Dicellinrj Places of Prehistoric Man 47 



found that the fort was actually built on a layer of charcoal and 

 burned bone mixed with iron and pottery fragments ; we also 

 found a small bronze ring. In the small section laid bare, this layer 

 showed a depth of 12 inches at the end of the trench nearest the 

 centre of the fort, reducing to nothing at the outside. We found 

 several pieces of iron so corroded that they fell to dust on 

 exposure ; one piece, what appears to be a two pronged fork 

 which got injured by the spade, withstood exposure to the air; 

 also some rough flint scrapers. 



This find of iron, charcoal, bone and pottery remains, under 

 the foundation puzzled me iuimensely. I was not able to pursue 

 the investigation further as Mr. McGookin, the owner, required the 

 j.n"ound for crops ; the significance of the discovery however, 

 became evident on the results of the Ballkennedy find, which I 

 shall proceed to describe. 



Our selection of the Ballykennedy rath for excavation was 

 more by accident than otherwise. It is one of 6 or 7 raths in this 

 townland, which borders on the village and townland of Dundrod 

 about three miles from Glenavy. It is really a double rath con- 

 sisting of two rings with surrounding trenches merging into a 

 figure of eight, each ring being about 70 feet in diameter across 

 the top of the ramparts. One of the raths is higher than the other 

 and the centre is about four feet above the level of the surrounding 

 ground, the centre of the other is on a level with the surrounding 

 ground. We selected the higher of the two for commencing our 

 investigations. We expected to find a souterrain here, and began 

 by sinking a trench across the upper side of the enclosed central 

 space. I may mention that in almost all examples of what I may 

 describe as the ordinary ring fort, the enclosed space is higher at 

 one side than the other, presumably to allow the flow of drainage. 

 The higher part was that on which the hut buildings were erected, 

 and on another ring fort on the same farm, where the land has not 

 been cultivated, two circular hut sites are still plainly visible, 

 slightly raised above the rest of the enclosure. We removed the 

 surface of a considerable area of these hut sites, and found remains 

 of several hearths with fragments of the usual pottery cooking 



