APPENDIX. 
311 
from being distinguishable from those of a later date ; and as they are often produced 
even by a single blow, it is at all times difficult to discern those formed by the hand of 
man from those resulting from the accidental fracture of a flint by natural causes. For 
this reason, mere flakes of flint, however analogous to those we know to have been made 
by human art, can only be regarded as aflbrding doubtful evidence of man’s existence, 
unless found m sufficient quantities to prove design in their formation. The flint flakes 
you found in the sand at Menchecourt are in my opinion the work of man, as are also 
those found in some of the ossiferous caverns both in England and on the Continent ; 
but granting them to be so, there is little or nothing in their form to distinguish them 
from those with which we are already acquainted. 
The case is diflerent with the implements of the second class — those resembling spear 
or lance heads in form. Of these there are two varieties ; the one rounded at the point, 
its outline presenting a sort of parabolic curve ; the other acutely pointed, with the 
sides curved slightly inwards. The edges of both kinds are to a certain extent made 
sharp, but not so much so as the points, and altogether they appear better adapted for 
piercing than for cutting. Both shapes are usually truncated at the base, and at that 
end frequently show the original form of the flint. It is of course impossible to say for 
what purpose they were intended ; but they may have been attached to the end of poles 
so as to form spears or darts, or used without any handle for grubbing in the ground, 
or as wedges for splitting wood. I know of no analogous form among the Celtic imple- 
ments ; some of the rudely chipped arrow-heads found in Ireland and elsewhere present 
the nearest approach to it, but are far smaller in size, the weapons from the drift bemg 
usually from 5 to 6 inches in length. The ordinary form of stone celt is, as you are 
aware, intended for cutting at its broad end, the narrow end being inserted in the socket 
of the handle ; these, on the contrary, cut or pierce at the narrow end, while the broad 
end appears intended to rest against a stop or bracket, or to be held in the hand. 
The thhd class, implements with a cutting edge all round, have also no correspond- 
ence with the usual forms. Their prevailing shape is an oval, more or less pointed at 
one end, and equally convex on both sides. They vary in length from 2 to 8 inches, but 
are usually from 4 to 6 inches long. There is also considerable variety in their form, 
probably owing to defects in the flints from which they were fashioned ; and in fact the 
two classes into which, for convenience sake, I have divided these rudely-formed instru- 
ments, as distinct from the flint flakes, may be said to run one into the other ; it being 
hard to determine to which of them some of the weapons are to be referred. Such of 
the Celtic implements as have a cutting edge all round, are more triangular in their form 
and are of very rare occurrence ; those of the oval-shape, on the contrary, appear to be 
equally common in the drift with those of the spear head character, the oval form pre- 
dominating near Abbeville, and the spear heads being most abundant at St. Acheul. 
The use for which they were intended is by no means apparent. They may, however, 
have been used as axes, or those of the smaller size possibly as sling-stones propelled 
either from the ordinary sling or the end of a cleft stick. 
3. In point of workmanship, the implements of the two classes last described difler 
from those of the ordinary Stone period in several particulars. The majority of the 
latter show traces of having been ground and polished, wholly or in part ; those from 
2 T 2 
