I04 A SUPPOSED NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT. 



The Stag or Red Deer (Cervus elaphtts) is well represented 

 by its antlers and bones. It was never domesticated ; its 

 shed antlers were, no doubt, brought into the dwellings from the 

 forest to serve various purposes, such as the making of tools or 

 weapons. It is much more uncommon to find the skull 

 with ihe antlers attached, than to find the shed antlers, which 

 were probably picked up in the forest. The strength and 

 ferocity of the stag made it difficult and dangerous to capture 

 by men armed only with weapons of bone, wood, or stone. 

 There must have lieen great necessity for the unshed antlers in 

 making flint hafts, to induce men in those days to capture the 

 animal and take the great trouble to saw off the antlers from the 

 head. The unshed antler, from its denser condition, would be 

 more serviceable for the hunter's use in the making of handles 

 for tools and implements, than the lighter shed antlers. 



[Amongst the remains of this animal is a cranium wanting 

 the whole of the facial portions. (See Plate II.) The frontal bones 

 have been crushed in, but probably since the animals death, as 

 it would be difficult to strike this spot when the creature was 

 alive and with the brow tynes perfect. The antlers and brow 

 tynes have been sawn off just above the " burrs," which still 

 remain and are very rugose, indicating well developed antlers. 

 The marks left by the saw are rough and irregular, showing that 

 the saw was a coarse one and the operator not skilled in such 

 work ; but at the same time these marks could only, I think, 

 have been made by a metal saw. — E.T.N.] 



The Roe Deer {Capreolus caprea). — Compared with the Red 

 Deer, the Roe is scarce at Braintree, but I have the right 

 under-jaw of a very aged animal, with perfect molars in place, 

 interesting in showing signs of long use, being much worn. 

 This jaw, I believe, was found in the relic-bearing bed No. 2, 

 9 feet down, but it is quite possible that it may belong to the 

 underlying Pleistocene bed. Detached pieces of antler were 

 found, which had apparently been put to some manual use, 

 and were probably adapted from shed antlers. In one case 

 I have secured, from the relic-bed, a pair of antlers of this 

 graceful creature, which was abundant in the Essex Forests 

 in pre-Roman times, but probably was soon afterwards extirpated. 

 The horns in this case are as fresh as in the life-time of the 

 bearer of them, and as firmly attached to the skull ; the skull has 

 been apparently, trimmed off, as is the fashion of mounting 

 antlers in recent times. Why should not Stone-age man have 



