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Two fairly large stone shelters at the northern end of the terrace, about fifty yards apart, were al rock shelter of the Ninth Cave, but because of the way the cliff curved, the shelters did not face south, which Ayla felt made this place less desirable She looked down at the southerly end of the terrace of the Ninth Cave beyond a spring-fed streae of the stone porch, and she realized that this ledge was soher in elevation

“Which Cave claims this place?” Ayla asked

“No Cave really claims it,” Jondalar said “It’s called Down River, probably because it’s just downriver fro that rises out of the back wall has worn through the stone porch that makes a natural division between the Ninth Cave and Down River We e to connect the two places The Ninth Cave probably uses it more than any other, but all of the Caves use it”

“What do they use it for?” Ayla asked

“For s It’s a place to work People come here to work on their crafts, especially crafts that use hard materials”

Ayla noticed then that the whole terrace of Down River, but especially within and around the area of the two northernmost abris, was littered with a refuse of ivory, bone, antler, wood, and stone fro weapons, and various implements

“Jondalar, I’ on ahead,” Joharran said “We’re almost home and I know you want to stay here and tell Ayla all about Down River”

The rest of the people of the Ninth Cave went on with him It was dusk, and would soon be dark

“The first of these stone shelters is used mostly by those ork flint,” Jondalar said “Flint leaves a lot of sharp pieces when you work it It’s best to keep them in one place” Then he looked around and saw that the debitage of chips and flakes, left behind in the process ofknives, spear points, scrapers, the chisel-like tools called burins, and other weapons and tools out of the hard siliceous stone, was all over “Well,” he sinal idea”

He told her that most of the stone tools made here were taken to the second rock shelter to be attached to handles made out of other materials such as wood or bone, and s out of the same hard materials, but there were no hard and fast rules about as ether

For example, the worker who shaped flint into a knife blade often collaborated closely with the one whoa bitof the blade to fit into the handle better, or suggesting that the haft be modified or thinned for better balance Or the shaper of a bone spear point est a way to rework it to make it easier to use Or the carver who decorated the handle or shaft ht want a special chisel point, and only a skilled and experienced knapper could detach a burin-spall off the end of the flint iet the desired result

Jondalar greeted a few crafters ere still around the second stone shelter at the north end of the terrace, working on some project, and introduced Ayla They eyed the arily, but went back to work after the animal and the couple passed on

“It’s getting dark,” Ayla said “Where will those people sleep?”

“They could coht a fire and stay up late, and then spend the night in one of those sleeping lodges under the first shelters we passed,” he explained “They’re trying to finish before tomorrow If you recall, there were one ho with friends at the Ninth Cave”

“Does everyone come here to work on projects?” Ayla asked