362 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



with a conchoidal fracture, and this may frequently be seen. Some 



specimens were made from bowlders, and in cbipi)ing to a cutting edge 



or point the crust of the peb- 

 ble was often left as a grip. 

 Fig. 2 (Cat. No. 99440, U.S.K 

 M.) is one of these. It comes 

 from the station of Thennes, 

 in the river Arve, an affluent 

 oftiieSomme, France. It has 

 been finely chipped to a sharp 

 cutting edge around one end. 

 Fig. 3 (Cat. No. 11083, U.S.N. 

 M.) represents one of the same 

 type from Thetford, England. 

 It shows the chalky crust for 

 a grip, while the other end is 

 chipxied to a point, as though 

 for digging rather than cut- 

 ting. These pebbles both be- 

 long to the chalk formation, 

 as do most of the flints from 

 these countries. Fig. 4 (Cat. 

 No. 35121, U.S.N.M.) repre- 

 sents a standard type of these 



implements from the valley of the Loire, central France. It is oval 



or almond-shaped, with the cutting edge at the j)oint, but has been 



made of flint from a ledge, and 



not from a nodule or j)ebble. 



The entire surface, both sides 



and edges, has been worked by 



chipping, though the butt or 



grip is thicker and has its edges 



battered so that it can be better 



held in the hand. The hand 



may also have been protected 



against the sharp edges or cor- 

 ners by a bit of skin, fur, grass, 



or similar substance. It is 



doubted whether any of these 



implements were attached to a 



handle. It required great care 



and labor for the Paleolithic 



workmen to chip them to this 



sharp edge all around, and when 



sodoneitproduced an implement 



the form of which was the most difficult to successfully insert in a handle. 



To make a firm attaclimentof an implement of this form, the handle must 



Fig. 2. 



PALEOLITHIC CHELLEEN IMPLEMENT OF CHIPPED FLINT 



From the Kiver Arve, at the prehistoric station of 

 Thennes, France. 



Cat. No. 99440, U.S.N.M. ?-., ii.itur.al size. 



Fig. 3. 



PALEOLITHIC CHELLEEN IBIPLEMENT OF CHIPPED FLINT. 



Gravels of the Little Ouse, Norfolk, England. 



Cat. No. U0S3, U.S.N.M. JA natural size. 



