368 



Bateman, in his "Ten Years' Diggings," mentions urns with simi- 

 lar perforations, which he supposes were for suspension, and which he 

 classes as incense urns ; but I believe the specimens now found are new 

 in this country — at least, I have not seen nor have I heard of any such 

 having been found in Ireland before this date.* 



Extending along the floor of the passage, completely covering it, 

 and inclining a little way into the space surrounded by the interior 

 chambers, seven in number, lies a flag 8 feet 9 inches long, 3 feet 6 

 inches broad, and about 6 inches thick. Close around the western 

 end of this stone the earth on the floor, to a depth of about 2 

 inches, was perfectly black, arising, it appeared to me, from the 

 presence of blackened ashes ; from which it may probably be inferred 

 that the process of cremation was performed on this stone. 



On the floor of the chamber formed by stones marked 7 and 9, 

 and shut in by an upright stone of a foot high and 4 inches thick, 

 rested a quadrangular stone basin, hollowed out from the sides 

 towards the centre, to a depth of 3j inches, and having a piece taken 

 out of one of its sides. It measures 2 feet 11 inches in length, by 2 

 feet broad, and is about 6 inches in thickness. Mixed with the earth 

 under this sepulchral basin were found many fragments of charred 

 bones and several human teeth. 



Completely filling up the length of the opposite chamber, entered 

 through a space only two feet wide between two upright stone pillars, 

 rests an oval-shaped stone dish or basin, probably the largest yet disco- 

 vered in a cairn. The broader end points to the east, the narrower to the 

 west. Its greatest length is 5 feet 9 inches; at a distance of 18 

 inches from the narrower extremity it is 3 feet 1 inch broad, and at 18 

 inches from the other extremity it is 7 inches broader, where, on the 

 side facing the chambers, a curve of about four inches broad has been 

 scooped out of the side of the stone. A raised rim running all round 

 it, varies from two to four inches in breadth, rising about an inch 

 above the otherwise perfectly level surface of the stone. The exqui- 

 site tooled or picked workmanship of this stone will amply repay a care- 

 ful examination. On raising this stone, several splinters of blackened 

 charred bones were observable ; and, on carefully picking the stiff wet 

 earth underneath it, I found imbedded in it upwards of 900 pieces of 

 charred bones, here presented, with about a dozen pieces of charcoal 

 lying in various directions ; 48 human teeth in a very perfect state of 

 preservation ; the pointed end of a bone pin, 5| inches long, and a 

 quarter of an inch thick ; a piece, about an inch in length, of a similar 

 bone pin ; a most perfectly rounded syenite ball, still preserving its 

 original polish — a most beautiful object — nearly 2| inches in dia- 

 meter ; another perfectly round stone ball, streaked with white and 

 purple layers — probably a pebble — and about an inch in diameter; 



* "Ten Years' Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Grave Hills," by Thomas Bateman, 

 p. 282. London : J. R. Smyth, 36, Soho-square; Derby: AY. Bemrose and Sons. 



