160 TRANSACTIONS LIVEEPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



find the remains of at least three prehistoric villages or 

 clusters of huts, and near the highest summit, known as 

 the Meayll Hill, is the remarkable stone circle we are 

 about to describe, an ancient neolithic burial place prob- 

 ably common to the neighbouring villages (see map of 

 hill, PL X). 



In form and arrangement this circle is we believe unique, 

 and although it has long been known to local antiquaries, it 

 has never, we consider, been adequately described or sys- 

 tematically explored. The late Mr. Jeffcott of Castletown 

 gave an account of it to the Cambrian Association in 1865, 

 and this is quoted, and an imperfect figure given, by 

 Fergusson in his " Eude Stone Monuments," (p. 158). 



To this account, which is not quite accurate, he adds that 

 from simple inspection it is evident that these cists must 

 at one time have been covered with earth, and if so, thinks 

 that so far as one example can go they would tend to 

 prove that the circular vallum at Avebury and many other 

 localities was a place for the deposit of bodies. He re- 

 marks upon the two gaps or openings in the circle opposite 

 one another, as at Arbor Low and Penrith, but suggests that 

 they may have arisen from the removal of cists. As the 

 result of our examination we can state definitely that that is 

 not the case — the openings were certainly left intentionally. 



Finally, the Manks Archaeological Commissioners in 

 their report to Sir Henry Loch in 1878 catalogued this 

 circle and recommended that a careful excavation should 

 be made. This recommendation we endeavoured to carry 

 out during August and September 1893, having first duly 

 obtained permission from the proprietor; and although we 

 found that some parts at least had evidently been formerly 

 disturbed by irresponsible persons who have left no record 

 —probably early diggers for treasure without any archaeolo- 

 gical knowledge or interest — still we unearthed a very 



