vi.] ADDRESS. 177 



that when iron was once discovered, its use would spread 

 somewhat rapidly ; and the similarity of form, of pattern, 

 and of ornaments existing between the Bronze arms and 

 implements throughout Europe, seems to negative the 

 idea that Bronze was in use for such purposes in the 

 north for any great length of time after it had been 

 replaced by Iron in the south. 



It is, however, more than likely that many of our 

 smaller Wiltshire tumuli belong to a still earlier period, 

 namely, to the Neolithic, or later Stone Age, though it 

 is not easy to say which of them do so. This is prob- 

 ably also the case with the large chambered tumuli, in 

 which as yet no metal has been discovered. As regards 

 the Stone Age, the same word of caution is as necessary 

 as in that of Bronze. There are still some who deny the 

 very existence of such a period, alleging generally as 

 their reason against this proposed classification that im- 

 plements and weapons of stone were used in conjunction 

 with those of metal. This, however, no one denies. 

 The characteristic of the Stone Age is not the pre- 

 sence of stone, but the absence of metal ; and if the 

 name were to be a definition, the period would be more 

 correctly designated as non-metallic. That there was 

 indeed a time when stone axes, knives, and javelin 

 heads were used in Europe, and when metal was unknown, 

 cannot I think be for a moment doubted or denied by 

 any one who has carefully looked into the evidence. 

 These objects of stone, so well described by Mr. Evans 

 in his excellent work on the Ancient Stone Implements 

 of Great Britain are of the most .varied character ; mere 

 flakes used as knives, scrapers for preparing skins, axes, 

 adzes, hammers, gouges, chisels, arrowheads, javelin 



