BY liTRlITZ iNOETDING, M.A., Ph.D., ETC. 267 



feature, viz., a smooth pollical face, in opposition to a 

 more or less convex, wrought, indical face. 



It will therefore be seen that the tronatta is incapable 

 of further development without losing its character. I 

 do not want to be misunderstood; I do not wish to say 

 that the tronatta is not capable of further development; 

 it is ratlier the opposite way; but any such development 

 destroys its character as a tronatta. Neolithic, or even 

 palaeolithic, implements can be materially altered and 

 improved without losing their distinctive features, but 

 not a tronatta. 



We see, therefore, that that stage in the evolution of 

 stone implements which is represented by the Tasmanian 

 tronatta does not allow for improvement of its imple- 

 ments. The only direction in which an improvement can. 

 be carried out is in the more careful treatment of the 

 indical face, and as far as I can see the Tasmanian 

 Aborigines had reached that highest stage of perfection. 

 But simultaneously with such highly-finished implements 

 there were others in use that showed little or no improve- 

 ment at all. This would tend to prove that it is impossible 

 to classify the archaeolithic stage according to the finish 

 of the implements : on the other hand, it seems that in the 

 earlier periods the implements showed on the whole a 

 much rougher finish than those represented by the Tas- 

 manian tronatta. 



The most remarkable feature in connection with these 

 implements is the fact that though the Tasmanians had 

 a rudimentary knowledge of the art of grinding, they 

 never used it to improve the efficiency of the tronatta. 

 They liad not made that invention yet, and they probably 

 never applied it in the manufacture of tronattas, be- 

 cause their essential features would have been destroyed 

 thereby. 



The tronattas were tools only, and they were never 

 used as weapons. The Tasmanian civilisation had not 

 made the invention to provide the spears with stone heads 

 or to fix a handle to some of the large tronattas. Their 

 chief weapon was a wooden spear of considerable length, 

 but rather light; besides the spear they used a short 

 throwing stick pointed at both ends. Their utensils were 

 of the most primitive type, and consisted mainly of neatlj 



