33 



About eight yards on the north of this section there was a heap of 

 wood ashes, about eight feet in diameter, three feet deep in the 

 centre, and on it was a large flagstone, that had been used as a hearth. 

 This may have been the principal fireplace, the stone being raised as the 

 ashes accumulated ; for about four feet west of it was a long rude bench, 

 formed of stones. From the bench to the fireplace, and for some dis- 

 tance to the east of it, there was no wicker flooring. A little east of the 

 fireplace the polishing stone (c. 1.), the Soighead (pronounced scythe) 

 (c. 2.) a few sea shells, and stones, charred bones, and hazel nut shells 

 were found in what appeared to be a kitchen midden. Very few bones 

 were met with in any of the explorations, as no excavation could be 

 made near the outside of the Crannoge, on account of the height of the 

 water. 



The implement numbered c. 1 . may have been a polisher, as it has 

 on the small end a chisel-shaped point, one side of which seems to have 

 been used for burnishing ; the other end is beak- shaped, and forms a 

 polishing point ; the sides also seem to have been put to a similar pur- 

 pose, while the edges have been roughened with a rasp to give a grip 

 to the fingers. 



The Soighead (Anglice, a dart-head), numbered c. 2. is made of the 

 Carboniferous Sandstone of the neighbourhood ; it seems to have been 

 last used as a sharpening stone. 



The sea stones were small round pebbles of white quartz like what 

 the children of the present day use for playing "jack-stones" with.* 

 The bones consisted of those of the cow, sheep, pig, and goose, the latter 

 being rather numerous. Some sort of metal seems to have been in use 

 when this Crannoge was built, as the piles were pointed with a sharp 

 cutting instrument; the hazel rods also show a clean smooth cut. 

 Pieces of chert were rather frequent, especially in the neighbourhood of 

 the fire place. Off some of these, chips seem to have been knocked, 

 which would suggest that these had been brought here to manufacture 

 into arrow heads ; but, unfortunately, none of the latter were found, and 

 therefore the supposed "cores" were not preserved. 



* In a late visit to Inish Maan (the Middle Island of Aran), while sheltering in one 

 of the cabins, I observed the children playing with stones similar to these, and they keep 

 them in a hole in the chimney. The stones found in the Crannoge were also near the fire- 

 place. 



E. I. A. PEOC. VOL. X. 



