4 MARKS OF I'KKcUSSloN UN MLlOKdl S 1:<K Ks, 



Apart from a diagram en the back of the cover of Prof. 

 Schwemfurth s publication (\ ) I know cnly of one pub- 

 lication that more explicitly deals with tli.s matter. 

 Prof. M. Verworn, in his most interesting and 'm- 

 poi'tant memoir en . the archaeolithic implements of 

 the Cantalian (2) gives a complete description 

 cf the various marks produced by percussion. Pre- 

 viously G. and A. de Mortillet had drawn attention to 

 certain features observable en flint flakes, which he took to- 

 be the most characteristic signs of an artificial nature of 

 .^luh flake. Prof. Verworn adds a considerable number 

 cf other marks which had hitherto been entirely over- 

 looked, in particular he draws attention to the Strahlen 

 spruenge (star-cracks). 



Though very exhaustive, I do not think Prof. Verwom's 

 study is quite complete, and my studies on the Tasmanian 

 tero-watta (3) have affoi'dcd important additions on this 

 subject. Though a good deal of what I have to say here 

 will neb be new to the student in Europe, it will be of the 

 greatest interest to the Australian student. In particular 

 I shall be able to prove that the "thumb mark " of the 

 amateur collector is not an intentional, but quite an acci- 

 dental feature. 



3. THE MARKS OF PERCUSSION. 



Wc will begin our studies ab ovc ; that is to say, we 

 will assume that an Abori^in:' ftund a boulder or pebble 

 cf such kind of rock as was suitable for the manufacture 

 of a tero-watta. As I pointed out the nature of these 

 recks in a previous paper ('4) 1 need not go here 

 into further details. We will further assume that 

 he obtained the boulder from a gravel deposit, and took it 

 to his camping ground in order te break it at his leisure. 



In most cases, particularly when me boulder was ob- 

 tained from the diluvial gravel beds, its surface was 

 covered with a crust due to weatherins- This crust must 



(1) Deutsch-Franzo.sisclie.s Wilrterverzeichiiiss der die Steinzeit betreffemlen 

 Literatur, lOfHl. 



(•J) Dip arrh.volithische rultur in den Hippiiiiiinschichten von Aurillnc 

 (Canlal) Abhatid. <l K. G. d. Wi.s.s. Oteltingen. .Miilli. Nat. Classe, N.F., Vol. IV., 

 No. 4. UK).-., pMjlH 21. 



(3 Aci-ordiPK to W. Schmidt (Zeitsih. f. Kthi'olojjie. 1910, Heft. VI., |ui«p 91.1) 

 eitbiT tero-na or tero-watta (tt-ro-na-watta'.') is the correct designation of the 

 Tasmanian archa>olithic implement. 



(4) See thi>; joiirnal, 1900, i)afre n'. 



