THE COMING OF MAN 103 



a celt (Lat. celtis, a chisel), the chipped arrow head, the 

 flaked flint worked by secondary chipping on the edge 

 into a knife, or a scraper for skins ; and much more common 

 than the implement, even of the simplest description, are 

 the waste flakes struck off in the making. Very few stone 

 celts have been found in the Isle of Wight. The flakes are 

 extremely numerous, and a scraper or knife may often be 

 found. They are turned up by the plough on the surface 

 of the fields, in the earth of which they have been preserved 

 from rubbing and weathering. They have however, ac- 

 quired a remarkable polish, or " patina " how is not clearly 

 explained which distinguishes their surface from the 

 waxy appearance of newly-broken flint. In places the 

 ground is so covered with flakes that we can have no doubt 

 that these are the sites of settlements. The implements 

 were made from the black flints fresh out of the chalk, 

 and we can locate the Neolithic flint workings. In our 

 northern range of downs where the strata are vertical the 

 layers of flint in the Upper Chalk run out on the top of 

 the downs, only covered with a thin surface soil. In places 

 where this soil has been removed as in digging a quarry 

 the chalk is seen to be covered with flakes similar to those 

 found on the lower ground, save that they are weathered 

 white from lying exposed on the hard chalk, instead of on 

 soft soil into which they would gradually sink by the 

 burrowing of worms. It is probable that these flakes 

 would be found more or less along the range of downs 

 under the surface soil. 



In places on the Undercliff have been found what are 

 known as Kitchen Middens heaps of shells which have 

 accumulated near the huts of tribes of coast dwellers, who 

 lived on shellfish. One such was formerly exposed in the 

 stream below the old church at Bonchurch, and is believed 

 to extend below the foundations of the Church. 



After a long duration of neolithic times a great step in 

 civilisation took place with the introduction of bronze. 



