This authoritative archaeological study examines the ancient stone implements, weapons, and ornaments of Great Britain, tracing the development of material culture from prehistoric times. The author establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding stone antiquities, categorizing artifacts by their age, typology, and geographic distribution across the British Isles. Special attention is devoted to the methods of manufacture, exploring how prehistoric artisans utilized flint, chert, and other hard rocks to craft cutting tools, arrow-heads, and household implements through chipping, grinding, and sawing.
The volume provides a detailed comparative analysis between British artifacts and discoveries from Scandinavia, France, and other parts of the world, utilizing ethnographic parallels from contemporary indigenous peoples to interpret ancient usage. The text is divided into two primary epochs: the Neolithic or Surface Period, characterized by polished celts, elaborate arrow-heads, and personal ornaments found in barrows and settlements; and the Palæolithic Period, focusing on unpolished flint implements unearthed from ancient river-drift gravels and ossiferous caves alongside extinct mammalian remains.
Throughout the work, the author addresses persistent misconceptions regarding the nature of stone antiquities, refuting long-held superstitions that viewed these objects as natural formations or celestial thunderbolts. By synthesizing geological evidence with detailed descriptions of countless artifacts, woodcut illustrations, and indices of subjects and localities, the volume constructs a reliable chronological sequence of early human technology. The investigation demonstrates how primitive toolmakers systematically progressed in their mastery over intractable materials, laying the technological foundations for subsequent ages of bronze and iron.
