302 



RECENT PRE-HISTORIC RESEARCHES. 



to, all these implements are worked on one side only. They 

 are of an Early Mousterian type, earlier than those of La 

 Cotte at St. Brelade, and of a rougher workmanship. They 

 resemble much in form a lilac leaf. According to the 

 opinions of M. l'Abbe Brenil and M. Commont, they are 

 characteristic of the Earliest Mousterian period. The occu- 

 pation of La Cotte a la Chevre as a human dwelling must, 

 therefore, be anterior to that of La Cotte at St. Brelade. 



III.— Green Island, St. Clement. 



A remarkable discovery of burial places of an early type 

 was made by the Society in October, 1911, in the small island 

 known as La Motte or Green Island, two hundred yards off 

 the coast of Jersey in St. Clement's parish. 



The Island consists of diorite rock, covered with stratified 

 clay, twelve to fifteen feet thick. Over this is a layer from 

 five to six feet thick of fine clay mixed with sand. Between 

 these layers can be seen a thin layer of stones running 

 horizontally around the island. In the spring of 1911 a mass 

 of clay slipped and revealed on both sides of a little promon- 

 tory what appeared to be small and roughly constructed kists. 



On October 12th the exploration of this phenomenon was 

 commenced by cutting a trench across the promontory at the 

 level of the tops of the small structures, which proved to be 

 the open ends of a sepulchral chamber, consisting of two 

 graves built end to end. The graves, oriented E. and W., 

 were covered with capstones varying from two to three feet in 

 length. They resembled a diminutive allee couverte. When 

 the capstones were removed, the western grave, which was 

 6 feet in length and about 16 inches wide, was found to 

 resemble a modern tomb in shape. The eastern grave was of 

 similar dimensions, but in its centre and sunk below the level 

 of the larger constructions was a smaller grave about 30 inches 

 in length, 9 inches wide and one foot deep. The stone of 

 which these graves are constructed is the diorite of the district 

 and the graves are very symmetrically built. They were full 

 of compact clay, showing marked traces of bone. Beyond 

 some tiny fragments of pottery no relics of any kind were 

 brought to light. 



On October 16th excavation was continued a few feet 

 from the first discovery. Another grave was opened up, filled 

 with similar compact clay. At the eastern end of this grave 

 the end of another about 2 feet in length was found, the rest 

 having fallen away on the beach below. Here was discovered 

 firmly embedded in the <Jay a well-preserved skull of a 



