158 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES. 



be declared in £ s. d., are sucli as cannot fail to bring credit to tlie country. 

 Kudos in place of casb — a not unworthy alternative ! 



The great scientific importance of this valuable heritage imposes 

 certain responsibilities upon the Administration. Organisation in research 

 is very desirable, and, although it is undesirable to curb the enthusiasm of 

 untrained collectors, who may help very materially, it is to be hoped that, 

 as far as possible, the field-work may be conducted under the advice and, 

 when possible, the surveillance of properly trained and qualified archaeolo- 

 gists, who may ensure that scientific methods will be pursued. This will 

 render the finds collected more reliable as evidence, suitable for co- 

 ordination, and capable of serving as material for building up the early 

 human history of the region. The appointment of a carefully selected 

 advisory committee would appear to be a practical measure, and might 

 prevent much unprofitable work. A valuable archseological site may so 

 easily be spoilt and its interest permanently destroyed by the unmethodical 

 fossickings of untrained enthusiasts, who would be better employed if 

 they restricted their efforts to collecting surface specimens. Many 

 important sites have already been rendered useless for systematic excava- 

 tion through unmethodical disturbance of their stratified deposits by 

 persons whose sole objective has been the acquisition of objects, and who 

 have neglected to record the data which, if carefully noted, would have 

 given real interest to their finds. A single site methodically investigated 

 has far more value than a dozen unsystematically exploited. 



Surface finds are very frequently of importance to the prehistorian, 

 particularly when accurately localised, but it must be remembered that 

 their interest is derived and not intrinsic. Their value to science depends 

 upon the possibility of comparing them with similar types whose chrono- 

 logical horizon has been ascertained with certainty from their position in 

 undisturbed stratified deposits. Material, form, technique, patination 

 and abrasion, all have their significance when surface finds are collated with 

 those of determined provenance. Science makes exacting demands from 

 its votaries, and archseological research is no exception. The difficulties 

 and complexities involved in investigations of the earlier phases of human 

 culture furnish, indeed, one of the chief attractions of this line of research, 

 whose results vary in their importance with the degree of care exercised 

 in obtaining them. 



When one is engaged in research-work, there is undoubtedly a fascina- 

 tion in following up a theory already formulated, and in seeing the newly 

 discovered material fitting into the theory and supporting it. But it 

 must be admitted that there is danger in this attractive procedure, since 

 preconceived ideas tend to restrict and cramp the outlook of the investigator 

 and to bias his mind, causing him to overlook evidence which may be of 

 considerable significance. At the present time, it is not so much abstract 

 theories that are wanted as concrete facts — unassailable facts, ascertained 

 by close scrutiny of ancient alluvial deposits upon ancient camping-sites, 

 in caves, under rock-shelters and so on. From these in time will be 

 established the relative antiquity, sequence-position and characteristics of 

 the early industries represented in South Africa ; their geographical 

 dispersal, the probable routes of their migrations and their inter- 

 relationships. Also the effects of the successive impacts of newly arrived 



