112 PROBABLE PALEOLITHIC FLOOR AT PRAK SANDS. [Feb. I904. 



this spot was inhabited. He thought that it would be interesting 

 to know something more as to the character of the hearths and the 

 exact position of the so-called ' implements ' in relation to them. 



Mr. P. F.Kendall observed that the relation of the raised beaches 

 to the ' head '' was clearly shown ; the question turned on the mode 

 of origin of the latter. He referred to the ' head ' at Porthleven, 

 which (as Searles-Wood, Jr., had suggested) was probably the result 

 of soil-creep. The pulpy condition ensuing on the break-up of a 

 severe frost might well produce such a ' creep.' It was very sugges- 

 tive that the materials of which the hearths consisted were derived 

 from elvans. 



Mr. 0. A. Shrttbsole asked for further evidence as to the age of 

 the carbonaceous layer. The fragments of vein-quartz were not in 

 themselves sufficiently definite. 



Mr. Held, in reply to Mr. Strahan, explained that charcoal is 

 almost indestructible, and the crumbs found in the loam have the 

 rectangular fracture characteristic of charcoal. Unburnt vegetable 

 remains might be found carbonized, but would occur as splinters, 

 twigs, leaves, or seeds, none of which were seen. The only traces 

 of plants, besides the charcoal, were small vertical roots, represented 

 by fibrous ferruginous cylinders, too much decayed for microscopic 

 examination. The charcoal appeared to be crushed and trampled 

 into the soil, and the Authors had not yet been able to extract a 

 piece sufficiently large for the determination of the wood, although 

 the cell-structure was well preserved. 



The Authors would not like to speak confidently as to any one of 

 the stones exhibited being an implement ; but the evidence was 

 cumulative. The common occurrence of vein-quartz in a layer 

 containing hearths of the fire-resisting elvan, the discovery of 

 abundant crumbs of charcoal, the stratigraphical position of this 

 layer, which seemed to coincide with the Palaeolithic layer of the 

 Hampshire coast, all pointed to the presence of man. If these rude 

 tools were not implements, then Ave were confronted by the strange 

 occurrence of numerous signs of human occupation, but no associated 

 implements. 



