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Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



apply to the cave when excavated. When progress had been made with 

 the exploration a few feet inside the cave, on examining the strata, 

 it was found to be composed of five distinct layers. 



The upper stratum, varying in average depth from 12 in the east 

 to 18 in the west, was entirely composed of small angular limestone. 

 The next, of black mould averaging 1 6 in. in depth, contained traces of 

 charcoal and some human and animal bones. The third consisted of a 

 peculiar kind of brown compact earth, containing some angular blocks 

 of limestone marked by fire. There were also found in it many frag- 

 ments of rude unornamented pottery, with human and animal remains 

 found scattered far apart. The fourth, of yellow clay, yielded traces 

 of charcoal, with human and animal remains. The lowest stratum, 

 resting on the rocky floor of the cavern, varying from 18 to 24 in. in 

 depth, contained no human or animal remains, but, in the gravel im- 

 bedded in the sandy clay, on the surface were found the two rude 

 flint implements, about 3 in. long, here delineated, from a drawing 

 by Mr. Wakeman : — 



Figs. 3 and 4. — Flint Implements found in Kuockninny Care. 



None of the material from which the flint flakes were manufactured 

 is found in Fermanagh. Mr. Plunkett also found in the same bed of yel- 

 low clay human remains, including several portions of a skull, the 

 hollow sides of which were filled with the material comprising the 

 layer. After having brought these portions of skull out of the cave 

 he picked out the clay, which was firmly packed in their hollow sides, 

 and found it identical with the stratum from which they were taken. 

 His object in going so minutely into detail is to show that these por- 

 tions of skull could not possibly have fallen during the process of 

 exploration from a higher stratum. 



An exploration of the other end of the cave, opening out on a shelf 

 on the top of a precipitous rock, led to the discovery, at a distance of 



