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96 one on the other side just opposite the former, and worked till the two met. The perforation thus effected had the characteristic of being narrow in the middle and opening out into a conical expansion on both sides. Hence a needle offered for sale having a bored hole would be at once recognized as a forgery. Ivory was equally good for the making of a needle, but latterly this was becoming a scarce commodity. Spears and harpoons were made of reindeer-horn because of its solid consistency—long bones being unsuitable on account of being hollow in the centre. Only the smaller lance-heads were made of bone.

The art of engraving on plaques of bone, ivory and stone now became so common that there was hardly a manufactured tool but was adorned with figures of the contemporary fauna, especially the animals hunted for food—horse, reindeer, aurochs, goat, mammoth, etc. Into this category comes the famous relic in the form of a piece of ivory from the outside layer of the tusk, having incised on it the outline of a hairy elephant.

The domain of art, sculpture, engraving and painting assumed a wider range, embracing not only the small plaques with miniature figures, but the decoration of the walls of inhabited caves with sculptured friezes and life-size paintings of animals.

In domestic economy there is evidence that the kitchen ménage was well looked after. They roasted the flesh of the captured animals and utilized their skins as garments.