Lawlor — Investigation of the Cairne Grannia Cromlech. 241 



The excavation of No. 9 soon produced interesting results. At about the 

 same level as in the chambers first examined calcined bones and charcoal 

 fragments became very numerous. They were not spread out so much as in 

 the other chambers, but in a compact mass, indicating the probability that they 

 had been deposited in the soil in an urn, which had through time and damp 

 been absorbed into the ordinary soil, though examination showed no actual 

 sign of pottery. This probability soon had confirmation, for just beside the 

 place where the mass of bones lay a large urn was found. It was inverted 

 and filled with calcined bones and a few small fragments of charcoal. The 

 urn, being buried in soil, was extremely fragile, and the soil around it having 

 been carefully removed, it fell to pieces. Every piece, however, was carefully 

 packed in soft moss, and preserved for restoration if that should prove 

 possible. The bones from the urn filled to overflowing a two-gallon bucket. 



Nothing more was found in No. 9 chamber, and excavations were then 

 proceeded with in No. 8, and by tunnelling into Nos. 7 and 6, so as to avoid 

 disturbing the stones. In each of these chambers excavation displayed the 

 same layer of calcined bone fragments and charcoal spread over a thin level 

 on a plane with the surrounding field. 



To sum up, chambers 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were examined. Chambers 2, 3, 

 and 5 were inaccessible without disturbing the stones, to do which, of course, 

 would be vandalism. All the chambers entered, except Nos. 1 and 9, 

 displayed examples of cremation and burial in the soil without urns. No. 1, 

 having previously been investigated, showed nothing. No. 9 gave evidence 

 of two interments, one or both being urn burials in the soil, without cist, 

 after cremation. One urn, if it ever ex- 

 isted, had disappeared ; the other was 

 intact. The bone fragments in the mass : 

 without existing urn were replaced. 

 Those in the urn were retained. The bone 

 fragments were forwarded to Professor 

 Arthur Keith, F.E.S., M.D., of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons (England), an eminent 

 anatomist and a keen archaeologist. He 

 expresses the opinion that all the bones 

 are those of one human being, probably a 

 woman, of, at most, early middle age. 



The urn has been perfectly restored by 

 Mr. F. W. Cox, of India Street, Belfast— a 

 feat which, considering its fragile and 

 apparently hopelessly broken state, was little short of marvellous. It 



