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Abstract

In the monthly notices of this Society for June, July,
and August, 1875, page 41, the late Mr. J. R. Scott describes
the locality of a native quarry" from where the Aborigines obtained their flint or stone implements. One location of such a quarry is in the north-east of the stone hut in Stocker's Bottom, County of Somerset, Parish of Pell.
The second location is south-west on Lot 443, on a branch of Dismal Creek, running out of Stocker's Bottom.
The quarries
were not working places—they were quarries pure
and simple—that is to say, places from which the stone
used for implements was obtained. The Aborigines
visited these places simply to obtain a supply of suitable
flakes, most of which they took away in order to shape
them at their camping grounds.
I can only suppose
that every time when an Aborigine required an
implement he wished it to be of a certain size. He
commenced striking off flakes till one of the desired
size was obtained, disregarding all the others that fell
off, however suitable they might otherwise have been,
because they did not have the size, or perhaps better
said, the required weight. It cannot be the shape, because
all Tasmanian implements are true amorpholithes—
that is to say, devoid of all intentional form. It
can therefore only be the size or the weight of the desired
flake that came into consideration. If this view be
correct, it would certainly account in a satisfactory
way for the otherwise puzzling fact that numerous
flakes which are evidently suitable for implements have
been rejected, while others less suitable have been
worked into implements.

Item Type:	Article
Authors/Creators:	Noetling, Fritz
Keywords:	Royal Society of Tasmania, Van Diemens Land, VDL, Hobart Town, natural sciences, proceedings, records
Journal or Publication Title:	Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
ISSN:	0080-4703
Collections:	Royal Society Collection > Papers & Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania
Additional Information:	In 1843 the Horticultural and Botanical Society of Van Diemen's Land was founded and became the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science in 1844. In 1855 its name changed to Royal Society of Tasmania for Horticulture, Botany, and the Advancement of Science. In 1911 the name was shortened to Royal Society of Tasmania.
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