402 



DISCOVERY OF A CIST. 



sizes stood scattered over the field, and it was under one of 

 these mounds, at the N.E. or higher end of the field, the 

 furthest removed from the road, and hence the last portion to 

 be attacked, that the discoveries were made. Under the 

 sand, and exposed in places, was a layer of peaty mould, and 

 dotted here and there were boulders of all sizes and shapes of 

 a greyish syenite, and underneath the whole was a bed of 

 rounded sea-worn pebbles, apparently an old sea beach. The 

 surface of the sand heap was rough and irregular as might 

 be expected following the operation of carting away. A few 

 points of boulders projecting above the surface, some patches 

 of wiry turf, a large clump of brambles, were all there was to 

 be seen. These boulders, where they were most seen, were 

 obviously in the form of a circle about 10 feet in diameter ex- 

 ternally. (See plan at A). They were of the same syenite as 

 the boulders dotted over the rest of the field. From one face of 

 this rough circle projected a line of points of boulders running 

 approximately 17 C West of magnetic North. (Plan at B.) 

 In the rear of this line were dotted about in the heap of sand, 

 which here rose quickly off the bed of peaty mould, other points 

 of the same syenite as those already described. 



The preliminary examination of the spot led the 

 observers to believe that the line of boulders referred to was 

 one line of stones, leading to what was almost certainly a rude 

 circle, and evidently placed there by the hand of man. 



A few days later a volunteer working party of members 

 commenced work. A very short spell of digging was 

 sufficient to show that the circle was complete, and that it was 

 put in place by the hand of man. Excavations carried down 

 to the base of the stones showed that they had been placed 

 on the beach, and what was more remarkable, that they had 

 in some cases been "trigged."* The stratification of the soil 

 surrounding the stones was as folloAvs : 1 ft. 3 inches (38 cm.) 

 of the same peaty mould with which the field was covered, and 

 next about 12 inches (30 cm.) of so-called clay (decomposed 

 gneiss), and lastly 6 inches (15 cm.) of finer clay, almost mud, 

 on the top of the beach. This mud may have arisen from 

 the further decomposition of the gneiss forming the "clay" 

 in conjunction with the hard pebbles. 



After the circle had been cleared of the overlying soil, 

 which was carefully examined for signs of human activity, 

 but without success, search was made on the exterior and also 



*To "trig" is an expression used by the Guernsey quarrymen to denote the 

 process of wedging a block of granite with smaller stones round the bottom to 

 prevent its rocking while being worked. 



