PrunKett—On an Ancient Settlement. 69 
the outside of the posts at each side of the hut, the under surface of 
the lower ones being nearly at the level of the floor. They were not 
fastened to the posts of the hut in any way, but simply resting 
against them, and one laid on the top of the other (see fig. 3). The 
ends of the huts, it would appear, were not built up with wood like 
the sides. The occupiers may have closed the ends of the huts in a 
temporary way with some perishable material. 
During the progress of the work two flint implements were found; 
one of them was very sharp, although rudely formed. Several frag- 
ments of hand-made pottery, devoid of ornamentation, were also 
turned up, together with a quantity of hazel nutshells, that had been 
cracked for the kernel. A large quantity of moss was also dug up. 
Last year both the upper and lower parts of a corn rubber were 
found not far from the hut last explored, but they were thrown back 
into the hole in which they were discovered, as the finder, I was 
told, thought they belonged to the ‘little folk.’ I found the top 
portion, but failed to get the hollow counterpart. It may not have 
been found on the ancient site, as there is an upper layer of ashes, 
&c., which shows that it was occupied at a later period. 
A modern dish, slightly oval, measuring 13 x 12 inches, with 
six feet, nearly round, the whole formed out of one piece of wood, 
was found about 100 yards from the huts, but at the same level. 
There is a similar, but five-footed, dish in the Museum of the 
Academy. 
A flat, thinnish, oval disk of wood, measuring 14 x 11 inches, 
apparently forming part of a wooden vessel, was found in same place 
with the huts. It is now in the Academy’s Museum. 
I had to suspend the work, as I could not carry on the explora- 
tions further at present. The.whole surface of the bog was being 
covered over with freshly-cut peat; but I hope to resume operations 
when opportunity presents itself. 
All the objects already found in this place furnish evidence of its 
great antiquity. The structures are certainly of the rudest type 
possible. Neither peg nor mortice were found in the structures. No 
metal of any kind was found in connexion with them. 
A very substantial evidence of its great antiquity consists in the 
fact that dark compact peat slowly accumulated over the floors of the 
dwellings to a depth of at least 21 feet. Twenty-one “spades deep ”’ of 
turf have been removed, and each of these measured from nine to ten 
inches. If to this we add the ‘‘strippings” of each spit, and the 
levelling of the rough top of each floor of peat before cutting the turf, 
the whole will amount to the depth above-mentioned, and probably 
more. 
The rate of growth of peat varies very much with the conditions 
under which it is formed. According to the best authorities, peat 
such as I have described would not, at the best, accumulate more 
than one inch in 15 years. Mr. Kinahan, M.R.I.A., who seems 
to have carefully investigated the growth of peat, would contend for 
SER. Il., VOL. Il., POL. LIT. AND ANTIQ. H 
