36 
workshop, and the objects, which form the subject of our 
entertainment this evening, were the things he left behind. 
Many of the pigmies, flakes, cores, etc., so found show undoubted 
signs of proximity to fire; so, if these marks were not produced 
by cooking operations within the pit, the alternative inference is 
that some prehistoric wag must have burnt the occupant out of 
house and home. 
The existence of this pit and its interesting remains very 
strongly suggests that the whole settlement was originally 
covered with similar holes dug down into the sand, and that the 
pigmies, flakes, etc, found over the disturbed area were 
originally in situ in such pits. It seems a pity that their 
destruction by the extraction of sand should have been going on 
for nearly twenty years without any observations having been 
made. But, as the most likely spots are yet untouched, I am 
hoping that precautions will be taken to ensure the proper 
supervision necessary for the preservation and recording of 
‘‘ finds” similar to mine 
The importance of the find before us is of no small order. 
As an undoubted associated discovery it will be of the utmost 
value in the comparative study of the other Sussex pigmies. I 
have already stated that nearly all the English pigmies occur on 
the surface of settlements, and this fact renders the period to 
which they belong highly problematic. Although this period 
has been roughly fixed as not earlier than late neolithic times, 
nove of the larger implements characteristic of this period has 
hitherto been found with the pigmies. Therefore the discovery 
of the purely neolithic axe or adze with the other objects in the 
pit is, probably, the most important piece of evidence with 
regard to the period of the pigmies yet brought to light. 
In conclusion brief reference has to be made to the style of 
workmanship displayed in the fabrication of the pigmies. The 
rough cores and the large number of unworked chips found in 
the pit supplies good evidence that, in obtaining a flake suitable 
for conversion into a pigmy, the ancient Briton had the same 
difficulties to contend with as the Australian savage has in the 
manufacture of his stone knives. If we divide the flakes found 
in the pit by the number of pigmies, we ascertain that 20 to 30 
flakes were struck from the cores before the desired result was 
arrived at. This is a rough estimate, but I think it is fairly 
accurate. Having secured the proper kind of flake, how did he 
convert it into a pigmy? I presume to say “by pressure,” 
either with a piece of bone or with another stone, for I have 
made exact copies of them with both objects by this method. 
The only object of the prehistoric chipper’s paraphernalia 
which I did not find in the pit was his flint hammer which he 
used in chipping the cores; but I think we have here (nodule) 
the instrument he used in pressing off the minute secondary 
