A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE 
somewhat larger in size than usual, from Waulud’s Bank, Luton, is illus- 
trated in fig. 50. One is often asked why stones of this class were made 
when pebbles and broken flints are so common in the fields, but the fact 
is there are very few pebbles or broken flints of suitable shapes and sizes 
for slinging or throwing. The natural stones are too large or too small, 
too flat, too angular or too long; one has only to look over a stony field 
for suitable natural sling-stones to find that none are to be found. The 
evidence at Maiden Bower shows that these stones were kept in heaps 
on the rampart, ready for use. Slingers when on a slinging expedition 
probably carried a collection in a bag suspended at the waist. 
Simple flint flakes and the cores from which they have been 
struck are common in Bedfordshire. Many of the small implements 
now to be mentioned are made from flakes slightly trimmed. Some- 
times long flakes occur with one or both edges artificially serrated ; 
these are considered to be saws. 
Scrapers are amongst the commonest tools met with in neolithic 
positions; they are generally horseshoe-shaped, plain on one side and 
worked on the other. They are usually a little larger than a penny 
and about 2 inch in thickness; the upper edge was the part used 
= eas 
Fic. 51. 
for scraping. In the accompanying illustration, fig. 51, the two lower 
scrapers are from Dunstable Downs ; the oblong example a is larger 
and more angular than usual; the specimen B is typical; the smaller 
example c is under the average size. 
Flakes are sometimes neatly chipped into the form of borers, 
awls or drills, as illustrated in the three examples from Leagrave near 
Luton, fig. 52. These finely pointed little tools were probably used 
for boring holes in skins, bone needles, etc. 
Common in neolithic positions are little tools called knives or 
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