: Feb i: 
i 20, 1873 
NATURE 
307 
Just as certain species of animals have perpetuated them- 
selves since the earliest quaternary epoch, in like manner 
certain forms of hewn flint have been found almost with- 
out change through several archzological ages. 
You have just seen that geologists have been able, more 
than once, to determine and designate an entire fauna 
from a single characteristic specimen ; archzeologists, in 
F.ia 4. Fic 5 Fic. 3. 3 
The Moustier type: Lanc: Point carved on oneside. Fig. 3.—The plain 
side, cut out with one stroke ; the projection of the bulb of percussion 
is visible at the base. Fig. 4.—The carved side. Fig. 5.—Edge view. 
like manner, have chosen in each case the most charac- 
teristic tool to distinguish the different periods of the 
Stone age. We cannot strictly determine these periods 
and their precise number, for working in flint may have 
had many modifications at the same epoch, but in different 
localities. However, in studying the question in its en- 
tirety, we may, following M. de Mortillet’s example, reduce 
to three the number of archzological periods of the quater- 
nary epoch. . 
I, The most remarkable type of the early quaternary 
age is the hatchet of St. Acheul (see Figs. 1 and 2). 
It is a flint of varying bulk, always rather large, longer 
than it is wide, thick in the centre, graduated towards 
the edges, presenting one extremity pointed, or rather 
arched, while the other is rather rounded ; and the pre- 
dominant characteristic is its being carved on both sides, 
and the sides are more or less convex and more or less 
symmetrical. This type abounds at St. Acheul, near 
Amiens, in the valley of the Somme, hence its name ; 
but it has been found in most of the beds of the Mam- 
moth Age. It is sometimes, but rarely, to be met with in 
less ancient beds. : 
II. A second epoch of the Stone Age is characterised 
‘by the point of Moustier (see Figs. 3, 4, and 5). This 
weapon, which was fixed to the end of a huge lance, pre- 
sents an exterior contour not dissimilar to that of the 
_ hatchet of St. Acheul, unless, perhaps, in being slightly 
more pointed ; but its distinguishing mark lies in its being 
carved on one side only ; the other side is cut out with 
one stroke, and has not been retouched. It is not there- 
fore biconvex, like the other, but planoconvex, and con- 
sequently half the thickness. 
The Moustier type takes its name from the Moustier 
Cave, where it is verycommon. It was not common until 
the intermediate reriod. . 
III. The art of cutting flint was perfected in a third 
epoch, which corresponds with the Reindeer Age. The 
pointed or sharp-edged weapons became less massive ; 
the contours and sides were more regular, more symmetri- 
cal, and a delicate touching up, in fine little strokes, gradu- 
ated them towards the edges. This period of the Stone 
Age is less marked by the nature of the weapons than by 
the style of workmanship, It is, however, agreed to take 
as a type the lance point of Solutré, because a short time 
since the lances found at the station of Solutré, in Macon- 
nais, were the best-cut weapons that had been extracted 
from the quaternary beds (see Fig. 6); but, since: then, 
Dr. Jules Parrot, and his brother M. Philippe Parrot, have 
found at Saint Martin d’Excideuil (Dordogne), ina cave 
of eg Reindeer Age, several flints carved ina yet superior 
style. 
IV. We have now arrived at the end of the Reindeer 
Age. Directly the present epoch opens upon us, we see 
apparent in the flint cutting a further improvement, 
which marks the commencement of a new archzological 
era. Upto this time the flint had only been fashioned 
by pressure or percussion. They had learnt, it is true, to 
round by friction some objects in stone in a very rough 
style, but the weapons and tools in flint were always hewn. 
In the new era now commencing, many weapons were 
still made of cut flints; but from that time forth they 
knew how to polish them, and the polished hatchet, too 
well known to need description, became man’s principal 
auxiliary (see Fig. 7). 
This hatchet characterises the epoch of polished stone, 
or the neolithic epoch, which terminates the age of stone, 
and which, consequently, lasts until the introduction of 
metals. The entire period preceding the appearance of 
the polished hatchet constitutes the epoch of hewn stone, 
Fic. 6. 
Fic. 7. 
Fic 6—The type of Solu:ré: Lance Point of Solutré (Hamy. Human 
Palzcntology). Fig. 7.—Ihe Polished Hatchet. 
which is also called the archzolithic epoch, or better still 
palzolithic. 
The different phases of the epoch of hewn stone suc- 
ceeded each other progressively, and by almost impercep- 
tible transitions, like the corresponding geological periods ; 
the epoch of polished stone, on the contrary, stands out 
clearly and almost abruptly from that which preceded it, 
Its commencement coincides exactly with the disappear- 
