BY FRITZ NOETLING, M,A., I'lI.D., ETC. i 



a zone of intense destruction amounting almost to pul- 

 verisation of tlie matrix. It is impossible to mistake the 

 marks of an inejffective blow; they are toO' characteristic. 



Professor Verworn was the first who drew attention 

 to this feature, which he calls "Splitterbrueche" (splinter- 

 fractures), and he is of the opinion that tliey were the re- 

 sult of" several blows administered to one and the same 

 spot if the first blow was not sufficient to detach a flake. 



This may be so with regard to the flint implements of 

 Europe, but it certainly does not apply to the tero-watta 

 of Tasmania. So far 1 have not found a single specimen 

 which would corroborate Prof. Verwoi-n's view. If the 

 blow did not detach a flake, but prodviced splinter fractures 

 only, the second blow was never administered to the same 

 spot, but directed a little away from it. This may have 

 had the desired effect or not, and another specimen from the 

 same locality proves that at least three ineffective blows 

 were placed side by side without detaching a flake. 



B.— MARKS OF EFFECTIVE BLOWS. 

 (a) The Production of Flakes. 



We will now examine the results of an effective blow, 

 viz., one that detached a flake from the parent block. It 

 is obvious that in order to be effective the blow must be 

 administered with sufficient energy to overcome the re- 

 sistance of the parent block, and the hammer must not 

 penetrate into the matrix, and it must strike its surface 

 at one point only. 



It is further obvious that when a flake was 

 detached from the parent block, that point of 

 the surfa,ce which was struck by the hammer was 

 on top, or nearest to the hand holding the ham- 

 mer stone. The plane of fracture along which the 

 flake was detached from the parent block must be nearer 

 to its centre than its surface. The position of the parent 

 block with reference to the workman, and the position of 

 the flake with reference to the parent block enables us thus 

 to distinguish five sides which must occur in eveiy flake, 

 viz., 



1. External face. \ 



2. Internal face ^^ ^^^^^ j„ pj^^^ jj 

 6. Proximal end or edge. > 



4. Distal end or edge. j C') 



5. Lateral edges / 



(1) It must be understood that Fig. 1 to Fin. 9, Plate II., are diagrams only. 



