182 



Proceedings of the Roj/al Irhh Academy. 



particularly well. In our figures, the back of the flakes only is shown 

 as a rule ; but in all cases the bulb of percussion is placed uppermost. 

 Where the depth from which the flake or core was taken is not stated 

 on the figure, it is to be understood that it was picked up among 

 the loose flints of the gravels. 



The section in the aluminium works at Larne shows, however, 

 that from an early period in the history of the beach the art of making 

 delicate and skilfully shaped flakes was known. The delicate flakes 

 necessarily suffered most in the gravels, and they have been generally 

 overlooked by collectors, who have sought the large, coarse flakes^ 

 which they have come to look on as typical of the site. But, in 

 addition to specimens collected by us, Mr. Coffey has obtained from 

 the workmen in the aluminium works, which embrace the bank of 

 Eoulder-clay where the action of the beach was least active, large 

 numbers of slender and well-formed flakes. Typical leaf -shaped flakes 

 are, however, comparatively rare ; an example, picked up in the 

 aluminium works, is shown (fig. 5, IN'o. 6). 



Lame not a Dtvelling-Site. 



The Larne gravels were not a dwelling-site. The general evidence 

 leads to the conclusion that they were a quarry-shop, or roughing-out 

 place, where the flint was sought and flaked to carry away. This 

 appears to be the only adequate explanation of the enormous number 

 of cores and waste flakes found there. Many of the cores are evidently 

 rejects, cast aside after a few trial flakes were struck off. Thus in 

 fig. 4, IS"©. 4, we see that, owing to a defect in the quality of the flint 

 at the centre of the core, the flakes broke off short, and the piece 

 was, no doubt, thrown away as useless. 



The absence at Larne of scrapers and flakes with secondary dress- 

 ing is thus sufficiently accounted for. The site was not a settlement, 

 but was resorted to as a quarry for procuring flakes, which were then 

 carried away to be used for various purposes, and possibly as blanks 

 for further specialization. 



The Larne Celt. 



The rude flint celt referred to (fig. 6, I^o. 4) was found at the 

 bottom of the sand-layer. It was also in the undisturbed gravels that 

 the rude celt, mentioned in the Field Club report, was found in the 

 railway section, at a depth of 11 feet from the surface. This celt has 

 been figured by Mr. W. Gray, M.R.I. A. ^ It is of the same class as 



1 Proc. B. N. F. C. (2), vol. iii., p. GH. 



