1905-1906.] 421 



Madame Rodolphe Christen on "A Summary of Club's Recent 

 Glacial Work." and the other by Mr. W. J. Knowles, M.R.I.A., 

 on "Stone Axe Factories near Cushendall." 



There was a large attendance, especially of the older mem- 

 bers, who' were pleased to see Madame Christen and Mr. 

 Knowles once more among them. 



(Madame Christen's paper is printed in exienso as an 

 appendix.) 



Mr. Knowles then commenced his paper on Stone Axe 

 Factories, and said — Papers on this subject have already been 

 read in Belfast. First to the British Association in 1902, and 

 again to the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland in July last. 

 The only reason for bringing it a third time before a Belfast 

 audience is, that the full harvest of finds has been practically 

 gathered in and catalogued, and a pretty complete summary 

 can now be given. Fully three times the number of objects 

 have been collected that were known when the first paper was 

 given. Tievebulliagh was the chief centre of the industry. 

 There it was fully revealed tO' view owing to the covering of 

 peat having been removed by denudation. Smaller manufac- 

 turing spots were found all over Glenballyemon and some 

 neighbouring valleys. Although other tools and implements 

 besides axes were made, yet the latter are by far the most 

 numerous, and it is evident that the main object in all the sites 

 whether large or small was the manufacture of axes. 



Over 2,500 axes from these sites are in possession of the 

 author. Of these 2,262 are in the rough or chipped state, and 

 240 have been ground so as to smooth them and sharpen their 

 edges. A few have undergone a further step, by being more or 

 less polished. The majority are whole specimens, but I have 

 enumerated in the above total 273 which, though broken in the 

 course of making, would have been good examples. The 

 number of ground axes is small, compared with that which is 

 chipped only ; but many of the ground and polished axes were, 

 no doubt, distributed to different other districts by trading. 

 One of the chipped specimens is 14^^' inches long, 4^ inches 

 broad, and weighs 8^ lbs. It is the most massive axe I believe 



