THE FLINT IMPLEMENTS OF THE SHELL-MOUNDS. 193 



In order, therefore, to compare these two classes of objects, 

 we must take, not the ordinary rude specimens which are so 

 numerous in the shell-mounds, but the few better made im- 

 plements which, fortunately for science and for us, were lost 

 among the oyster-shells, or which had been broken, and 

 therefore thrown away. These, though few in number, are, 

 in Professor Steenstrup' s- opinion, quite as numerous as could 

 have been expected under the circumstances. Moreover, the 

 long flint flakes, which are so common in the Kjokkenmod- 

 dings, are sufficient evidence that great skill in the treatment 

 of flint had already been attained. Indeed, as Professor 

 Steenstrup well says, these flakes are the result of such a 

 small number of blows, they are so simple in appearance,, 

 that the art shown in their manufacture has generally been 

 much underrated. Any one, however, who will try to make 

 some for himself, while he will probably be very unsuc- 

 cessful, will at least learn a valuable lesson in the ap- 

 preciation of flint implements. Some of the flakes found in 

 the Kjokkenmoddings are equal to any from the Tumuli; 

 several of those which we found at Meilgaard were more 

 than five, and one was more than six inches in length, while 

 I have in my possession a giant flake from Fannerup (figs. 

 62-64), given to me by Professor Steenstrup, which has a 

 length of eight inches and three quarters. As regards the 

 rude, more or less triangular, " axes " which are so charac- 

 teristic of the Kjokkenmoddings and Coastfinds, Prof. Steen- 

 strup, as we have already seen, declines to compare them 

 with the polished axes of the tumuli,, because in his opinion 

 they were not intended for the same purposes. In addition 

 to the direct evidence derived from the discovery of some 

 few well-made flint axes of the tumulus type, Professor 

 Steenstrup relies much on the more indirect evidence de- 

 rivable from the other contents of the shell-mounds. Thus 

 the frequent remains of large and full-grown animals, for 



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