Geological Society. 337 



lM{()('Ki:i)IX(iS OF LKARNKI) SOCIKTIKS. 

 (ii;()L<)(iicAi. s<)(ii:rv. 



BcceniluT l?ii{l, 1'J14. — Dr. \. Siniih Woodward, I'. U.S., rresidiiit, 



ill the Cliair. 



The followiiijj coninmiiiciition wa.s read: — 



•On a Hdiie ImpK'iucnt from Piltdown (Sussex).' By 

 Cliarl.s Dawson, F.S.A., K.(J.S.. and A. Smith Woodward, LL.D., 

 F.IJ.S., Pros.(J.S. 



During the ))ast .season tlie Autliors liave continued excavati(ms 

 in the I'iltdown <^r.ivel romid the edi^e of the area previously 

 explored. KoUed fra>^ments of hiLjhly mineralized teeth oi lihino- 

 ct ros and Mii-stinlon were a^ain found, but no human remains were 

 met with. The most im|H)i'tant dise<jvery was a large bone imple- 

 ment, whieh is now tleseribed. This speeimen was found in dark 

 vegetable soil beneath the hedge which Ixnnuls the gnivel-])it, not 

 far from the sjH)il-heap whence the right i)anet;il bone of the I'ilt- 

 down skull was obtained two veal's ago. On being washed away 

 the soil left no stain on the bone, wliieh was covered with firmly- 

 adherent yellow clay, closely similar to that of the flint-bearing 

 layer at the bottom of the gravel. The bone it.self is highly 

 mineralized, and agrees exactly in apjiearance with some small 

 fr.igments of Ixme which the Autliors discovered actually in jjlace 

 in the day just mentioned. There can be no doubt, therefore, tluit 

 the imj)lement was found by the workmen when they were digging 

 gravel from the adjacent hole, and was thrown away by them with 

 the other useless debris. It is a stout and nearly straight narrow 

 Hake of bone, 41 cm. long, and varj'ing from 9 to 10 cm. in 

 width, with the thicker end artificially jwinted, the thinner end 

 artificially rounded. It appears to be a longitudinal strip Haked. 

 from a limb-bone by a blow at the thicker end, in the same way as 

 flint implements were flaked from their original cores. Direct 

 comparison suggests that it was taken from a Prolioscidean femur 

 as large as that of Elephas meridioiialis. In micro.scopic structure 

 it agrees with Pi-oboscidean bone. The two ends of the imjtlement 

 are slia{)ed entirely by cutting, and bear no marks of grinding or 

 nibbing. Most of the cut facettes are small, and many of them 

 suggest that they were made by some primitive tool, pivsumablv a 

 Hint. The rounded end seems to have Ix'eii trimmed for comfort- 

 able handling. The thick pointed (or, nither, keeled) end does not 

 show any signs of battering or scratching by use. Just above the 

 ]>oint -d end one lateral edge of the bone is marked by a large 

 smooth groove running acnt.s.s from the inner to the outer face of 

 the bone. It seems to have been originally a perfonition from 

 which the outer wall has been accidentally broken away. Within 

 it on the inner face is the Ixiginning of a second simiLir ])erforution, 

 as if an attempt had been made to rejiair the damage. The 

 Authors conclude that the implement is unique, and aiv unable to 

 explain its syK-ciHe use. 



