4 PERRY, Megalithic Monuments and Ancient Mines. 



is complete coincidence. The distribution of megalithic 

 structures as given by Fergusson is the same as that of 

 the earliest seats of the metal industry which have yet 

 reported in these three countries. The extraordinary 

 nature of the pattern produced by the distributions, round 

 the coast of Spain and Portugal and right across France, 

 make it difficult to refuse to recognise the intimate 

 relationship that must exist between the building of 

 megalithic structures and the getting of metals. 



An enumeration of the localities of ancient mines in 

 the region under consideration will serve to make the 

 matter more convincing. Gold has been worked or 

 washed for in Asturias, Galicia, the basins of the Sil, 

 Ebro, Tagns and Douro ; at Cordova, on the coast region 

 of Malaga and from Malaga to Cartagena ; in Andalusia. 

 In France, again, gold workings have been discovered 

 in the basin of the Adour, in the northern Pyrenees, 

 Limousin, Creuse, and Maine-et-Loire, some of the exca- 

 vations being remarkable for their size. De Launay 

 remarks that, " in the central plateau, at many points 

 which in many cases still retain the name of Auriere, the 

 trace of ancient detritus has been found where most pro- 

 bably auriferous sands must have been washed" (p. 89). 

 Siret has also demonstrated that most probably gold was 

 formerly washed in Morbihan and round the mouth of 

 the Loire (ib. 19, pp. 140 e.s.). 



This distribution is, in itself, well representative of 

 that of the megalithic structures. I shall have occasion 

 later to insist upon the wide distribution of gold workings 

 in the megalithic area. 



G My authorities are : Gowland, Journ. Roy. Auth. Inst., XLII., 1912 

 (Huxley Memorial Lecture, "The Metals in Antiquity), Arch., 55, 56, 57 ; 

 De Launay, " The World's Gold " ; L. Siret, " Les Cassiterides et l'Empire 

 colonial des Pheniciens," V Anthropologic, Vols. 19, 20, 21 (1908-1910) ; 

 O'Rdlley, rioc. Royal Irish Acad. , 1 900-2 ; C. \Y. King, " Precious Stones 

 and Metal?," London, 186-. 



