PRECERAMIC LITHIC HORIZON 
SITES AND ARTIFACTS 
Evidence of early lithic remains in British Guiana is very slight. 
With the exception of a chipping station encountered during the 
1952-53 survey, finds are restricted to a few scattered projectile points. 
All these specimens apparently have been recovered independently 
and accidentally. Consequently, nothing is known of their associa- 
tions, and provenience is usually vaguely stated in terms of a river 
drainage. All specimens are from various districts in Essequibo 
Province, and all projectile points are in the collections of the British 
Guiana Museum. 
BARIMA RIVER, NORTHWEST DISTRICT 
The only example from the Northwest District is of red jasper 
(W. E. Roth, 1924, pl. 36 A, right). It is a large parallel-sided 
blade tapering to a short pointed tip that is missing, with a short par- 
allel-sided stemmed base. The chipping is grossly done except for 
delicately retouched edges. The total existing length is 16 cm., 
maximum width at the junction with stem 5 cm., stem length 2 cm. 
and stem width 2m. 
CUYUNI RIVER, MAZARUNI DISTRICT 
Four stemmed projectile points, all of slightly different size and 
shape have been recovered from the Cuyuni River. A broad, thin 
specimen of quartz (pl. 8, d) has a slightly contracting stem with 
a flat base. The edges show careful secondary chipping, producing 
a marked slope at the sides of the stem. The length is 10.6 cm. and 
the maximum width 4 cm. 
Another point (pl. 8, 6) of chalcedony is slightly narrower and 
thicker. The shoulders are much less pronounced and the stem con- 
tracts to a rounded base. All edges show secondary retouching. The 
tip of the point is broken off. Existing length is 11.7 cm. and 
maximum width 3.5 cm. 
The third example is chert (pl. 8, ¢c). It is more even and sym- 
metrical than the others but is of the same general form, with pro- 
nounced shoulders and a slightly contracting stem. The length is 
Sem. and the maximum width 2.5 cm. 
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