2 W. J. Perry — Cultural Significance of the use of Stone 



The question is : — Do men use stone spontaneously in any- 

 country because it is convenient for them to do so, or are they, 

 when using- stone, simply continuing a practice that has begun 

 in some one place and has been propagated to other places? 

 To study this question it is necessary to take into account, not 

 merely prehistoric monuments, but also those made by exist- 

 ing communities. The making of megalithic monuments, for 

 instance, has not yet died out : it is still proceeding in 

 Melanesia, Assam, and elsewhere ; and the study of the motives 

 that lead men in these outlying places to erect these structures 

 should serve to throw light upon the motives in the minds of 

 early man in Britain and other parts of Europe. In India and 

 Melanesia we can compare communities of identical stock who 

 differ in their customs; so that one tribe has much stonework, 

 while other tribes only use wood. To say that evidence from 

 India and Melanesia is beside the point when dealing with 

 the motives of early man in Europe is to beg the question. 

 Men built megalithic monuments, and other stonework, for 

 some reason or other ; and it is necessary to discover that 

 reason wherever possible, not to dogmatize from instances 

 derived from one country, as is done so often. The practice 

 of erecting megalithic monuments is widespread over the earth, 

 and some cause must be assigned for the practical identity of 

 structure shown in Ireland, Britain, France, Spain and 

 Portugal, India, Syria, Melanesia, and so on. If the reason 

 for this identity be discovered in some places it will probably 

 serve to explain other instances. 



The inquiry may well begin with the long barrows, 

 dolmens, and stone circles that were erected in England and 

 Wales and elsewhere, during the so-called '' neolithic " and 

 " bronze " ages. They constitute the first instances of the 

 use of stone in the countries where they occur, and thus must 

 play an important part in the discussion of the meaning of the 

 use of stone. The current explanations of the distribution of 

 these monuments can be divided into two parts. It is said 

 that they are confined to high ground, because their builders 

 were forced by the forests and marshes of the lowlands to 

 avoid the lowlands. This assertion can be put on one side for 

 future treatment, with the observation that the generalisation 

 with regard to high ground is not strictly accurate. It is said, 

 further, that megalithic monuments were built in places 

 possessing supplies of suitable stone. It is to that assertion, 

 made, tacitly or avowedly, by so many students, that attention 

 must first be paid. In order to convince the reader that I am 

 not wasting unnecessary time on this matter, I venture to 



