ARIfOWPOINTS, SPEARHEADS, AND KNIVES. 845 



tic'ular place or country. It is e(inally prevalent in Germany, France, 

 Italy, Spain, and Portugal. In Brazil these objects are called "corsico,"' 

 but it is possible this may be only a name brought over from Europe 

 by the couquistadores. In Italy they are called ''pietra di fuoco,'' in 

 France "pierre de tounerre" or "pierre de foudre," in Spain "piedra 

 de fuego" and "piedras de rayo." 



A belief in the sui)ernatural origin of stone arrows and hatchets is 

 as common in China as it is in otlier i)arts of the world." 



The collection of M. Van de Poel, of 39 prehistoric objects from Java, 

 was presented by him to the Academy of Sciences, Paris. "The 

 si)ecimens were obtained with difiiculty, as the natives regarded them 

 with religious veneration.''-' The Malays call them "gigi guntur'' (teeth 

 of the lightning). 



This supernatural character has been recognized more or less among 

 all peoples as far back as history goes. Sir John Evans* says: 



Enough, however, has been said with regard to the superstitious attaching to these 

 arrowheads of stone. The existence of such a belief in their supernatural origin, 

 dating, as it seems to do, from a comparatively remote period, goes to prove that 

 even in the days when the belief originated, the use of the stone arrowhead was 

 not known, nor was there any tradition extant of a people whose weapons they hud 

 been. 



In Greece, as early as the time of Pliny, the stone arrowpoints, along 

 with polished-stone hatchets, were believed to have fallen from the 

 stars. The latter were called "astropelchia" or thunderbolts. Pliny, 

 quoting Sotacus, says there are two sorts, "the black and the red, say- 

 ing they do resemble halberds or ax heads. Such as be found withal 

 are endued with this virtue, that by means of them cities may be 

 forced and whole navies at sea be discomfited.'' 



Aldrovandus^ engraves a Hint arrowpoint as a fossil glossopetra, a 

 stone which, according to Pliny," "resembleth a man's tongue and 

 groweth not on the ground, but in the eclipse of tlu^ moone falleth from 

 heaven," and which "is thought by the magicians to be verie neces- 

 sarie for those that court fair women." 



In the catalogue of the museum at Gresham College ■ they are called 

 "anchorites," because of their likeness of form to an anchor. Kefer- 

 ence is made to the collection of similar objects in the Worm Museum. 



Flint continued to be used in some parts of Egypt until the. twelfth 

 dynasty, 2600 B. C. Mr. Flinders Petrie in 1889 excavated the ancient 

 settlement Medinet Kahun, the pyramid of Unserteseu II, and there 

 found and brought back to London, where they were exhibited at 

 Oxford Mansion, a bushel or more of Hint chips and wrought flakes. 



' Stevens, Flint Chips, p. 89. 



-Evans, Ancient Stone Implements, p. 116; Memoire concernant I'Histoire des 

 Chinois pur les Missionnaircs de Pokin, IV, 1776, p. 474; VI, p 467. 

 ■'Mortillet, Mutcriaux, II, p. 212; Evans, Ancient Stone Implements, p. 118. 

 ■• Ancient Stone Implements, ji. 328. 

 ^Mnsaei iletallici. Book IV, chap. 17, ]>. 604. 

 "Nuturalis liistoria. Book XXXV'II, chap. 10. 

 'Loudon, 1618. 



