MINOR ANTIQUITIES OF METAL, BONE, IVORY AND STONE. 199

/,'. A lid of grey schist, XXXVIII. 18, has an incised decoration of
seven triangles filled with parallel oblique lines and disposed round its
circumference so as to leave a star-shaped space with the knob as a centre.
Compare the pattern on a vessel from Syra, 'E(£- '&px- 1899, irlv. ix. 4.

I. A complete steatite lamp and part of another, found at the same level
as the steatite bowls, will be discussed along with the more numerous laraps
made of earthenware in a later section (p. 209.)

§ S.—Misccllancous Objects of Stone.

Celts and hämmere of neolithic types were not found at Phylakopi. The
nearest approach to a celt is a water-worn pebble of somewhat soft green
«tone which has been ground roughly into shape. Length
•16, width -065.

A polished hemisphere of white limestone seems to
be a Mycenaean sword-pommel. Round the edge of the
Hat face runs an incised line, and in the centre of it is a
sinking 015 in diameter. Diameter of the pommel 056.

Wkctstoncs—One complete example, XL. 35, of fine
reddish slate, is "13 long. There are parts of two others
like it in shape, of grey slate, and one of grey slate worn
very thin and round.

It is convenient to mention here a block of slate,
Fig. 172, meäsuring Q,8 by 065 by "038, which has ä Fia. 172.—Gboovbd
groove on each of the longer edges, one rnnning Implement of
lengthwise and the other crosswise, and is perforated Slate. (1:4.)
through the centre; some cross Scratches on one of
the short edges look like the beginning of a third groove. Similar
slabs of mica-schist were found at Troy (Bios, Figs. GOG, 607). The resem-
blance is noteworthy, since in many respects there is a considerable diverg-
ence between the civilisations of Troy and of Melos. Schliemann called
them spit-rests. It has been suggested that they were used for sharpening
round-edged tools, such as gouges, or for trimming wooden arrowshafts.
The principal objection to these explanations is that among the objects of
this form fotind at Troy there were some of clay as well as of mica-schist.

Two irregulär lumps of soft white tufa, which have almond-shaped
grooves about '05 long and -02 deej) sharply cut in their upper face, seem
to have been used for sharpening tools.

Pcäles and mortars formed of a very coarse grit were found in great
numburs (Fig. 173) ; the mortars and both ends of the pestles were often
ground quite sniooth. Some of the latter are as much as -12 long. Cf.
Perrot and Chipiez, vi. Fig. 21.

XL. 38 represents a very small pestle of fine pink-veined sandstone, in
shape a cylinder hollowed round the centre; length -045, diameter -035.
Others of the same type mostly made of marble have been found on the