England was inhabited for many centuries before its written history
began. The earliest races that possessed the country were stunted,
brutal savages. They used pieces of rough flint for tools and
weapons. From flint too they produced fire. They lived by hunting
and fishing, and often had no homes but caves and rock shelters.
Following the Cave-Men came a race that had learned how to grind and
polish the stone of which they made their hatchets, knives, and
spears. This race cleared and cultivated the soil to some extent, and
kept cattle and other domestic animals.
[1] Reference Books on this Period will be found in the Classified
List of Books in the Appendix. The pronunciation of names will be
found in the Index. The Leading Dates stand unenclosed; all others
are in parentheses.