Plunkett & Coffey — Topped Movntain Cairn. 655 



Urns of the type of the present one have nsnally been found in 

 Ireland with cremated interments, and it is just possible that the 

 bones were enclosed in a larger urn, which, as the large urns are 

 generally imperfectly baked, has completely perished. ISTo indications 

 of such an urn were noticed in the clay on which the bones rested. 

 The two flag-stones which lay on the top of the bones may, however, 

 have been originally set up against each other to protect the inter- 

 ment, and have fallen afterwards. The positions of the objects found 

 are marked on the plan of the grave. 



Thirty feet south of the cist, on the same circumference, was 

 found a deposit of burnt bones, protected by two small flags placed 

 /y-wise : marked b on plan of Cairn. 



The following day {July 1st), the excavation was continued behind 

 the cist, when a large stone such as might be used for the side support 

 of the cist was uncovered at about 4 feet behind it. Traces of char- 

 coal were found here, and a well-worked flint scraper, also a flint 

 flake, but nothing in the nature of an interment. Charcoal was also 

 found at the south end of the excavation, and then a large patch of 

 charcoal and unctuous clay at the centre of the excavation. A second 

 worked flint scraper was found about this spot. The segment excavated 

 was worked in to about 15 feet from the centre of the cairn, during 

 which traces of charcoal were found at intervals showing fragments of 

 burnt sticks, but no traces of bones of any kind. 



t/w/y 2nd. — A fresh excavation was made at the south side, and 

 worked to meet the first excavation. The face cleared was thus 

 extended from about 10 feet north of the east point round to the 

 south side of the cairn. Traces of charcoal were again found at 

 intervals, and a flint flake at the south end of the excavation at a 

 depth of 10 feet from the top of the cairn. 



July 3rd. — At the south-east, 10 feet from the centre, and at a 

 depth of 6 feet, accompanied by traces of fire, were foujad a fragment 

 of burnt bone and a flint chip. The centre was reached on this day. 

 The construction here was curious ; the stones at each side were more 

 or less on end, leaning inwards in this form — /\. This construction 

 suggested that it might have been intended to relieve the weight on a 

 chamber below. But on clearing the face to the ground level, no 

 chamber was discovered, and the apparent construction at the centre 

 was probably caused by the sliding down of the small flag-stones at 

 the sides as the cairn was being heaped up. 



July 4th. — Excavations continued without results. As on previous 

 and subsequent days patches of charcoal and burnt clay were found 



3A2 



