50 
hundreds of well-formed flakes grouped together and confined to 
small spaces only a few square yards in extent. Such spots as the 
latter are commonly termed fabrication sites, or, in other words, 
places where primitive man made a halt or periodic visits in order to 
dig into the clayey mould capping the hillside for flints from which 
to make his flint tools. Whether either of these represents the spot 
where the axe exhibited was fabricated, it is of course impossible 
to say, although it is probable, owing to the axe exhibiting no 
sign of ever having been used. 
This brings me to the conclusion of my brief description of 
these productive sites and of the implements found in association 
on them. There are many others scattered. over the Downs in 
the three districts mentioned; but, as yet, I have not had 
sufficient leisure to overhaul them thoroughly, and [ ‘have 
deferred marking their positions on the maps till this has been 
done. They are by no means common, and often, when I have 
set out on a prospecting tour over the Downs, 1 have walked 
miles without coming across a single flake, cooking-stone, or the 
least trace of a new site. Those I have already discovered are 
generally situated on or quite near some eminence which 
commands a wide view of the surrounding country. 
From the array of evidence we may deduce the obvious 
conclusion that these productive areas were frequented by the 
members of some primitive tribe, not only for the purpose of 
boiling water or cooking food, but for making their flint tools and 
for preparing animal hides as clothing, tent coverings, and other 
articles for domestic use. Lacking a better term, I have therefore 
given these sites the name of ‘“ Camping Grounds.” 
The problem now inviting our solution is the question as to 
what period may we assign these camping grounds. Judging by 
the nature of the “ finds,” many of you may have no hesitation 
in saying we may at once relegate them to a position in the 
Neolithic phase of the Stone Age. Before venturing any opinion, 
however, it is necessary that we examine the evidence of the 
extent and duration both of flint chipping and of the practice of 
stone-boiling in the south of England. From the character of 
the exhibits I think we may safely cmit any reference to the older 
stone periods, and confine our attention to the consideration of 
the later prehistoric and early historic times. 
In the Neolithic period, flint chipping in England had not 
only merged from a craft into a fine art, but it had attained its 
highest degree of perfection. As to the duration of this high 
standard of excellence we are unable to say, but recent research 
seems to point to the inference that the art exhibited little sign of 
decadence till the transitional period of the substitution of bronze 
tools for those of stone was far advanced. Moreover, the 
abundance of flakes, scrapers, hammer-stones, &c., found in 
association with the remains of the Bronze, Early Iron, and 

