BY FUITZ NOpyPLIKC, M.A., PH.D., ETC. ft 



Being furthest away from the point of impact, the marks 

 of percussion must decrease in intensity from the proximal 

 towards the distal edge. 



5. THE LATEKAL EDGES. 



Strictly speaking we should also distinguish between 

 the lateral edge=^ but it is clear that the terms "right" and 

 "left" will be misleading, because the right edge of the 

 Indical face is the left of the Pollical face, and vice versa, 

 with regard to its left edge. 



In my descriptions, and unless space or other reasons 

 do not permit it in the illustrations, 1 always place a flake 

 in such a way that its proximal end represents the top, the 

 Pollical face being looked upon. In this position I apply, 

 for want of any better ones, two nautical terms. 

 1 call the loft side or edge, port side or port 

 edge, and the right side, starboard side or edge 

 (1). Thus, if we speak of the port side or edge of the 

 Indical face, we know it is exactly opposite of the port side 

 or edge of the Pollical face, while if we were to speak of 

 the left edge of the Inciical face, we were always obliged to 

 add "which represents the right edge of the Pollical face." 



The two faces are of necessity always well defined, but 

 as the intersection of the plane of fracture with the svir'ace 

 of the parent block, the line of fracture must form a 

 closed curve, the lateral edges are frequently not so distinct- 

 ly set off against the distal edge. This is particularly shown 

 in the semi-crescent flakes whose distal and lateral edges 

 merge into one semi-hmar curve. 



Thei above features are characteristic of the external 

 flake, but they must be somewhat modified with regard to 

 the external Indical face, should there subsequently more 

 flakes be struck off the same parent block. 



The Tasmanian Aborigines had two ways of further 

 treatment of the narent block after the first external flake 

 had been struck off. We will assume that Plate II., Fig. 2 

 be the first external flake that was struck off. As already 

 stated, the negatives of all marks en its Pollical (internal) 

 face must appear on the nucleius. 



We will now assume that the next flake (Plate II., Fig. 

 4) was detached from the parent block by a. plane of fracture 

 that was approximately parallel to that which separated the 



(1) If anybody can suggest better tenns than these two whi' h avoid the mis- 

 leading words "left" and "right," I ain only too pleased. For the present 1 

 cannot find anything better. 



