ROUGH STONE MONUMENTS 



both in use among the megalithic people before 

 they spread over Europe. 



Within their huts these people led a life of the 

 simplest description. Their weapons and tools, 

 though occasionally of copper, were for the most 

 part of stone. Flint was the most usual material. 

 In Scandinavia it was often polished, but else- 

 where it was merely flaked. The implements 

 made from it were of simple types, knives, borers, 

 scrapers, lanceheads, and more rarely arrowheads. 

 Many of these were quite roughly made, no more 

 flaking being done than was absolutely necessary 

 to produce the essential form, and the work being, 

 when possible, confined to one face of the flint. 



In the Mediterranean obsidian, a volcanic rock, 

 occasionally took the place of flint, especially in 

 Sardinia and Pantelleria. Axes or celts were often 

 made of flint in Scandinavia and North Germany, 

 but elsewhere other stones, such as jade, jadeite, 

 and diorite were commonly used. 



We can only guess at the way in which the 

 megalithic people were clothed. No doubt the 

 skins of the animals they domesticated and of 

 those they hunted provided them with some form 

 of covering, at any rate in countries where it was 

 needed. Possibly they spun wool or flax into a 

 thread, for at Halsaflieni two objects were found 

 which look like spindle-whorls, and others occur 

 on sites which are almost certainly to be attributed 

 to the megalithic people. There is, however, 



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