Australian Aboriginal Stone Implements. 193 



inhabiting South Eastern Australia and Tasinania. The classi- 

 fication suggested has, therefore, not been entirely based on 

 methods of use, a system which would appear to be the most 

 satisfactory ; but is, in some cases, dependent upon the apparent 

 mode of preparation or manufacture. 



The first step in classification has been to group together all 

 the different implements having distinctive uses. The first group 

 and the most important is that of cutting implements. Next in 

 order come the groups of grinding and pounding implements. Of 

 lesser importance are fishing stones, throwing stones, game 

 stones and basket stones. A distinct group may be required for 

 those implements, the use of which is not definitely known and 

 can hardly at present be conjectured, such as the carrot-shaped 

 stones from the Darling E-iver District, Victoria, etc. 



Ceremonial or sacred stones are not considered to come properly 

 under the term implements, and, for like reason, building, fire, 

 and pigment stones are excluded. 



The first group of cutting implements, distinguished by C, 

 separate easily into two divisions — A. those having the cutting 

 edge produced by flaking or chipping ; B., those having the 

 cutting edge produced by grinding and polishing. The division 

 C. A., is arranged in seven subdivisions, bearing as titles the names 

 of the European tools most nearly representing the uses to which 

 the implements would be put. They are : — I. Axes, II. Rasps, 

 III. Knives, IV. Adzes, V. Scrapers, VI. Speai'heads, and VII. 

 Nuclei or Cores. The last is not strictly a proper subdivision ; but 

 it is necessary for the classification of a collection of flaked or 

 chipped edged implements. Subdivision C. A. I., flaked or chipped 

 edge axes, forms two sections, a. those having a chipped edge, and 

 ^. those having a flaked edge. The section C. A. I. d. is not 

 further subdivided, there being only one class known, which is 

 the flaked axe, hafted, with a head larger than, but otherwise 

 closely resembling the hafted knives of Central Australia. The 

 section C. A. I. a. is subdivided into two classes — 1. those chipped 

 on one side only of the cutting edge, and 2. those chipped on 

 both sides. Classes C. A. 1. a. 1. has two sub-classes, a. those 

 with an acute and /3. those with an obtuse bevel. Neither 

 of these sub-classes have apparently been hafted, being for hand 

 use only. The Tasmanian axes belong to the first sub-class, 

 C. A. I. a. 1. a. 2A 



