Mr. George Tate on Ancient Sculptured Rocks, S^-c. 167 



been discovered in the same county, with the upper surface 

 covered with similar concentric circles, central hollows, and 

 radial grooves.* 



VIII. INSCRIPTIONS BEYOND BRITAIN. 



So far as I have been able to ascertain, inscriptions of the 

 same character as ours, have not been discovered beyond the 

 British Islands. In Brittany, where we might expect to find 

 similar remains, there is a great number of enormous standing 

 stones ranged in eleven rows and extending a distance of five 

 furlongs. Fanciful antiquaries have called this a Dracontia 

 or Serpent Temple. On a cromlech connected with these 

 monoliths, there are spiral and zigzac sculptures resembling 

 those of New Grange ; but these I consider ornamental, and 

 not symbolical. Careful researches among these wonderful 

 megaliths during last year, by Mr. Samuel Ferguson and M. 

 Bene Galles have brought to light another class of sculptures, 

 which appear to possess some significance ; the forms are ex- 

 traordinary, and, in the general aspect of some of them, 

 there is a resemblance to those on the perpendicular face of 

 Cuddy's Cove, in Northumberland. One is similar to the 

 form of the mediaeval M ; there is a U like character ; forms 

 like hatchets with handles, and one the rude outline of 

 a horned quadruped. But while having analogies to the 

 Cuddy's Cove figures, none of them belongs to the same group 

 as the typical concentric circles of Northumberland. Mr. 

 Ferguson regards them, however, as of great antiquity. 

 '' The singular taste," he says, " and the barbaric aspect of 

 the objects appear to the writer to refer them to a race having 

 more of the characteristics of the Indian and Polynesian off"- 

 shoots from the parent seats, than of any of the existing 

 nationalities of Europe." f 



Somewhat more analogous to the Northumbrian symbols 

 are some sculptures on rock temples of pre-historic age in 

 the Island of Malta. The following sketches of them 

 have been furnished by Captain Oswald Cair, R.E., son 

 of Mr Ralph Carr of Hedgley, one of our members. These 

 forms, however, are in relief — some are rudely spiral start- 

 ing from a central boss ; others are oval, representing it 



* I am indebted to Major Luard for this information. 

 t Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. viii., part 1. 



