NEOLITHIC STONE CIRCLE AT PORT ERIN. 161 



perfect series of eighteen cists, and some remains of pottery 

 .and implements, and are now enabled to put on record a 

 detailed description of this, one of the most interesting of 

 ancient Manks monuments, and to draw more certain 

 deductions as to its age and purpose. 



Our general plan of the Meayll Hill (PL X), shows the 

 position of the stone circle (A), the sites of the villages 

 and the lines of the ancient boundaries. 



Hut Villages. 



Of the little villages referred to we have discovered the 

 sites of three, containing each the foundations of 4 to 16 

 huts. The largest and most interesting of these groups 

 (PI. X) still retains amongst the country people its name 

 "Lhag-ny-Boirey," hollow of trouble, or lamentations, or 

 strife, or, as the people put it, of " botheration."* When 

 or why this name was given one can now only conjecture, 

 but as it is good Manks, that seems to imply that the 

 place was still known as an inhabited village as late as 

 the beginning of the Celtic occupation. 



This village lies about 330 yards X. of the cairn at the 

 summit of the hill and is immediately at the foot of the 

 ridge on which the stone circle stands, in a sheltered 

 hollow looking towards the north. The hut foundations 

 of earthen banks and large unhewn stones are overgrown 

 with heather and gorse and lie in a straggling row along 

 the eastern side of one of the ancient boundary fences; 

 they extend over an area of about 130 yards, and are placed 

 at distances apart of from 3 to 24 yards. In at least three 

 instances there are groups of 2 or 3 huts adjoining, so that 

 one wall would serve for two. One of these which we 



* When we laid an account of these excavations before the meeting of the 

 British Association at Nottingham in September, Dr. Munro, President of 

 Section H, suggested " scolding " as a better rendering of the word. 



