2 Corkill, Manx Mines and Megaliths 



local origin, but appear to be similar to the stones at Gobny- 

 Garwain, at least two miles away. In Orrisdale are two circles, 

 one now entirely buried in the ground, and the ruins of 

 another at Ballaugh, yet this district is composed of glacial 

 moraine which lies at a depth of 173 ft. to 314 ft. upon a sea- 

 worn plateau. Our evidence, therefore, suggests a definite 

 choice of locality for the erection of the circles. 



It is remarkable that the circles are in exposed places, 

 being all near the highest point of the hill, some actually on 

 the summit, and every one in a wind-swept, view-commanding 

 position. In the S.W. corner of the Island we have the Mull 

 Circle, with Neolithic hut habitations within half-a-mile. Flint 

 weapons and implements found in these huts suggest that 

 their occupants built the stone circle. 'On the S.W. of Rushen 

 we have an old mine. Half a mile S.W. of the mine is Cronk 

 Carron, a circle of small stones. Three-quarters of a mile 

 N.N.E. of the mine is the Mull Circle and a series of stone hut 

 circles. At Bradda Head are silver and copper mines. Here 

 again is to be found a stone circle with hut habitations within 

 a mile distant. Ballacorkish Circle is less than half a mile 

 from the lead mine. Kerroogarrow Mine is encircled entirely 

 by megaliths, including one circle. There is no known source 

 of metals in Mann, but is near one or more megaliths. 1 

 Regions without metals are also without megaliths, with the 

 exception of the northern plain. Such regions may be found 

 in Arbory, German, Patrick, Lezayre, etc., and form quite 

 conspicuous patches upon the map. I therefore suggest that 

 the people who erected the megaliths were miners. 



The majority of the mines in Mann are lead mines. Silver, 

 copper and hematite also have been obtained, whilst gold has 

 been reported at several places, usually in small quantities. 

 In support of my theory, I quote the following information 

 received from Mr. P. M. C. Kermode, F.S.A., on the 

 5th September last. He was conducting excavations for the 

 Manx Antiquarian Society at Clagh And, Rushen, and wrote 

 as follows : — 



a In the Cairn which I have opened here, which contained a 

 chamber (and small cist crushed in) with traces of pottery and 

 wood ashes and quantities of white psbbles, I found a piece of 

 Lead Ore (pure Galena) 1^ ins. x 1% ins. x y% in. lying within 

 the chamber. It must almost certainly have been mined by the 

 builders or their contemporaries. The Ballacorkish mines are a 

 little distance off." 



1. A reference to the list of Megaliths in the Appendix will make this 

 statement clear. 



