prehistoric art. 455 



Lapidary Work, 

 jade and hard stone objeots. 



There are many specimens classed as polished stone hatchets, because 

 of the similarity of form, material, mode of manufacture, and use; and 

 yet, because of their rude character aud rough ai)pearance, they are 

 not works of art. But some of these implements of hard and semi- 

 ])recious stones, from purity of form, difticulty of fabrication, and their 

 fine and beautiful finish, may be justly classed as works of art. These 

 arc mostly ])olished hatchets of some of the varieties of Jade. Plate 

 34 rei)resents a series of these magnificent implements from various 

 prehistoric stations in western Europe. 



Jade is remarkably hard and tough. The latter quality is said to be 

 produced by the arrangement of its fibers in small interlaced bundles. 

 It is and always has been regarded in China and the oriental countries 

 as one of the precious stones, its hardness and the difficnlty of working 

 having conspired to greatly enhance its reputation. Except a single 

 piece only partially determined, lately found in Austria, none of the 

 raw material has ever been discovered in western Europe, yet prehis- 

 toric implements of this material have been found throughout western 

 Europe amounting to many thousands. Lake Constance, Switzerland, 

 alone having furnished 2,000 specimens. This material and its use in 

 prehistoric times opens many abstruse questions concerning migrations 

 of primitive peoples and of the possible extent of their commerce. 

 The most of these implements found in the Swiss lake dwellings are 

 of jadeite, of which the component parts are: Silica, 58 to 60 per cent; 

 aluminum, 22 to 26 per cent; soda, 10 to 12 per cent; with a specific 

 gravity of 3 to 3.3. It is extremely hard, ranking 8 or 9 in the scale of 

 which the diamond is 10. 



The same material is found manufactured into implements of the most 

 elaborate and difficult kind in great profusion in Mexico aud Central 

 America. Plate 35 shows specimens thereof. These are all in the 

 United States National Museum. Their locality, appearance, or use 

 need not be described; it will be sufficient to say that they belong to 

 the prehistoric period in IMexico and Central America. 



Fibrolite, still another variety of jade, is confined to southern and 

 western France. It is composed of : Silica, 34 or 35 per cent; aluminum, 

 63 to 65 per cent; with a specific gravity of 3.2 to 3.3, 



Actinolite, still another variety, is composed of: Silica, 0.60; magne- 

 sia, 0.21; lime, 0.14 per cent; with a specific gravity of from 3 to 3.1. 

 Its distribution is throughout the Pueblo country of Arizona and Xew 

 Mexico. The specimens shown in plate 36 are these actinolite grooved 

 axes and hammers from that locality, and belong to the National 

 Museum. 



Nephrite is still another specimen of jade, the component parts of 

 which :e: Silica, 56 to 5S per cent; magnesia, 20 to 22 i^er cent; lime, 



