
472 Recorps oF THe S.A. MUSEUM 
The preponderance of the scraper type of implement on the inland sites seems 
to suggest that possibly their occurrence and use there were associated with the 
making of wooden implements, suitable raw material for which was more likely 
to grow on these parts, 
The collection of large numbers of wicrolithic forms from this Kongorong 
region establishes the definite occurrence of this interesting industry still further 
to the south in this State than was previously known. Their collection during 
previous work in the Millicent-Rendelsham area (1943 and 1944) brought to 
light the rather unexpected intensive knowledge and ise of microlithic implements 
hy the Lower Sounth-Hast aborigines. So this further southerly extension not only 
confirms the previous findings, but also adds to the general interest of this partien- 
lar study. 
Grinding stones appear to be particularly rare—indicating that the grinding 
ef seeds for food material was uncommon. This is also supported by the investi- 
gation of possible supplies of plants which would yield such seed material. 
Like the implements collected durmg the 1944 work, those gathered in the 
Kongorong area also showed the characteristic *‘ weathering’’ of the flint. material, 
Discussion of this feature is made in the geological notes. 
Brief notes on the Lower South-Kast microliths. 
Combining the figures available from the work of Campbell and Noone in 
1943 and those of the present investigation, the following comparisons disclose 
interesting facts. 
Totals of implements collected. 1949: General (749); Microliths (289). 
1944: General (732); Microliths (489). 1945: General (327); Microliths (836). 
Thus the microliths, totally outnumbering as they do the larger types (1974 to 
1808), appear to have been an important part of the stone tool industry of these 
natives. 
The 1943 microliths form about one-third of the total implements collected. 
Of these microliths, nearly all were collected from one site—The Belt, which seems 
to have been a veritable ‘‘factory*’ site. For 1944, in the same district, but 
entailing work on many more sites, the number of microliths actually exceeds the 
total of the larger forms gathered. While in 1944, from, the Kongorong area, the 
microliths outnumber the larger forms in a ratio of 24 to 1, 
Distribution, Tn 1943, in approximate figures, 200 mieroliths were found 
on inland sites—Woakwine and Beit; and 89 from sites near the coast. For 1944, 
for the same area, though from more sites, the corresponding figures are 750 and 
130. But for 1945 in Kongorong, similar locational figures are respectively 13 
and 826. Thus for the Millicent-Rendelsham and adjacent coastal parts, microliths 
on inland sites predominate over coastal sites by 4 to 1; whéreas in Kongorong 
the position is completely reversed, and microliths occur almost exclusively on 
coastal sites. 
Frequency of ‘points,’ Further analysis of figures reveals the importance 
of points in this microlithic Industry—that is, in particular, the Bondi, Woakwine, 
and Buandik points. For 1943, out. of a total of 239 microliths, 151 were points: 
for 1944, eotresponding figures are 849 and 473; for 1945 in Kongorong, 536 and 
789. Thus in the frequency of microliths collected, just over 70% of their total 
number are points. There must be some significance in the vast production of 
these small, well-made, and often extremely delicate, finely pointed tools, It 
was suggested above that they may have been used as a “‘probe’’ for extracting 
the mollusc meat from its shell, This seems a likely use, considering the frequency 
of point tools where shellfish were obyiously consumed in vast quantities. The 
larger sizea of Bondi and Woakwine points seem well snited for such usage. 
Whether the small, fine specimens were also thus employed may be open to question. 
