NOTES ON NEOLITHIC CHIPPING-SITES 67 



Notes on Neolithic Chipping- Sites in Northumberland 

 and Durham. 



By C. T. Trechmann, B.Sc. 



(With Plates III.-VI.) 



In the Natural History Transactions for 1880, vol. viii., 

 part ii., is a notice by the Rev. W. Howchin, F.G.S., of 

 prehistoric remains in Allendale, giving an account of, as he 

 terms it, " a true surface find of flint implements of a very rich 

 and interesting character, and under such circumstances as 

 may lead by its suggestiveness to a more extended search 

 among the fells of our northern district, which cannot fail to 

 reward the patient worker with encouraging results." 



I visited the site in question while staying at Allendale a 

 few years ago, and in addition to seeing several of the imple- 

 ments still in possession of the local inhabitants, picked up on 

 the site after long searching several specimens, some of which 

 it seems desirable to record in completion of the list given by 

 the Rev. W. Howchin in the above-mentioned paper now 

 thirty years ago. 



In one of the small runnels made by the rain on the wilder- 

 ness of bare ground on the site (which is on the fell top about 

 2% miles S.W. of Allendale Town) caused by the fumes from 

 the chimney of the smelting mill, I found a perfect greenstone 

 axe measuring 4J inches in length by 2^ inches in greatest 

 breadth, rather irregularly formed, but giving a fine regular 

 almost semicircular cutting edge. 



The side upon which it has lain for centuries is practically 

 unweathered and shows the traces of grinding well, but the 

 upper surface, which is more convex, is deeply pitted by the 

 solvent action of rain and peaty water. The material of the 

 specimen is a much decomposed igneous rock, possibly a 

 porphyry, but whose true nature I have not been able to 

 determine. 



