8 II. Rivett-Carnac — Stone implements. [Jan. 



stone implement of this sort inserted into a handle exactly after the man* 

 ner shewn in the ancient stone implements of Great Britain. In shape they 

 nearly resemble the iron hatchet or little axe with its iron bands discovered 

 in one of the circular tumuli of the Central Provinces and figured and 

 described by Mr. Rivett-Carnac at page 6 of Vol. XLVIII of the Society's 

 Journal. The stone celts were probably in some cases fixed on to the handle 

 with bands of tude or string in the manner of the iron axe. A weapon of 

 this shape was to be seen sculptured in one of the slabs of the Sanchi Topes, 

 (photographed in Fergusson's * Tree and Serpent Worship') in the hand 

 of what Fergusson had described as a Dasyu, a description in which it was, 

 however, believed Dr. Rajendralala Mitra did not agree. 



The stone selected for the celts is generally greenstone of various 

 degrees of fineness, in some cases nearly approaching the porphyry. The 

 extreme of this class of rock is a hard black material resembling basalt. 

 Very rarely this black material is found perfectly polished. One or two of 

 the smaller specimens have been recently polished on one side and an edge 

 given to them in order to shew the condition in which it is believed they 

 were used, and it would be seen that a really practical axe or hatchet could 

 be made out of this rough stone. 



The collection also contained celts with depressions similar to those 

 found in Europe, hammer or ring-stones, two remarkable stone hammers 

 of an entirely new type, a stone pestle and a stone ploughshare. 



The last class comprises some dozen stones of peculiar shape, the exact 

 use of which it was difficult to suggest. They were perhaps intended for 

 pivots for doors. The best specimens of the collection will be selected for 

 description in the Society's Journal. 



Mr. John Cockburn read extracts from a paper about to be published 

 in the Society's Journal under the joint authorship of Mr. J. H. Rivett- 

 Carnac, C. I. E., and himself. He explained the forms, uses, and manufac- 

 ture of stone implements and exhibited a collection of celts, arrow heads, 

 knives, chisels, rasps, planes, and borers. The results of the authors' 

 researches were epitomized under three heads : — 



Firstly, the discovery of flint im.plements of types hitherto only found 

 in Egypt and the islands of the Greek Archipelago. 



Secondly, the discovery of fossil bones found associated with stone 

 implements, and in one instance bearing cuts supposed to have been made 

 by such. 



Thirdly, the finding of a bit of sculpture representing a man armed 

 with a stone axe in its handle which has been assigned to a period between 

 the Gth and 10th centuries. This date, if accepted by antiquarians, will, 

 the authors are of opinion, be an important land-mark in the unwritten 

 history of ancient India. 



