Knowles — Preliistoric Remains, S'lndhills, Coast of Ireland. 387 



When one meets with a portion of blackened soil like this, in -wliicli 

 the moulds and little vessel Tvere found, it is called the black layer ; 

 but we must remember that any 

 people of a later date than those 

 of the Stone Age, by erecting huts 

 and making fii'es, would also soon 

 leave a black layer in the sand. 

 I have even found where illicit 

 distillers of a very recent date had 

 made a deceptive black layer. "We 

 are therefore not to conclude with- 

 out good evidence, that the black 

 layer from which Mr. Adams ex- 

 cavated his interesting find, was a 

 black layer of the Stone Age. 

 Whitepark Bay was a retired and 

 attractive place at any age ; it is all 

 that even now, and the explanation 

 of the find I am now dealing with 

 seems to me to be simply this : — 

 some bronze-age smiths came this 

 way, placed their fires on a suitable 

 spot, made their moulds and cru- 

 cibles, and east one or more bronze 

 swords and spears, and then went 

 off, leaving everything in order 

 should they return again, which 

 they would appear never to have 

 done. The mould of stone for cast- 

 ing a bronze celt was found at a 

 considerable distance from the place 

 where the sword and spear moulds 

 were found, and I should therefore 

 think that Eronze Age people had 

 frequently visited Whitepark Bay, 

 and made it a place of temporaiy 

 residence. 



It will be observed in reading 

 the foregoing report, that there is 

 frequent mention of bronze pins and other objects of bronze and iron 

 having been found. These have all been mentioned because they 



Xo. XVI].— Brooch. 



