Manchester Memoirs, Vol Ix. (191 5), No. 1. 3 



Certain considerations have led us to add these 

 elements to the megalithic culture. Some of the facts in 

 justification of this will now be placed before you. The 

 material included in this paper must be regarded as form- 

 ing a rough preliminary sketch of a larger scheme. Some 

 time must elapse before it will be possible to present the 

 case with any approximation to completeness, or to cope 

 with the inevitable complexities, and follow out the 

 extensive ramifications which always result from the 

 examination of new problems. Many lacunae will at once 

 be detected, but their presence is due to adventitious 

 circumstances and not to difficulties which cannot be 

 overcome. The facts quoted are those which have been 

 accumulated by independent workers : they have not been 

 chosen to fit any preconceived theories. On the contrary, 

 the facts themselves were of so remarkable a nature as to 

 call for some explanation ; and the aim of the present 

 communication is to indicate that when the data are set 

 out impartially they themselves suggest the explanation. 



Map I. shows France, Spain and Portugal. On it 

 the distribution of megalithic structures as given by 

 Fergusson 3 is represented by stippling. If it be objected 

 that in using Fergusson's map we are quoting an author 

 with whose views we are in sympathy, it may be ex- 

 plained that Fergusson's map represents concrete facts 

 admitted as true by those who differ from him as to 

 their meaning. 4 The distribution is peculiar and quite 

 unmistakable in its definite localisation. On the same 

 map is plotted out the distribution of ancient pre-Roman 

 and pre-Greek mine-workings and metal-washings in 

 those countries. 5 It will be seen at a glance that there 



3 " Rude Stone Monuments." London, 1872. 



4 See for example H. Westropp, Joum. Ethnological Soc, London, 

 1869, and Lane Fox's (Pitt-Rivers') comment upon his theories. 



5 Gowland. Roy.Anth. Inst., XLIL, 1912. 



