ARROWPOINTS, SPEARHEADS, AND KNIVES. 



873 



mentioned. The chalcedonic variety includes the finer and more beau- 

 tiful chalcedony, agate, carnelian, onyx, etc., as well as the grosser and 

 baser variety to which belong flint, hornstone, chert, etc. The jaspery 

 variety contains aluminous matter, and its color, yellow or red, is due 

 to iron oxides. The bloodstone and basanite (lydian stone) belong 

 to this. 



Flint, free from impurities, has the same chemical composition as 

 quartz, silicon combined with oxygen — silica. 



Differences may arise in crystallization. Flint is of cryptocrystalliue 

 structure. Its color may be gray, shading through yellow, green, blue, 

 and smoky black, or with tints of red, yellow, and brown, into chalce- 

 dony. Its fracture is conchoidal, not splintery, internal surface dull, 

 scarcely ever glistening. Alone it is infusible before the blowpipe, 

 but loses its color and becomes opaque. It is homogenous, has no 

 cleavage, splits in any direction, therefore is easy to chip, yet is hard 

 and tough and makes a keen cutting edge which does not crumble. It 

 Mas the material best suited to the cutting implements of the prehis- 

 toric man and was preferred by him accordingl3\ 



It is deemed useless to make analyses, because the onl}- differences 

 would be the number and amount of impurities, and these might differ 

 Avith every locality if not with every specimen. 



Kees's Encyclopedia^ gives analyses of particular specimens as 

 follows : 



These are ancient analyses and are only given as samples. Their 

 correctness is not verified. - 



It has been stated many times by archieologic students and teachers 

 that there was no true flint in the United States. But this is due to a 

 difference of definition rather than of material. The flint of Europe, 

 declared to be true flint, is represented as a concretionary deposit of 



'Article "P'lint." 



-The attention of the stndent of this and related subjects is directed to some of 

 the standard Avoiks: NilLson, '-The Stone Age," 1843-1867; Stevens, "Flint Chips," 

 1870; Evans, "Ancient Stone Imiilements of Great Britain," 1872, 1899; S. J. Mackie, 

 "Geologist," 1861, IV, pp. 26-29; T. McKenny Hughes, Proceedings Soc. Antiq., 

 London, 2d ser., IV, p. 94 ; Geological and Natural History Repertory, II, May 1, 

 1868, No. 34, p. 126; S. J. Mackie, idem., Ill, j.. 205, T. Baines, idem., pp. 258-262; 

 T. McKenuy Hughes, British A.ssociation, 1872, pi 189; Henry Christy, Trans. Ethnol. 

 Soc, new ser., Ill, 1865, p. 362; Reliquia- Aquitanica', Pt. 1, pp. 202-205. 



