The Investigation of Flint.

Abstract

THE remarkable body which we know as “flint” was, in the early history of mankind in this part of the world, as important, relatively to the general conditions of life, as the metal “iron” is at the present day. In order to interpret correctly the significance of fractured flints—whether as due to man's agency or to other causes—and also in order to infer from the glaze, polish, colour, opacity, or other features of a humanly worked flint what are the geological and other physical conditions to which it has been subjected, very definite and accurate knowledge of flint, only to be arrived at by careful quantitative investigation, such as the skilled physicist and chemist can bring to bear, is necessary. Yet the entire scientific world is in a remarkable state of ignorance with regard to flint.