MR. W. G. CLARKE ON NEOLrTIIIC MAN IN THETFORD DISTRICT. 33 
number. The scrapers found at Thetford I have divided into five 
varieties, to one of which I am able to refer all that I have yet 
found. They are : — 
1. Circular. 
2. Oval. 
3. Hollow. 
4. Duck-bill. 
5 Worked to a quadrant or more of si circle. 
(«) Narrow at bulb. 
( 6 ) Wide at bulb. 
Of fifty-eight specimens noted, only three have any other chipping 
on the under surface than the tap which is always given to the bulb 
of concussion. One of these is the double hollow scraper (Fig. 4), 
another is circular, and the third belongs to type 5a. and is more 
properly a knife-scraper. Only four circular scrapers have fallen to 
my lot in this neighbourhood, one of which is from Icklingham 
Heath. The first one is an interesting specimen, in that, like many 
other Neolithic implements, it has been re-chipped. The original 
piece of Hint was of a blue slaty colour, and for that reason probably 
attracted the eye of some wandering Neolithic knapper, for they 
always seem to have preferred any variations in colour that they 
could obtain. lie fashioned it into a scraper, and whilst fishing 
one day from his canoe, probably in the creek that now forms the 
Little Ouse Valley, accidentally dropped his scraper in the water, 
and it became buried in the alluvium, where the acidity of the peat 
tinged the surface red. During a drought, perhaps, or when 
from some cause or other the alluvial deposit was laid bare, another 
N eolith, though of a much later generation, again discovered it ami 
chipped it afresh round the edge, leaving the trade-mark of the 
fenland on the flat top and bottom surface. It is now as nearly as 
possible a perfect circle. 
Of the five specimens of oval scrapers, the first is beautifully 
chipped over the entire top surface, the second and third have the 
flaking ridges but no secondary chipping, whilst the fourth and 
fifth are perfectly smooth. The third type of scraper is the 
“duck-bill,” which is a flake-like implement chipped to a rounded 
edge at one end, and on this, as well as type o, the crust of the 
flint is often left, as when working with greasy fingers, this would 
enable a much firmer grip to be obtained than could otherwise have 
VOL. VI. d 
