120 



some fragments of bones, evidently of great antiquity, both of human 

 beings and of animals, I purchased from him. * 



Surrounding the Dolmen still existing, where many fragments of 

 very ancient bones are lying within the space covered b^^ the great slop- 

 ing cover, the proprietor says there existed a circle of stones much 

 smaller than those which are the side supporters of this monument. 

 The remains of some of the stones of this circle are still to be seen, not 

 above two feet from the soil in which they are imbedded. The cover- 

 ing slab of one of the largest of the existing Dolmens is nine feet and 

 a half in length, and the same in breadth at the base. It has three 

 supporters on each side. The height of the space at the entrance be- 

 tween the great sloping covering stone is four feet and a half high. The 

 thickness of the great slab at the base is eighteen inches. 



I regret that my state of health did not allow me to make more ex- 

 tensive researches, and to give more ample and exact details of measure- 

 ments and positions. Enough, I trust, has been done in this statement 

 of my observations on the spot where these monuments exist, to show 

 the identity of the monuments designated Dolmens, with our crom- 

 lechs.f 



I may observe, that after visiting those African monuments I ad- 

 dressed a letter to M. Belbrugger, the principal editor of the Eevue Afri- 

 caine," and president of the Societe Historique Algerienne, expressing 

 my astonishment as a foreigner — not considering myself privileged to 



* With respect to the urns above referred to, I may observe that the following notice 

 of objects of antiquity found in those monuments, at Ain Benain, is given in the Cata- 

 logue of the Musee of Antiquities of Algiers, entitled "Livret Explicatif." Par A. Ber- 

 brugger. At page 86 : — 



"Ain-Benian (Guyotville). 



''222. Hachette celtique, en pierre noire polie 



" Trouvee dans les sepultures celtiques d'ElKalaa, dans le Bai'nen. 

 " 222. (Bis) Hachette, semblable a la precedente et de meme origine. 

 "221. Cinq daras de fleche en silex. 



" Meme provenance que devant. 

 "220. Couteau en silex. 



" Meme provenance que devant. 

 "219. Hachette celtique en jade, trouvee dans les dolmen d'El Kalaa. 



" Vendu par M. Godard ainsi que les objets precedents de meme provenance. 

 " 231. Fragments de cranes humains, trouv^s en Mai, 1857, dans les dolmen d'El Kalaa, 



et donnes par M. Matelat, juge au tribunal civil d' Alger. 

 " 160. Objets trouves par le colon Marchal dans les dolmen du Bainen, a El Kalaa : — 



'* 1°. Quatre petits vases gaulois en terre, 



" 2°. Deux bracelets en bronze. 



" 3°. Divers fragments en cuivre et en plomb. 



" 4°. Deux petites fibules en bronze. 



" 5°. Un crane hummaine et unachoir." 



f The etymology of ^he term Dolmen is thus given by the learned author of "L'Ar- 

 cheologie Chretienne," in the " Vocabulaire des Mots Techniques" of that work (5ie™e g(j^ 

 8vo, Tours, 1854, p. 358): — Dolmen monument Druidique qu'on pense generalement 

 avoir servi d'Autel ; Z>oZ, table, Maen, Men, pierre." ^ 



