28 STONE IMPLEMENTS, ETC., IN THE DORSET MUSEUM. 



of arrow-head the Museum contains Dorset specimens, of which 

 several are good, but which need not be particularly spoken of for 

 the most part. But a few specially excellent ones may be named. 

 For instance, there is a one barbed, or unequally barbed, arrow-head 

 from Upwey, in the Cunnington Collection. It is of minutely 

 careful make, and so is a smaller one in the Hogg Collection 

 from Fordington Field (PI. I., fig. 2). Then we have to 

 say one word about the Museum's chief treasure in the 

 department of flint implements namely, the six almost 

 matchless barbed and tanged arrow-heads from a barrow at 

 the southern edge of Fordington Field. To give an idea of 

 the extraordinary delicacy of the fashioning of these I need 

 only say that the heaviest weighs 25 grains, the lightest 16. 

 Now Evans quotes 38 grains as a remarkably small weight, the 

 head being, however, slightly larger than the Dorset ones. And 

 these arrow-heads here are not only light but are most skilfully 

 ^flaked. In fact, the more you look at them the greater puzzle the 

 modus operandi seems to be. Of these heads it appears certain that 

 they can never have been meant for use, but only for show on state 

 occasions. It is annoying to doubt their being Dorset made. But 

 their exceeding superiority over any others of that shape, known to 

 me, as found in the county, makes me think that they may have 

 been imported. I ought to say that Mr. Cunnington personally 

 discovered these splendid specimens. Of the chisel-edged arrow- 

 heads I am not sure that the Museum has examples. One or two 

 small wrought flints, however, come at least very near to those 

 considered by Evans to be chisel arrow-heads. No one probably 

 would have guessed this. But he quotes an Egyptian and a 

 Norwegian specimen, both having part of the arrow shaft still 

 attached. He considers this proof conclusive. 



I can but name the spindle-whorls, pulley-shaped stones, whet- 

 stones both rude and highly finished, and the pointed pieces of 

 rag-stone found on a pottery site, and thought to be potters' tools. 



We have now gone hurriedly and imperfectly through the series 

 of Neolithic Dorset stone tools and weapons in the County Museum. 



