They maintaine these workes, to haue
beene verie auncient, and first wrought by the Iewes with Pickaxes of
Holme, Boxe, and Harts horne: they prooue this by the name of those
places yet enduring, to wit, Attall Sarazin, in English, the Iewes
offcast, and by those tooles daily found amongst the rubble of such
workes. And it may well be, that as Akornes made good bread, before
Ceres taught the vse of Corne; and sharpe Stones serued the Indians
for Kniues, vntill the Spaniards brought them Iron: so in the infancie
of knowledge, these poore instruments for want of better did supplie
a turne. There are also taken vp in such works, certaine little
tooles heads of Brasse, which some terme Thunder-axes, but they make
small shew of any profitable vse. Neither were the Romanes ignorant
of this trade, as may appeare by a brasse Coyne of Domitian's, found
in one of these workes, and fallen into my hands: and perhaps vnder
one of those Flauians, the Iewish workmen made here their first
arriuall.
[9] They discouer these workes, by certaine Tynne-stones,lying on the
face of the ground, which they terme Shoad, as shed from the maine
Load, and made somwhat smooth and round, by the waters washing &
wearing.
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