PRIMITIVE AUSTRALIANS

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1926, 26 October 1926, Page 6

PRIMITIVE AUSTRALIANS

A SURMISE REJECTED

Prertessoir HowcMin has given it as his opinion than many of the myriad stones which strew the w&de tablelands of the Stuart Ranges in CenTJl Australia were l flaked into eolithic forms by a long-vanlished race of primitive Australians. Professor Wood Jones, who occupies 'the chair of anatomy in Adelaide University, and Mr T. D: Campbell! have been examining that hypothesis while staying at •the Stuart Rangei opal fields, and the paper (in whicih they record their findings is summarised in "Science Progress'," On 'these bare pilateaux the action of the weather is exceptionally severe, anld in the opinion of the investigators, sufficient to account for the peculiar markings and shapes of tli*J ston&s. The siHicafted desert sandstone, heated by '-tine burning sun, is exposed to the intense cold of night, and the original thermal pitting of the boulder is often carried away by the fragment so s pl4 off. Some flakes however, are definitely of the kind made by sharp blows. These shapes are usually attributed to human work. The action of the wind is sufficient., lin 'the opinion of the inquirers, jto account for these effleeis in Central Australia. Professor Wood Jones and Mr Campbell claim that their findings) as to what can be) done by weather means that many European flints attributed to man's agency must be re-examined. TEiis suggestion is scouted by . their reviewer, who holds that the effedts made by a human blow cannot Ife mistaken for other kinds of flaking.