620 



HUMAN JAW AND FLINT-IMPLEMENTS 



satisfactory explanation. A large party of workmen were 

 employed, nnder the inspection of the Conference and of 

 other French savants, in search of flint haches, five of which 

 were yielded during the operations of the day ; and in no 

 case was any circumstance observed or noted which would 

 justify the opinion that they had been fraudulently introduced. 

 I was a witness to the appearance of two. One of them was 

 disclosed by a fall of a part of the section undermined by the 

 pick-axe, and on being summoned to the spot, I saw it, not 

 engaged in the gravel, but supported on the hand of M. Al- 

 phonse-Edwards, before it fell, at the spot where it was 

 observed. On moving his hand it dropped without leaving 

 any impression. The other was brought up to M. Bert from 

 near the edge of one of the so-called ' puisards,' when I was 

 standing above, close by him ; but no mark of its impression 

 could be seen in the incoherent gravel. Four of these haches 

 were afterwards handed over to Mr. Prestwich for detailed 

 examination, one of them having been retained in the con- 

 dition in which it was found, by the president, M. Milne- 

 Edwards. The four which were brought to England have 

 been washed and carefully examined by Mr. Prestwich 

 and myself. They maintain the same character of contra- 

 dictory and incompatible evidence, which has been evinced 

 throughout in this extraordinary case. One of them bears 

 the most pronounced marks of antiquity, in form, rolling, 

 facets, weathering, glimmer, and uniform staining; while 

 the other three exhibit every positive and negative character, 

 which we have held to throughout, as stamping haches of 

 modern fabrication ! There was no intermediate condition. 

 I append a descriptive note of each. 1 



These haches were examined, hi a cursory manner, by the 



' Notes on the specimens of flint- 

 implements found at Moulin-Quignon, 

 in presence of the Commission, May 12, 

 1863, dictated by H. F. to Mr. Prest- 

 wich : — 



No. 1. Labelled ' Found in situ ' (A. 

 Edwards). — Form and contour narrow, 

 ovato-laneeolate, sharp all round the 

 edge and at the base ; thick ; facets very 

 irregular and deep, like those regarded by 

 me and Mr. Evans as unauthentic; ridges 

 separating the facets high and angular ; 

 surface where washed, like that of a recent 

 flint j no dendrites, no patina, no incrus- 

 tation, and no glimmer of rolling; thin 

 films, of considerable extent, without any 

 fracUire of margin — of the unauthentic 

 character. 



No. 2. Washed on one side ; covered 

 with ochreous sandy matrix on the 



other ; in form ovate ; point broken off, 

 but fracture rounded ; body thin ; facets 

 shallow, like the true St. Acheul type; 

 discoloured surface with a bright glim- 

 mer ; margin all round more or less ob- 

 tuse — of the authentic type. 



No. 3. Ovate in outline like the last, 

 but point entire. In all other respects, 

 as regards facets, fracture, &c, like No. 

 1. — of the unauthentic type. 



No. 4. Pointed ovate, but in sivrface, 

 fracture, &c, fresh-looking, like No. 3 ; 

 facets excessively rude ; ridges high, and 

 upon the thick part, on one side, a rude 

 irregular pit, as if caused by a vertical 

 blow. Some of the films very large, ex- 

 cessively thin, quite entire, and not the 

 least mark of matrix below — of the sus- 

 pected or unauthentic type. 



