1878-1879.] 35i 



The second paper was by Mr. William Miller, on " Rude 

 Stone Monuments in Antrim, with notes on the recently-discovered 

 graves near Glenarm." This was an attempt on the part of the author 

 to establish some connection between the stone-built graves occa- 

 sionally brought to light and the remains of dwelling places known 

 as "coves" or "souterrains," often found in these countries. 

 These generally consist of a group of narrow underground cham- 

 bers, twelve to twenty feet long, and five or six feet high, connected 

 by a small passage close to the floor, and roofed generally with 

 very heavy blocks of stone. They would seem to be of quite dis- 

 tinct character from the chambers for sepulchral or monumental 

 purposes, found in connection with raths, cairns, tumuli, &c. 

 They are probably the oldest remains of human workmanship in 

 the country. The probable order of age would be — first, these 

 souterrains ; second, the Uses or forts, the cromlechs, and the 

 class of monuments represented at Cairngraney ; and lastly, a long 

 way inside the historic period, the raths, cairns, and pillar stones, 

 of which there are many in this county. The graves recently found 

 in a limestone quarry at Glenarm, and those found some years ago at 

 Gransha, Islandmagee, were described. Of the latter there may 

 have been, it is supposed, two hundred. All lay facing the East, 

 in rude graves built of stone slabs. Of those at Gransha no skulls 

 have been preserved, and those from Glenarm are very few in 

 number. The one exhibited in the Museum falls within the 

 brachy-cephalic, or broad-headed type, the dimensions being — 

 length, 7^6 inches, breadth, 5^ inches, and circumference, 20^ 

 inches. A few flint flakes were the chief objects found in these 

 graves. The teeth, as is usual, were very much worn. There 

 were also some indications of cremation, and some burials without 

 any stone graves at all. 



