UssHER — Human and other Remains, Lismore. 56] 



timber that I took out from over the skeletons. The stakes that had 

 been driven into the peaty stratum were imbedded vertically in it. 



Prom the surface of the road, earth with stones extended to a 

 depth of two feet. The peaty stratum and dark earth containing the 

 skeletons extended eighteen inches deeper, to the bottom of the trench 

 at least. 



ITear the wickets a great assemblage of bones of oxen had been dug 

 out. These consisted largely of lower jaws and the long bones. I 

 selected a forehead and horns of the ancient flat type, also broken 

 crania of horse, pig, and goat, and a portion of a skull bearing on it 

 the bos of the antler of a red deer. I was given a tine of an antler of 

 the latter by one of the workmen. 



These are the species of animals whose remains commonly occur 

 near all raths and crannoges in Ireland, in all at least that I have 

 examined in the counties of Waterford and Cork. 



There were some large pieces of oak (?) timber in the cutting. I 

 heard of a piece of metal found in the cutting, but thrown away. 

 Mr. Stokes, the contractor who executed the works, said that oyster - 

 shells had been found in it. 



Near the entrance of the Castle avenue I saw a quantity of the 

 burned stones and black earth, that indicate an ancient cooking place, 

 thrown out of the trench. 



Near this some human remains that I did not see had been found 

 at no great depth. 



"We have in this find the usual indications of an Irish camp or 

 settlement ; but if the layer of rushes and peat, with pointed oak 

 piles driven in vertically, are to be taken as remains of a crannoge, 

 great changes must have taken place in the configuration of the 

 district : a crannoge could only have existed in a lake basin, but at 

 the present day the ground slopes down rapidly from the site of the 

 discovery to the deep Blackwater valley some sixty feet below. Con- 

 sequently if a lake had formerly existed (as the peat indicates) the 

 present river- valley could not have been excavated, and must have 

 been a thing of subsequent formation from natural causes. 



It would be well to have the spot examined in detail by a qualified 

 geologist. 



