OF THE LAKE OF NEUCHATEL. 



361 



stones cut smaller, fixed in simple fragments of biick-liorn, and serving rather 

 for chisels or paring-knives than for hatchets, properly so called. That repre- 



ll^^ll^ 





Figure 18a. 

 sented by figure 19 is of transparent nephrite of a fine leek- !2;rccn color; it forms 

 part of the collection of Dr. Clement, 



at Saint Aubiu. Most of these singu- 

 lar stones are set in the same manner. 

 *It is a characteristic distinction be- 

 tween our hatchets of the age of stone 

 and those of anterior ages that the Figure 19. 



former are always worn down by sharpening on the grindstone, so as to present 

 a very regular edge, which is never the case with the hatchets of Abbeville, of 

 the caverns, nor those of the Kjoekkenmoe dings of Denmark, which are simply 

 cut by chopping. 



Apart from these utensils, which are common to almost all savage tribes, we 

 recognize, among our lacustrians of the age of stone, the beginnings of an art 

 which attests the dawn of civilization. They manufactured pottery, somewhat 

 shapeless and rude it is true, but which is not the less interesting, as well for 

 its composition as its form and dimensions. It consists for the most part of 

 large protuberant vessels, fashioned with the hand, the wheel of the potter being 

 not yet known. The paste of which it is composed is but slightly homogeneous, 



* It Las been recently remarked ttat, in general, none but small hatchets of stone are 

 found provided with handles, which would seem to warrant the conclusion that the largest, 

 some of which weigh as much as two pounds, were not used with handles, but immediately 

 with the hand. (Lachmanu, Gth report of Dr. Keller, p. 277.) 



