[ 150 



IX. 



A BEONZE-AGE BUEIAL NEAR GALBALLY, CO. TYEONE. 

 By PROFESSOE E. A. S. MACALISTEE, Litt.D. 



[Read May 22. Published August 2?, 1922.] 



TOWAED the end of March last I received a letter from Eev. P. McNelis, c.c, 

 of Galbally, near Donoiighmore, Co. Tyrone, informing me of the discovery 

 of certain ancient graves in his neighbourhood, and inviting me to visit 

 them. I was not able immediately to accept the invitation, but on the 

 25th of April I made my way to the place, and was guided to the site by 

 Father McNeils, whose kind offices in the matter 1 wish cordially to 

 acknowledge. 



The graves, two in number, are situated on the top of slightly rising 

 ground, in a field on the townland of Camoghy. They are cists, sunk in the 

 ground, the cover-slabs being only just under the surface. These were 

 frequently struck by the plough, of which they bear the marks, and were 

 supposed by the farmer to be rock-outcrops ; but this year in digging the field 

 in order to set potatoes they were found to be movable slabs, and on raising 

 them the graves were discovered below. Father McNeils was soon on the 

 ground ; and after he heard from me the first time, naming the date when I 

 should visit the site, he instructed the farmer to watch the field to prevent 

 intruders from interfering with the remains. This the farmer did at the cost 

 of some trouble ; but the remains as I saw them were not quite so perfect as 

 when they were fii'st uncovered. One of the urns was badly injured ; several 

 of the bones had disappeared, and, especially, a considerable number of the 

 teeth were extracted from the skulls. I understand that there is a local 

 belief that to extract the teeth of a skull with one's own teeth is either a 

 cure for, or a prophylactic against, the agonies of toothache ; and that this odd 

 item of folk-medicine is responsible for the despoiled condition of the jaws of 

 these very interesting specimens.' 



Of the two cists, one, which I call A, was built of wt rL-squared and 

 close-fitting slabs. Its internal dimensions were 3 fee 4 inches by 

 1 foot 6J- inches and 2 feet in depth. It was covered with a ither irregular 



1 Mr. W. G. Strickland has referred me to a parallel, described in ownal, R.S.A.I., 

 xxii (1892), p. 187. 



