207 



During the present excavations, however, the workmen found, at 

 a height of four or five feet above the base of the mound, a deposit 

 of human bones from six to eight feet in width, and averaging some 

 eight inches in thickness, which stretched across the mound from 

 east to Avest as though the remains had been gathered together and 

 buried in a trench. On this level, scattered about within an area of 

 six or eight feet square, and perhaps twenty feet from the southeast- 

 erly side of the mound, were discovered a number of valuable relics, 

 together with a large quantity of matting in which many of them 

 had been enveloped. The archaeological zeal of the Celtic mind 

 was, however, not adequate to the preservation of this matting, and, 

 unfortunately, most of it, together with the bones, had been carted 

 off and re-interred in the ditch. I was able to secure several small 

 fragments, which show a coarse, vegetable cane-like fibre, simply 

 woven without twisting, the flat strands measuring about one-eighth 

 of an inch in width. 



Among the many curious articles carefully wrapped in these mat- 

 tings, and here buried, were found a number of small Tortoise 

 Shells formed of copper, which, being unique, are worthy of special 

 attention. Of these I obtained three specimens, the rest having 

 been scattered. 



Fig. 1. 



Fis. 2. 



They are made of beaten copper scarcely moi'e than one sixty- 

 fourth of an inch in thickness, the larger and more perfect one 

 measuring two and one-eighth inches in length and 13-16 inch in 

 height. Their shape is remarkably true and perfect, showing a 

 central ridge from end to end, produced by pressure from the 

 under surface. (See figures 1 and 2, also the two central pho- 

 tographs, Plate VI.) A narrow flange or rim, about 5-32 inch 

 in width, is neatly turned at the base, and over the entire outer sur- 

 face the curious markings peculiar to the tortoise shell are carefully 

 produced by indentation — the entire Avorkmanship evincing a deli- 

 cate skill, of which we have never before found traces in any 



