52 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
this primitive imitation of the wave ornament the curved end of the 
wave is represented by a single central point, which is surrounded by 
concentric circles, and these are joined together by means of graceful 
waved lines. 
Such things, with a few fragments of rusted iron, the use of 
which it was difficult to determine, constituted the entire of the 
objects discovered. It would appear, therefore, that the mound con- 
tained the bones of one warrior buried apaft, with his arms, sword 
and spear, that he had received a wound on the head from a sword 
sufficient to account for his death, and that at his feet were lying the © 
remains of two women. ' 
That the clay mound likewise covered the bones of a number of 
men, women, and children, thrown into a common heap; several of 
whom afforded conclusive evidence of having died by violence. That, 
as might be expected, such marks were best shown by sword-cuts, per- 
forations from dagger or spear-points, and fractures of the bones of 
the head and lower jaw. That at least four groups of heads were 
counted, that must have been cut off and then piled up; and that, so 
far as could be judged, in addition to perforating wounds of the skull, 
these heads had received violent usage, by being thrown or kicked 
about, so that the face bones were broken. That with the human 
skeletons were mixed the scattered remains of domestic animals, de- 
tached, and sawed and broken, so that they appeared to have been 
cooked on the spot for human food. And that, further, the cooking 
stones, the charcoal of the fires, and the flint itself to kindle a fire, 
were all forthcoming. 
The result of the exploration is conclusive that these remains of 
human beings were not men slain in battle. We found those of the 
unborn infant, the child in arms, the idiot, the lame, the mother as well 
as her children, both sexes alike mixed in indiscriminate confusion ; and 
all ages, from the commencement of life to the men and women who 
had arrived at protracted periods of existence, were here in a common 
grave. Besides these clear evidences of undiscriminating massacre, 
we have sufficient grounds for concluding that these poor victims were 
stripped and plundered of all they possessed ; not a single remnant of 
personal property or ornament was left on their persons, save two little 
brass rings, and the worthless iron band that probably bound a slave 
girl’s arm. The two bronze pins that were discovered are sufficient to 
show that objects of this description were in ordinary use at the date 
of the massacre, and with the class of people found slain. They had 
probably fallen from the hands of the robbers on the surface of the 
field, and been lost there. I need not say that there were no coins of 
any description procured ; possibly coined money was as yet unknown 
in Ireland, or if they possessed any, the victors took good care not to 
leave it behind them. 
The exact date to which this wholesale destruction of human life 
should be referred must, in the absence of distinct historic records, 
remain to some extent a matter for conjecture. Sir Samuel Ferguson, 
