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XXXY. 



01^ THE OEIENTATION OF CERTAIN DOLMENS RECENTLY 

 DISCOYEEED IN CATALONIA. By J. P. O'REILLY, 

 Professor of Mining, &c., Royal CoUege of Science, Dublin. 



[Read April 8, 1895.] ^ 



The progress of prehistoric research, has been, as is well known, 

 very marked during the latter half of this century in Europe 

 generally, but on some parts of the Continent to a much greater 

 extent than in others. Spain, in this particular, has been notably 

 behindhand, although so full of ancient remains of varied and vast 

 extent. It is, therefore, of interest to note the increase of activity 

 in this branch of study, as shown by the recent works of Spanish 

 authors and scientific bodies. One of the latter, the "Real academia 

 de ciencias yartes de Barcelona," has published, quite lately, a Paper 

 by Don Louis Mariano Yidal, entitled " Mas Monumentos megaliticos 

 en Cataluiia," which is very interesting from many points of view, 

 and with reference to which I think it worth while to submit some 

 remarks to the Academy. "With this object in view, I cannot do 

 better than translate the opening remarks of the author : — 



"Megalithic monuments are found distributed over the tenitories 

 of the Iberian peninsula with extreme irregularity : in Portugal 

 there exists a great number of tombs composed of large stones usually 

 known as dolmens, and named in that country ' Antas.' But in 

 Spain, with the exception of the district of Andalusia, where many 

 such monuments exist, notably the two crypts of Dilar and Antequera 

 (the latter well preserved) esteemed the finest and most remarkable 

 of Europe, there remain only some isolated dolmens in Estremadura, 

 Galicia, Asturias, &c. In fact Cataluiia must be examined before a 

 region be met, showing frequent traces of the remarkable people who 

 built these singular monuments. This region again represents but a 

 very small surface relatively to the great extent of the province, 

 since it is limited entirely to the eastern extremity of the piTncipality, 

 comprising part of the province of Gerona, and a small extent of that 

 of Barcelona. Exceptionally, one is noted as existing in the province 



