Prehistoric Dwelling Places 89 



dwelling-house, we can vvith equal accuracy date the pottery, and 

 with it the great majority of the pottery found in Souterrains, 

 and by comparison also much of that found in the sandhills and 

 elsewhere. 



Before discussing in detail the characteristics of the anti- 

 quities discovered in the Souterrains excavated, I should like to 

 make a few remarks upon the general pecularities noticeable in 

 the architectural construction of Souterrains, especially those in 

 Antrim and Down. 



As I have laid considerable stress upon the distinctive pecu- 

 liarity of the type of Souterrain prevalent in South County Down, 

 differing as it does from the rough built type prevailing in County 

 Antrim and elsewhere, I have prepared plans and sections for 

 illustration of three typical examples of the County Down type. 

 The first that I shall show is one in the townland of Toberdoney, 

 near Strangford. I had the good fortune to be present when 

 Mr. Hind, the owner of the farm in which it is situated, and his 

 son, completed the excavation of this fine example. Of a total 

 length of about 112 feet, the roofing stones of this Souterrain 

 had been removed and the space filled in with rubbish for some 

 30 feet from its extreme eastern end. Mr. Hind, with a keen 

 antiquarian interest, excavated all the fiUing-up material and laid 

 bare the Souterrain completely. In the filling up soil were found 

 a few remains of bones and broken pottery, but the latter were 

 purely of a quite modern type, such as the farmers of to-day 

 include in the top-dressing of their fields from their own middens. 

 Of contemporary Souterrain remains none were found. Mr. 

 Hind himself and I made excavations in the floor at various 

 points in the Souterrain without result, with the exception of a 

 number of pieces of charcoal at the raised part of the floor at the 

 extreme east end. This is a remarkable detail, as in examining the 

 Souterrain, as exposed by the excavation, one would at once con- 

 clude the original entrance had been at this spot. Yet considering 

 the undoubted fact that this upward sloi)c at the end of the floor of 

 all completely examined Souterrains was the site of the fireplace, 



