Coffey — Craigyxcarrm Cvannog, 



111 



probed round the margin of the site to depths of 6 to 8 feet 

 without finding bottom. 



The plan of the crannog is approximately circular — 62 feet 

 by 52 feet (see plan, Plate YI.). A layer of heather and 

 small branches was first laid down. On this were laid tree trunks 

 and heavy branches, chiefly ash, hazel, birch, and staked down with 

 oak and ash piles. Round the edge of the structure the branches 

 (chiefly birch and hazel) were laid lengthwise, with evidence of care, 

 and piles driven in on the outside in a fairly regular manner, also here 

 and there through the branches, so as to prevent them from spreading 

 outwards (see plan). The piles are of oak and ash. The oak piles, 

 in nearly all cases, were square or rectangular in section ; the ash, . 

 round. They were pointed with clean cuts, evidently by an iron tool. 



Over the horizontal timbers a layer of heather was laid, making 

 a clean, even surface (see section, Plate V[.). At the north side the 

 foundation was consolidated with large quantities of stones, and here 

 timbers and piles were less numerous. Throughout the crannog boards, 

 or small adze-planed planks of oak, were constantly turned up. They 

 ran from 3 to 5 feet in length, by 6 to 10 inches wide, by 1 to 2 inches 

 thick. In a few instances they reached 6 or 7 feet in length. 

 Whatever structures were left above ground when the crannog was 

 originally destroyed or abandoned, must have been levelled, and their 

 planks scattered when the peat was cut down to the floor-surface. It 

 is possible, therefore, that some of these boards are the scattered 

 remains of structures, but from the fact that they were often found 

 below one or two layers of foundation timbers, it was apparent that 

 they were, for the most part, used to strengthen weak places in the 

 foundation. We did not, however, find any examples of planks laid 

 down as footings for stakes (the stake fixed in a mortised hole in 

 the plank) as in the case of the crannog at Moylarg, excavated by 

 the Rev. Dr. Buick ('' Journ. ll.S.A.I.," vol. xxiv., p. 316, 1894). 



At B on plan a large board was found, 6 feet 10 inches long by 

 101 inches wide, and from 2 to 1\ inches thick (Plate VII., fig. 1). At 

 each end there appear to have been large mortised holes to carry stout 

 posts, and between these are six smaller holes. At C was found the 

 largest board on the site, measuring 7 feet 9-^- inches by 1 foot 3 inches 

 by from 3 to 4 inches thick. Three square mortised holes are 

 cut in it, and near one of the end large holes are two small holes, one 

 of which is divided by a septem on one face, so that on one side of the 

 board it appears as a single hole, but on the other as a double hole 

 (Plate VII., fig. 2). 



