1869.] Archseoloyy. 251 



The latter form segments of cylindrical blocks, with roughly 

 conical points (that have evidently been shaped with a blunt, or 

 imperfectly cutting tool), with a thickened head, notched round 

 underneath as if to receive a withe or cord. The head bears 

 evident marks of having been subjected to repeated blows. Al- 

 though only a single segment in any degree of perfection was 

 found, there can be little doubt that these were used as mountings 

 for the flint chisels employed by the ancient miners. "Without 

 something of the kind it would be difficult to work with the flakes, 

 owing to their tendency to break across when not struck fairly on 

 the top.* 



The hammers found in the workings were mostly of a very rude 

 kind; in many cases rough natural fragments of dolerite, taken 

 from the flow capping the adjacent hills, have been used, only a 

 pair of holes on opposite sides, produced by the action of sand 

 pressed upon the surface by the thumb and forefinger, being ap- 

 parent. Some, however, show a little more work, having a groove, 

 to receive a withe handle, cut round them, like the so-called Aztec 

 hammers found in the aboriginal workings in the Lake Superior 

 Copper Mines. Most of them are broken at the ends, and can 

 only be regarded as spoiled or waste tools. The same holds good 

 with regard to the wooden fragments and flint-flakes. Tablets cut 

 on the face of the rock show these workings to have extended 

 from the 3rd to the loth Manethonian dynasties, corresponding to 

 an interval of about IGOO years. 



Captain F. von Koschkull, writing on the Caucasus,! mentions 

 that, being engaged in a survey of the Salt-district in 1865, he had his 

 attention attracted by some old mines which were regarded by the 

 inhabitants as natural caves. (The principal beds of rock-salt, we 

 should state, are in the valley of the Araxis, both east and west of 

 Mount Ararat, and geologically are of Lower Tertiary age.) Cap- 

 tain Koschkull soon satisfied himself of their being the work of 

 man, and resolved to explore them. At first his guides would fain 

 have dissuaded him from carrying the plan into execution, as their 

 imagination had peopled all these subterranean passages with evil 

 spirits, of which they stood in bodily fear. Disregarding their 

 superstitions, the Captain penetrated one of the ancient adits, and 

 partially explored what proved to be a very extensive and fairly- 

 well-wrought mine, evidently of great antiquity. At the remote 

 end of one of the galleries he found heaps of mined salt, and hun- 

 dreds of tools of various forms and sizes, either perfect, or more or 

 less worn and broken. These implements consisted for the most 



* A gentleman present when this paper was read (we think Dr. Miirie), 

 suggesteil that it was more probaLly a tent-peg, such as the Arabs use for diiving 

 into the ground to secm-e the border of the tent. 



t Silliman's American ' Journal of Science and Art,' vol. xlvi., p. 336. 



