EARLY MAN 



fields which border the valley — on the two ridges, that is to say, which 

 separate the little valley from the larger neighbouring valleys. These ridges 

 are about 300 yds. wide, and are connected directly with the main plateau, 

 from which they slope very slightly away, being on the average not more 

 than 6 ft. or 8 ft. below its level. As the plateau is the highest ground in 

 the district it cannot be claimed that the scratched flints have been water- 

 carried, and that the scratches have been produced by their knocking against 

 one another in the process. There is moreover this curious fact to be noted 

 in connexion with the distribution of scratched flints on these ridges, viz. 

 that no sooner has one begun to descend the side of either ridge opposite to 

 the little valley, so as to pass into the neighbouring larger valleys, than the 

 scratched stones become more and more scarce, until after walking a 

 few hundred yards down the side of the larger valleys, they disappear 

 altogether. This peculiarity is so marked that it calls for some explanation ; 

 for it is a strange thing that these two ridges should themselves be covered 

 with scratched implements ; that these implements should be found in large 

 numbers down the sides of the little valley ; but that when we pass down 

 the opposite side into the larger outside valleys they should disappear. The 

 explanation appears to be this : the two outside valleys though both are 

 now quite empty of water, have in past times, when the water to be carried 

 off has been on a large scale, acted as the drains for the plateau. The 

 little valley in the middle has therefore at such times been relieved of any 

 function of the kind. It is in fact a repetition of what has been stated 

 as having taken place at High Lodge. The little valley at first took its share 

 in draining the plateau, but eventually was relieved of its work by the opening 

 out of the larger side valleys. Since then it has been left in exactly the 

 condition at which it had arrived in those distant times, so far at any rate as 

 the action of water is concerned. In the side valleys, on the contrary, large 

 flows of water continued to take place, and ancient implements lying in them 

 would either be washed away or buried deep in the detritus brought down 

 by the streams. The subject however here touches delicate ground, as the 

 full explanation of this curious fact must necessarily form part of a full 

 discussion of the problem of the scratches. But the fact of this curious 

 distribution of the scratched flints is one that ought to be noted here. 



This concludes a strange story in so far as it can be dealt with here. It is 

 for the future to determine its true meaning. It may however be said that 

 no true account of the late Pleistocene Age can be given until the questions 

 involved have been fully answered ; and that no geologist will have mastered 

 this part of his subject who has not given full attention to the lessons to be 

 learnt from this obscure little valley in North-west Suffolk. 



The variety of the neolithic implements found in Suffolk is very great ; 

 and the beauty of them not to be surpassed in the British Isles. Almost 

 every type described by Sir John Evans in his classical work on The Ancient 

 Stone Implements of Great Britain is to be found in Suffolk. Chipped celts 

 occur in considerable numbers, especially in the fen districts of the north- 

 western part of the county. Some of these resemble in shape the general 

 type of polished axes ; and the best of them are examples of the highest skill 



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