776 EEPORT— 1894. 



4. On the Evolution of Stone Implements. By H. Stopes, 



The author defined an ' Implement ' to be any stone used to facilitate man's 

 actions, not necessarily made, but used ; use being determined by wear. By 

 ' Evolution ' he meant a series of improvements in flint implements, the result of 

 mental processes and widening experience, though points are reached in all de- 

 velopments, beyond which advance on the same lines stops. 



The earliest tools were any chance natural stones used for breaking, bruising, 

 ur hammering. Traces of use are not perceived on these unless they were fre- 

 quently used, when they became worn or polished. The next step was the selec- 

 tion of stones suitable for given purposes, and convenient to be held in the 

 hand. The only signs these show of being implements are also marks of wear. 

 The author showed many such specimens, and referred to the collection of 

 Mr. Harrison, of Ightham. Natural stones were next gradually trimmed for use 

 by a few strokes. These also were illustrated by a series of what the author 

 termed ' transitional ' forms, as they are intermediate between the selected and used, 

 and the luorhed and ttsed, or Palaeolithic implements. The transitional stones are 

 frequently large and rough, generally left-handed, and with thick patination. 

 The terms PaliBolithic and Neolithic have become indefinite. Many of the 

 Palaeoliths are evidently meant for handles, and some of them are of finer work 

 than the Neoliths. Specimens were shown from many localities, but chiefly from 

 the upper-level gravels of Kent, from 80 feet to 300 feet above the O.D., in- 

 cluding anvils, hammers, anchors, net-weights, single- and double-pointed drills or 

 borers, gyrators, axes, spokeshaves, fabricators and arrow-heads ; and their parallels 

 were shown from each period. These are the types of many of the steel tools of 

 to-day. A set of sharp-pointed axes having a spiral twist were shown to be deve- 

 loped into the peculiar gyrators of the rock-shelter men, found also amongst the 

 gravels of Swanscomb. Specially instructive are the natural but used stones. 

 Fully half of these show no bulb of percussion. These invaluable records are fast 

 disappearing from free use for concrete and road metal. The importance of pre- 

 serving worked stones for the use of future students, and the value to the critic of 

 being able to compare a large series together, in order to form just conclusions, 

 were pointed out. 



5. A Joint Discussion with Section C on the Plateau Flint Implements of 

 North Kent was held, for which see p. 651. 



SATURDAY, AUGUST 11. 



The following Reports and Papers were read : — 



1. The Report of the Committee on the Mental and Physical Condition of 

 Children. — See Reports, p. 434. 



2. On a New System of Hieroglyphics and a Pro;- Phoenician Script 

 from Crete and the Peloponnese. By Arthur J. Evans, M.A. 



The author said that the Mycenaean civilisation was in many respects the 

 equal contemporary of those of Egypt and Babylonia, and they might well ask 

 themselves. Was this civilisation wholly dumb ? Homer, at least, contained a 

 hint that some form of written symbols was in use. 



During a journey to Greece in the preceding year Mr. Evans had obtained a 

 clue to the existence of a peculiar kind of seal-stones — the chief find-spot of which 

 seemed to be Crete — presenting symbols of a hieroglyphic nature. This spring he 

 had been able to follow up his inquiries by the exploration of the ancient sites of 

 Central and Eastern Crete, and the result of his researches had been to bring to 



