Coffey — On Stone Markings {Ship-figure) at Dowth. 587 



part of the figure which I conjectured to be a sail, represents a 

 guerite such as appears on the triremes in the bas-reliefs of Trojan's 

 column.^ 



The interest of the present discovery lies in the fact that we have 

 no longer to argue from general resemblances, but have now an 

 example which may be said to be identical with those in Sweden. 



The under surface of the lintel stone on which this figure occurs 

 is just 6 feet above the floor of the chamber. The upper surface 

 slopes back like a desk, and it is on this surface that the markings are 

 found. The rubbing which I exhibit (from which the accompanying 



illustration, reduced to one-third, has been drawn) shows that three or 

 four ships have been cut on this stone. There are numerous natural 

 markings on the stone, and the artificial cuttings are in places very in- 

 distinct. It is not possible therefore to make out with certainty all the 

 figures. Fortunately the principal boat is well marked. The cutting of 

 this figure, as also some of the others, has been done with a pick of some 

 sort in the manner which is characteristic of most of the cuttings in the 

 chambers at Dowth and N'ew Grange. The haphazard way in wliich tlie 

 ships are placed on the stone, without order or uniformity of position, is 

 characteristic of rock-markings in general, and in this respect does not 

 depart from the Swedish examples. The fact that the stoue is above 

 convenient reach from the ground, as also that some of the markings 



1 Revue Mensuelle de VEcole d^ Antropologie, 1894, p. 285. 



K.I.A. PROC, SER. III., VOL. IV. 2 T 



