iioLMEsl AnOETOTNAL AMEETOAN ANTIQUITIES PART I 325 



flakes from the glass, presumably during the earlier stages in the fashioning of 

 the spearhead. Such abraded stones frequently occur amongst neolitlaic finds. 

 The bone was used in the final shaping of the spearhead, and to some extent 

 at lenst in the manner which is represented in the photograph [fig. 183]. 

 Tliis was not talven on the spot, but was arranged in accorchmce witli a sketcli 

 A\lii('h Dr. Clement gave to me. The developing spearhead was held in both 

 hands in tlie position shown in the pliotograpli, and the edges pressed witli a 

 sliglitly rotary movement against the edges of tlie broken end of the lione, 

 wiiich was held down witli the fingers of the left hand. ' In this manner flakes 

 A\'ere d(>tached with considerable accuracy, and the serrated edges of the blade 

 v,(>re formed by flaking deep(>r at regular intervals. The edges of the bone have 

 been partially smoothed by rubliing, presumal)ly to improve their shape for the 

 l»roc(^ss of Ihdcing the glass. ^ 



The oliserver who lias knowledo-e only of the processes required 

 i;i the iiiakina' of arroAvheads of disidiaii may be very far from hav- 

 iv.g any ade(iiuite coiK'e})tion ( f the methods required and used in 



Fic. ISo. Australiau method of chipping as descril)ed by Balfour. 



shaping like forms from tongli and hard material, as quartzite or 

 diorite, and he will be still further from understanding the processes 

 required in evolving the long spearheads, and knives, and the highly 

 sjiecialized blades and other objects found in many sections of the 

 country. With obsidian the hammer makes the flake and thins down 

 thick edges, and the bone point shapes the arrowhead with ease; 

 with the tougher materials, especiall}^ when the objects are large, the 

 range of the stone hammer's Avork is much greater, and, indeed, the 

 bone point by free-hand methods is often available only in the refine- 

 ments of finish and in many cases not at all. 



A most valuable contribution to our knowledge of the native 

 methods of working brittle stone is furnished by Nels C. Nelson.- 

 He records with the greatest fullness the work of Ishi, a Yahi Indian 

 of southern California, who kept up the practice of the art until his 



1 Balfour, On the Method Employed liy the Natives of N. W. Australia in the Manu- 

 facture of Glass Spearheads, p. G5. 

 -Flint working by Ishi, pp. 39S-402. 



