V 



26 PREHISTORIC FISHING. 



usual, imperfect, but the two and one-fourth inches which remain show the tapering 

 point and four barbs on either side, which are opposite to each other, and not 

 alternate. It is precisely of the same character as some of the harpoon-heads 

 from the cave of La Madelaine, in the Dordogne, which are usually formed of 

 reindeer-horn. The material in this instance is, I believe, the same. The 

 striated marks of the tool by which it was scraped into form are still distinctly 

 visible in places. Such harpoon-heads have been regarded as characteristic of 

 the latest division in the sequence of this class of caverns, and have been found 

 in numerous localities on the Continent. 



" Of the other kind, which have the barbs along one side only of the blade, 

 two examples have been found. One of these, though in two pieces, is otherwise 

 nearly perfect, and is shown in Fig. 404 (here Fig. 30). It has also its analogues 

 among the harpoon-heads found in the cave of La Madelaine and elsewhere, 

 especially at Bruniquel. Its stem shows the projection for retaining the loop or 

 cord by which it was connected with the shaft, though it was probably still 

 susceptible of being detached from immediate contact Avith it. In this respect, 

 as indeed in general character, these 'early weapons seem closely to resemble 

 those of the Eskimos of the present day. 



" The other instrument of this kind, shown in Fig. 405 (not reproduced) is 

 the terminal portion of a similar point, but with the barbs all broken off at the 

 base. It is about three and three-fourths inches long, and was found in the 

 black band."* 



It is not known whether the cave-men of the reindeer-period in France and 

 other parts of Europe understood fishing with nets, no prepared net-sinkers 

 having been discovered among the debris left by them. The absence of the 

 latter, however, is no positive proof of the non-existence of nets in palfeolithic 

 times, for pebbles without any artificial modification could have served as sinkers. 

 It would be equally fruitless to make it a subject of inquiry whether they had 

 boats. Referring to the cave-men of the Vezerc Valley, Dr. Broca observes : 



" These antique fishermen evidently did not use nets, for with nets all kinds 

 of fish are taken. Their sole instrument was the harpoon, with which they could 

 only catch the large fish, and among these they chose the one whose flesh they 

 preferred .f Had they boats for fishing ? There is no evidence of it; besides, 

 the river was then sufficiently narrow to allow the use of the harpoon from its 

 banks."J 



* Evans : The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons, and Ornaments of Great Britain ; London, 1872 ; 

 p. 459, etc. 



f The salmon. It has teen seen, however, that the troglodytes also caught smaller species of fish. Dr. 

 Sauvage is very positive on that point. See p. 11. 



J Broca : The Troglodytes ; p. 328. 



