342 Trechmann : Neolithic Remains on tlie Durham Coast. 



the chalk occurs were entirely absent. The flakes range in 

 colour from white and pink to red and yellow, and vary from 

 being translucent to quite opaque. Many when burnt or 

 weathered have a mottled appearance. 



The surface of the ground is here strewn with small rounded 

 flint nodules, possibly carefully collected from the shore and 

 streams in the neighbourhood and kept in readiness to be 

 worked up into flakes and implements. Several of the larger 

 of these nodules are battered and bruised round the edges, 

 the minute facets of freshly broken flint having weathered and 

 assumed a milky appearance. Most of the 'hammer-stones,' 

 however, were merely rounded quartzite pebbles. 



Cores, generally the nuclei of the small flint nodules above- 

 mentioned, also occurred. None of them show very many 

 facets. 



Although several hundred chipped flints were collected it was 

 not found possible to fit an}- of the flakes together or to their 

 parent cores ; however, I think that the presence of such a 

 quantity of very small and even microscopic chippings of flint, 

 together with the battered hammer-stones, is sufficient evidence 

 to show that the implements were actually made on the spot. 



A few perforated pebbles of flint and limestone were found, 

 which may possibly have been employed as net-sinkers. Such 

 naturally perforated pebbles are often picked up on the shore 

 now and sometimes kept as 'lucky stones.' 



In addition to all these implements about a hundred rough 

 weathered chips of greenstone were picked up. On looking at 

 the series closely, it is evident that many of them have been 

 roughly chipped to pointed or cutting forms.'-'' As these rough 

 greenstone implements do not appear to have been noticed else- 

 where, and, so far as these coasts are concerned, are confined 

 to this one site, I have had some of them photographed (Plate 

 XXV. ).t 



* One is undoubtedly a chipping- from a polished gTeenstone axe. — Ed. 



fA few fragments of pottery were picked up on the bare g-round, the 

 only undoubtedh' ancient pieces being- about six fragments of Roman 

 mortaria, consisting- of part of a rim and four or five pieces of the body of 

 the vessel, the insides of which are studded with hard grains, which have 

 been shown to be composed of slightly fused ironstone. Se\ eral fragments 

 of a peculiar cinder-like substance, apparently the slig-htly fused ironstone 

 for grinding up and studding in the mortaria, were noticed. Among'st the 

 rest of the pottery are about three fragments, which have every appear- 

 ance of being parts of the I'ims of vessels of ordinary Roman black ware ; 

 and a few pieces of very rough hand-made pottery, in which the clay has 

 been larg-elv mixed with fragments of quartz before burning-. 



(To be contimied.) 



Naturalist, 



