A HISTORY OF WARWICKSHIRE of neolithic man, but these appear trivial when compared with those of the palaeolithic age. From what has already been said about the scarcity of flint in Warwickshire, and the rarity of its use for the making of pakeolithic implements, the reader will be prepared to find that the neolithic imple- ments discovered in the same district have in several cases been made of various materials besides flint. A hard local stone has been employed for the manufacture of neolithic implements found at some of the following places in Warwickshire : Barton-on-tbe-Heatb. A celt formed of flint and thoroughly ground all over so as to obliterate nearly all marks of chipping was found here some years ago. It is 5^ in. long, 2^ in. broad and i in. thick, the somewhat clumsy proportions being due apparently to the poor character of the material employed. It is preserved in the museum at Rugby School. Hartsbill Common. A perforated axe 1 made of blue stone and weathered superficially to an olive-green colour. It was found in 1770 in or near a tumulus, but the record is not very clear. In form it presents the peculiarity of expanding at both the blunt and the sharp ends. Lillington near Warwick, A small ground celt of green stone, slightly over 3 inches long, now in Warwick Museum. Found in 1900 by Mr. S. S. Stanley. Long Compton. A ground flint celt, completely smoothed all over, was found some years ago at Long Compton, and passed into the possession of Mr. M. H. Bloxam, F.S. A. 2 It is described by Mr. Beesley 3 as ' a sacrificial celt,' but is evidently an implement of the usual type. Sutton Coldfield. A perforated hammerstone of green stone, 3 inches in length. 4 CELT OF WHITE FLINT, Walsgrave - upon - Sowe near Coventry. A per- hOUND AT LoNC COMPTON, r j r 11 J 11 WARWICKSHIRE. foratcd axe of green stone superficially damaged by weathering, now in the collection of Sir John Evans. A hammerstone, 3 inches long, made from a quartzite pebble, was found at Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry. 6 THE BRONZE AGE The prehistoric period witnessed no more important event than the discovery of metal. It is difficult, if not impossible, to understand all that was involved in the introduction of bronze and the art of working it. 1 Bartlett's History and Antiquities of Mancetter, Warwickshire, p. 17, pi. 2, fig. 3; Evans' Ancient Stone Implement!, p. 187, ed. 2.
- Fragmenta SepubbraKa, by M. H. Bloxam, p. i z. 3 The History ofBanbury, i. 7.
4 Op. cit. p. 224; Proc. Soc. Antiq. vii. 268, ser. 2. ' Evans' Ancient Stone Implements, p. 198, ed. 2. Ibid. p. 240, ed. 2. 216 u
