Page:VCH Bedfordshire 1.djvu/208

A HISTORY OF BEDFORDSHIRE somewhat larger in size than usual, from Waulud's Bank, Luton, is illus- trated in fig. 50. One is often asked why stones of this class were made when pebbles and broken flints are so common in the fields, but the fact is there are very few pebbles or broken flints of suitable shapes and sizes for slinging or throwing. The natural stones are too large or too small, too flat, too angular or too long ; one has only to look over a stony field for suitable natural sling-stones to find that none are to be found. The evidence at Maiden Bower shows that these stones were kept in heaps on the rampart, ready for use. Slingers when on a slinging expedition probably carried a collection in a bag suspended at the waist. Simple flint flakes and the cores from which they have been struck are common in Bedfordshire. Many of the small implements now to be mentioned are made from flakes slightly trimmed. Some- times long flakes occur with one or both edges artificially serrated ; these are considered to be saws. Scrapers are amongst the commonest tools met with in neolithic positions ; they are generally horseshoe-shaped, plain on one side and worked on the other. They are usually a little larger than a penny the upper edge was the part used Fig. 51. for scraping. In the accompanying illustration, fig. 51, the two lower scrapers are from Dunstable Downs ; the oblong example A is larger and more angular than usual ; the specimen b is typical ; the smaller example c is under the average size. Flakes are sometimes neatly chipped into the form of borers, awls or drills, as illustrated in the three examples from Leagrave near Luton, fig. 52. These finely pointed little tools were probably used for boring holes in skins, bone needles, etc. Common in neolithic positions are little tools called knives or 164