THE FOUNDATIONS OF PREHISTORY.
97
Putting those facts together and drawing the appropriate
inference from them is a matter of logic. Thus : the sea cannot
pile up the big flints (as we see that it does) without causing
forceful impacts of one against another, and these forceful
concussions cannot take place without producing flaking that
is of precisely similar character to that which is actually found
there. From that point of view, I do not think we can hope
to obtain any more specific proof than the above, and do we
need anything more to reach a fair and reasonable conclusion ?
From other points of view, however, we have more. These
flakes, which exhibit uniform flake characters throughout, also
present a continuous sequence of patination, from the absolutely
fresh, through bluish, whitish blue, bluish white, white, yellowish
over white, light ochreous, dark ochreous, to blackish; the
last three groups usually having a white undercoat showing that
the majority of the ochreous flakes were first whitened. This
sequence of patinations clearly corresponds on the average,
I will not say without exception, to a parallel sequence in the
date of the flaking. Most of the core-blocks, and many of the
flakes, show many different dates of flaking distributed in
irregular confusion such as could only be the result of accident
where flaking and patination were proceeding concurrently.
And as the patination passes by insensible gradations from the
absolutely fresh and new we are justified in concluding that
both are of the present day.
There is also a third point of view, namely the non-human
characteristics of the flaking itself, but this is a subject into
which I am not proposing to enter, although it is implied by
what has already been said. Professor Barnes is specializing
in this aspect of the problems, particularly the detailed study of
the flaking angles, and by this independent line of approach to
the subject he has reached the same conclusions as my own.
Before leaving the subject of wave action it may be well to
point out that this varies greatly not only in the strength of the
forces brought into play, but also in their character. On many
beaches the action is mainly a process of rolling that reduces
the flints to pebbles and dees little flaking. One set of associated
conditions that are relatively unfavourable to flaking does not
invalidate another set that is more favourable. Under strong