Eoliths.—Their Origin And Age

Extract

The discovery of these interesting stones by Mr. Benjamin Harrison on the high plateau of Kent, as long ago as 1885, their endorsement by Sir Joseph Prestwich, and the controversy about them which has since ensued, are, no doubt, known to all.

An eolith, in the strict sense of the word, is usually understood to be a flattish piece of flint, naturally fractured as to its plane surfaces, but chipped or hacked around its edges, in a direction more or less approaching a right angle to those surfaces. In some cases the piece of flint is not flat, and the chipping may then have been applied in a rather different manner. It should be noted that sarsens and other stones were used, as well as flint.

Not a few persons are dissatisfied with the word “eolith.” It bears an awkward resemblance to “neolith.” Moreover, it has begged the question, before exhaustive evidence has been forthcoming, of the position in prehistoric time of this particular series of chipped flints.

Even supposing that the eoliths ought to be placed (as has been taken for granted by some) before the Palaeolithic industry, our present knowledge would not be sufficient to enable us to assert, without fear of contradiction, that these are man's first efforts in chipping flints.