IN HERTFOEPSHIRE. 175 



Flint flakes are often found on Roman sites, and one reason for this 

 I may explain. The word "tribulation" is well-known to all of 

 you, and some may have thought that they may have suffered what 

 they call tribuhition ; but probably all do not know that tribulation 

 means being placed under a "sharp threshing instrument having 

 teeth," the Latin name for which was " tribulum." It was 

 a kind of wooden sledge in which a number of holes were bored, 



Fig. 4. Stone adze or hoe, "Welbury, Offley. ^. 



and in each one of these holes, some hundred in number, a shai-p 

 flake of flint was inserted. The implement was drawn over the 

 threshing-floor by a yoke of oxen, and the corn was thus subjected 

 to the process of tribulation. It was no doubt his tribulum that 

 Araunah gave to David with which to make a fire for his burnt- 

 offering. I have seen threshing-machines of this kind in use in 

 Spain, and they are still used in the East. Some of the chipped 

 flints probably used for this purpose in Roman times are frequently 

 found on Roman sites. I have myself noticed them at Verulamium 

 (St. Albans). A long flint-flake from Highbury, Hitchin, is shown 

 in Plate XII, fig. 6, from Mr. Ransom's collection. It is probably 

 Palaeolithic. 



Flint-flakes with ground edges are occasionally found. They 

 appear to be well adapted for use as knives when held between the 

 ball of the thumb and the end of the first finger, no handle being 

 required. I have one of these flakes, which 1 found in a field of 



