H 



NATURE 



{May 6, 1880 



sizes, and had a raised rim round them, also formed 

 of flat stones, but uniformly selected and set on edge. 

 Each of them was imbedded in a thin layer of clav, 

 which extended several feet beyond, and the intermediate 

 strata consisted of ashes, charcoal, and small bits of burnt 

 bones. The top of the upper hearth was 7 feet 9 inches 

 above the log pavement, but only about one foot below the 

 s^^rface of the mound, so that the greatest depth of the 

 accumulated rubbish since the log pavement was laid 

 would be about 8i feet. The lowest or first fireplace was 

 separated from the log pavement by a thick layer of turf 

 and then a layer of clay. 



On a level with the third hearth, counting from below, 

 there were decayed portions of several massive stakes, 

 with square-cut ends which appeared to have been the 

 remains of a hut. One stake was found to have a small 

 portion projecting from the centre of its base, which 

 neatly mortised into a hole formed by a piece of wood, a 

 flat stone, and some clay, and another had pressed down 

 the portion of clay on which it rested nearly a foot. It 

 was thus evident that the stakes were so formed as to 

 prevent them as much as possible from sinking by pres- 

 sure. Immediately below this level, all over the area of 

 the log-pavement, but more particularly within a circle a 

 few feet from the fireplace, most of the relics were found. 

 Close to this hearth, but about two feet lower, we extracted 

 the skeleton of an animal like that of a goat or sheep, the 

 skull of which was entire, and had short horn-cores 

 attached to it. The relic bed was made up of partially 

 decomposed vegetable matters, and could be separated 

 into thin layers ; the common bracken, moss, parts of the 

 stems of coarse grass, heather, and large quantities of the 

 broken shells of hazel-nuts were frequently met with. 

 Oneof the latter was found to have a hole gnawed in it, 

 as if made by a squirrel. 



The space immediately beyond and on the south side 

 of the log pavement, extending between it and the outer 

 circles of piles, was occupied by a refuse heap or midden, 

 consisting of gritty ash, decayed bones, and vegetable 

 matters. Its breadth was ten or twelve feet, and its length 

 from cast to west nearly double that. Its surface was 

 three feet below that of the field, so that its average depth 

 would be about four feet. Some important relics were 

 found here, such as metal instruments and daggers, two 

 fibula:, several wooden vessels, and a few bone imple- 

 ments. It is noteworthy that the metal objects were all 

 comparatively near the surface of the midden, and also 

 that no boars' tusks were found in it except at its very 

 lowest stratum. 



The probable existence of some kind of communication 

 between the crannog and the shore of the lake was sug- 

 gested at an early stage of the investigations by the 

 discovery of a few oak piles in a drain outside the mound 

 on its south side. Upon making excavations in the line 

 thus indicated a v-ery singular wooden structure was dis- 

 covered, which I found no less difficult to comprehend 

 than it now is to describe. The tops of upright stakes 

 were first revealed, which seemed to conform to no regu- 

 lar arrangement, but by and by, in addition to single piles, 

 groups of three, four, and five, here and there, were 

 detected. The first horizontal beam was reached 7 feet 

 below the surface of the field, which proved to be one of 

 a complete network of similar beams lying in various 

 directions. At a depth of 10 feet the workmen could 

 find no more horizontal beams, and the lake silt became 

 harder and more friable. The reason of grouping the 

 piles now became apparent. The groups were placed in 

 a somewhat zigzig fashion near the sides of the gangway, 

 and from each there radiated a series of horizontal beams, 

 the ends of which crossed each other and were kept in 

 position by the uprights. One group was carefully in- 

 spected. The first or lowest beam was right across ; the 

 next lay lengthways, and of course at right angles to the 

 former ; then three or four spread out diagonally, like a 



fan, and terminated in other groups at the opposite side 

 of the gangway ; and, lastly, one again lay lengthways. 

 Thus each beam raised the level of the general structure 

 the exact height of its thickness, though large lozenge- ] 

 shaped spaces remained in the middle quite clear of any 

 beams. The general breadth of the portion of this 

 unique structure examined was about 10 feet, and its 

 thickness varied from 3 to 4 feet. A large oak plank, 

 10 feet long, showing the marks of a sharp cutting instru- 

 ment by which it was formed, was found lying on edge at 

 its west side and beyond the line of piles, but otherwise 

 no remains of a platform were seen. All the beams and 

 stakes were made of oak, and so thoroughly bound 

 together that, though not a single joint, mortise, or pin 

 was discovered, the whole fabric was as firm as a rock. 

 No relics were found in any of the excavations along the 

 line of this gangway. 



The thickness, composition, and mode of structure 

 of the island itself was ascertained by sinking a shaft 

 at the south end of the log pavement {i.i:, near the 

 centre of the island). This shaft was re:tangular in 

 form, and large enough to allow three men to work in it 

 together. After rcmo\ing the three or four layers of oak 

 planks which constituted the log pavement, we came upon 

 a thin layer of brushwood, and then large trunks of trees 

 laid in regular beds or layers, each layer having its logs 

 lying parallel to each other, but transversely and some- 

 times obliquely to those of the layer immediately above or 

 below it. At the west end of the trench, after removing the 

 first and second layers of the log pavement, we found 

 part of a small canoe hollowed out of an oak trunk. This 

 portion was 5 feet long, 12 inches deep, and 14 inches 

 broad at the stern, but widened towards the broken end, 

 where its breadth was 19 inches. This was evidently 

 part of an old worn-out canoe, thus economised and used 

 instead of a prepared log. Much progress in this kind 

 of excavation was by no means an easy task, as it was 

 necessary to keep two men constantly pumping the water 

 which copiously flowed from all directions into the trench 

 and even then there always remained some at the bottom. 

 As we advanced downwards we encountered layer upon 

 layer of the trunks of trees with the branches closely 

 chopped oft", and so soft that the spade easily cut through 

 them. Birch was the prevailing kind of wood, but occa- 

 sionally beams cf oak were found, with holes at their 

 extremities, through which pins of oak penetrated into 

 other holes in the logs beneath. One such pin, some 3 

 or 4 inches in diameter, was found to pass through no 

 less than four beams in successive layers, and to ter- 

 minate ultimately in a round trunk over 13 inches in 

 diameter. One of the oak beams was extracted entire, 

 and measured S feet 3 inches in length and 10 inches in 

 breadth, and the holes in it were 5 feet apart. Others 

 were found to have small round projections, which 

 evidently fitted into mortised holes in adjacent beams. 

 Down to a depth of about 4 feet the logs were rudely 

 split, but below this they appeared to be round rough 

 trunks, with the bark still adhering to them. Their 

 average diameter would be from 6 inches to i foot, and 

 amongst them were some curiously gnarled stems occa- 

 sionally displaying large knotty protuberances. Of course 

 the wood in the act of digging the trench was cut up 

 into fragments, and, on being uncovered, its tissues had a 

 natural and even fresh-like appearance, but in a few 

 minutes after exposure to the air they became as black 

 as ink. Amongst the debris thrown up from a depth of 

 6 feet below the log pavement I picked up the larger por- 

 tion of a broken hammer-stone or polisher, which, from 

 the worn appearance presented by its fractured edges, 

 must have been used subsequently to its breakage. After 

 a long and hard day's work we reached a depth of 7 feet 

 4 inches, but yet there were no indications of approaching 

 the bottom of this subaqueous fabric. However, towards 

 the close of the second day's labour, when the probability 



