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XYII. 



DISCOVERY OF HUMAN AND OTHER REMAINS, WITH 

 MATERIALS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF A CRANNOGE, 

 HIGH ABOVE THE PRESENT VALLEY OF THE 

 BLACKWATER BETWEEN LISMORE CASTLE AND 

 CATHEDRAL. By R. J. USSHER. 



[communicated by E. p. WEUGHT, M.D.] 



[Read April 26, 1897.] 



In the autumn of 1891, for the purpose of draining the town of 

 Lismore, a deep trench, was cut along the road leading from the court- 

 house to the bridge. My examination of this cutting resulted in the 

 following notes, made at the time, with slight modifications : — In the 

 cutting is a layer of peat which extends north and south of the turn- 

 stiles leading to the cathedral. 



In this and in the adjoining rubble I saw several oak piles, taper- 

 ing to a long point, driven at intervals of several feet. 



I also picked up among the rubbish thrown out of the trench, as 

 well as out of the matrix of peat m situ, many bones of ox, pig, goat 

 or sheep, as well as of red deer. Of the latter I found portions of 

 skulls and antlers, and saw portions of antlers and tines of antlers cut 

 off with a saw with one clean cut. 



I picked up among the debris thrown out of the trench a bone 

 object which I believe to have been used as a marrow scoop, similar 

 to those I have often found in raths. One of the tines of the red 

 deer in the possession of Mr. L. M. Fitzgerald had the surface worn 

 smooth. 



November 6th, 1891. — At a depth of 3 feet 6 inches in the cutting 

 a little way to the south of the wicket-gate and turnstiles two human 

 skeletons were discovered, of which I obtained the crania and 

 several other portions of the skeletons. I took out of the matrix in 

 tlie trench a humerus, os innominatum and femur. The skeletons lay 

 together without any cist of stones or wood, in dark earth beneath a 

 laver of peat or ru.shes, timber, and stones mixed with peat. I pre- 

 served a mass of material like rushes or other stems, and a slab of 



