles are preserved in the museum of Salsburg. 



