74. SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF ABERDEEN AND DISTRICT 
been found in Scotland, it may be inferred that they continued in use 
during the age of bronze. 
Other objects in flint are scrapers, saws, knives, amulets, fabricators, 
cores, etc. ‘The exceptional abundance of these objects in the North-east 
is to be explained by the fact that in Buchan in Aberdeenshire there is an 
extensive area, stretching inland from near Boddam for about ten miles, 
in which natural flints are plentifully found. 
Prehistoric flint workshops have been located at the seaside at Menie, 
Belhelvie, about seven miles north of Aberdeen, and farther north at 
Forvie sands near the mouth of the river Ythan, whose existence is sug- 
gested by quantities of flakes, cores and waste products, together with 
hammers, anvil stones and unfinished flint implements, having been found 
there. 
Implements in stone comprise axe-heads, hammers, cups, smoothing 
stones, amulets, whetstones, perforated discs, anvils, querns, stone lamps, 
socket stones, sinkers, whorls, mortars, etc. As in the case of flint arrow- 
heads, all artifacts in stone do not necessarily belong to Neolithic times, 
but some extended to a later period and any particular specimen has to 
be considered as to dating upon its own merits. The ornamented stone 
balls, which are believed to be peculiar to Scotland, and whose use and 
date are conjectural, are well represented in the district. The artistic 
merit of some of the more highly finished of this type of ball suggest a 
date not long before or even within the historic period. 
Objects of bronze found in the district are leaf-shaped swords, scab- 
bards, dagger-blades, spear-heads, and different varieties of flat, flanged 
and socketed axe-heads, bronze harness mountings, sickles, etc. 
Objects of personal adornment are not infrequent. They are com- 
monly armlets of elaborate design, sometimes with enamels inset. In 
this connection beads may be mentioned, which though not of bronze 
are articles of adornment. ‘They are made of many varieties of stone and 
of paste, the latter decorated with the same spiral design which is found 
on the bronze amulets. 
Specimens of most of the objects referred to in this section are to be 
seen in the University Museum. 
Iron Ace.—Earth houses—These structures are found sporadically 
from Berwickshire to Shetland, especially in the east, but here they occur 
more plentifully. In the parishes of Auchindoir and Kildrummy, Aber- 
deenshire, a group of about fifty have been recorded in recent times within 
an area of two square miles. Again, not far off, in the Cromar area, no 
fewer than seven have been noted. 
The typical Scottish earth house, in the older vernacular ‘ yerd hoose,’ 
is invisible from the surface of the ground, though the roof is within a 
foot or two of it. This is how they appear when discovered to-day, 
but when in use the entrance leading into the chamber was of course 
exposed. ‘The underground tunnel has walls made of undressed stones, 
without mortar, which converge as they rise and support the massive flat 
stones laid across them to form the roof. One or two specimens have been 
found with perpendicular walls, from which, and from the absence of the 
roofing stones, a wooden roof can be inferred. The entrance is narrow 
