GEOGRAPIir AND ANTIQUITIES. 3G3 



existing civilized age. Stone implements occur in China, but 

 less often apparently than in Japan. Though not absolutely 

 proved, it is extremely probable that there has been a stone age 

 in every part of the world. 



A Scottish '' Cran-Nog.'''' — During 12 years past great archae- 

 ological interest has been centred in Scotland from the fact that 

 in various parts of the country lake-dwellings have been dis- 

 covered, which, though differing in size and structure from the 

 Swiss and Italian lake-dwellings, are evidently sufficiently similar 

 in idea to form another link between the ancient populations in- 

 habiting these widely separated lands. 



The first cran-nog was found upon draining a fresh-water loch 

 in Arisaig. It ai>peared to have been placed in deep water, as 

 the soft and wet mud around it is not fathomable by a long pole ; 

 the nearest point of land is about 250 yards distant. It is formed 

 of the trunks of trees, some of which are of very large size ; one 

 that was measured is 28 feet long and o feet in circumference, at 

 2 feet from the base ; another is 39 feet long, and 5 feet 8 inches 

 at the base. The structure consists of several tiers or layers of 

 these trees ; 2 layers have been partially washed away by return- 

 ing tides ; 4 layers were exposed to view in examining the build- 

 ing, and a probe of 8 feet long detected timbers at that further 

 depth. Each layer in succession lies across the one below it, 

 forming a strong, firm structure of rectangular shape ; the sides 

 are 43 feet by 41 feet. On the floor were several tiag-stones in 

 three or four places, which evidently had been the fire-places of 

 the inhabitants. At a distance of about 2 feet 6 inches from the 

 building was a i"ampart, formed of upright posts, inclined inwards 

 and sharpened at the top, across which are placed large trees 

 that were fastened at the corners by a IioIIdw scooped out of the 

 wood. 



Stone Circles of Scotland. — Mr. John Stuart said, at the 1868 

 meeting of the British Association : " The numerous excavations 

 in stone circles and other groups of stone pillars already made 

 show an all but universal occurrence of sepulchral deposits, and 

 I think we are entitled to infer that stone circles were monuments 

 of the dead. They may have had additional purposes, but, if so, 

 we are entirely ignorant of them. The greater size and impor- 

 tance of some stone circles afford no ground for presuming that 

 they were different in character from the smaller circles, any 

 more than we can infer that a small cairn or barrow had a differ- 

 ent purpose from a large one." 



Stonelienge. — Sir. J. Lubbock stated, at the 1868 meeting of the 

 British Association, that he thought Stonehenge was a place that 

 was held sacred, though perhaps not a place of worship. He 

 thought the Druids had nothing whatever to do with the erection 

 of those stones. The name of Stonehenge was derived from the 

 presence of these stones already gathered together in the spot, 

 and the word merely meant "the place of stones," and he there- 

 fore believed those who gave the name knew nothing of the 

 origin of the relics. Those who made the place would have 

 given it some more definite name, and he believed we knew 



