386 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



feature of that monument, which has not received the attention which it 

 deserves. 



This is a standing stone, which, when the chamber was first opened in 

 1699, was in the centre of the tholos. It is shown in the oldest plan of the 

 chamber, that of Molyneux. It must have shortly afterwards disappeared, 

 for later writers never mention it — doubtless it was appropriated for a gate- 

 post or for some such purpose. Its existence has in recent times been called 

 into question; but, as I think, unjustifiably. It is difficult to see how 

 Molyneux could have been so positive if he bad really seen no such stone ; 

 and in our own time at least two analogous monuments, of which Molyneux 

 could have had no cognizance, have come to light. One of these is a similar 

 standing stone in the underground bi burial-place at P.allynehatty, 



near the Giants' Ring. 1 The other is in one of the burial-earns at Carrowkeel, 

 Co. Sligo, the excavation of which was n.>t long ago reported to the Royal 

 Irish Academy. 2 This last example is especially interesting, for near it were 

 lying a number of small rounded stones. Precisely similar Btones were lying 

 in the right-hand grave-chamber i.f New Crange when it was first opened. 

 They are represented in Molyneux'e cut. The drawing is rude, but the 



resemblance is- unmistakable t ,,- who, like myself, saw the Carrowkeel 



Btones in position. They are certainly baetylic hand-stones of some sort ; 

 and their resemblance to the Australian churinga is too striking to escape 

 notice. These stones, at both Carrowkeel and at New Grange, testify to a cult 

 in which the grave-chara periodically visited for some purpose or 



another. 



But sou ne will at ibis stage object that I am ignoring the evidence of 



the spirals. It i jorl of canon of European archaeology that the 



spiral motive in decoration travelled through Europe From the Aegean along 

 and though the constructional resemblance between 

 the Mycenaean tomb.- and New Grange can thus be explained away, yet it 

 will be urged that the spirals are still strong enough to bind the two 

 together. 



■ .it is true thai at Orchomenos in Boeotia there is a dromos-tholos 

 tomb having its ceiling decorated with a beautiful diaper of spirals : and that 

 at New Grange there is a dromos-tholos tomb with what rnighl be called a 

 childish copy of that diapei ornamenting its interior. But Bpirals cannot 

 travel through the air. they must be depicted on aome portable object in 

 order to find their way from Oi-chomenos to the neighbourhood of Drogheda. 

 J he lines of the trade-routes connecting these distant places ought to 



logy, old .series, iii. ! 

 1 l'< R.I.i 26 3 i 



