339 



pressed with some indenting tool, which produced such impressions as 

 would result from a piece of fine twisted cord wrapped round the end 

 of a stick ; under this was disposed a row of rude imitations of roses 

 or raised flowers, and beneath those an irregular line of oblique in- 

 dented markings not continuous round the vessel ; farther down, where 

 the neck swelled out into the body of the vessel, appear to have been 

 alternating roses, and rather well designed wreaths made by continuous 

 impressions of the indenting tool ; the entire presenting an elaborate 

 pattern that appears, so far as I can ascertain, unique amongst Irish 

 sepulchral urns; the inside of the neck was likewise ornamented by 

 three oblique lines of striations running in opposite directions ; many 

 of them well formed by the indenting tool, and others rude impressions, 

 such as the sharp edge of a stone or brick would produce ; the entire 

 conveying an impression that the fabricator had commenced his task 

 with skill and taste, and tiring over it, had endeavoured to complete it 

 in a ruder style with rapidity. Some pieces of the body of this vase 

 which were recovered were decorated in keeping with the pattern on 

 the neck ; in others rough ovals are marked out by angular impressions 

 of some sharp -edged instrument that surround 

 a raised rose or central boss, as in Pig. 4 ; Fig. i. 



a much diminished representation of the fifep^^,*^ 

 largest fragment that was got, it measuring 1 

 about four inches in both diameters. 



When the falling cliff disclosed the vase, 

 it was found lying mouth down wards in an 

 excavation prepared in the upper surface of 

 the drift, and covered with undisturbed soil ; 

 there were no flags placed under or around ^fl 



it ; all the surrounding space being filled in 

 with fine clay, from which the larger stones 



and pebbles had been separated ; it was then 

 entire, and one of the workmen, breaking it to seek for treasure, 

 found in it only bones; these were black, softened, and in fragments. 

 I saw them where they were thrown in the quarry ; they were evidently 

 human remains, but crumbled to pieces when exposed to the air. 



The third vase that was discovered was small, its height being six and 

 a half or seven inches, and its neck little more than four inches in diame- 

 ter ; it was made from a bluish clay that burns pale yellowish brown ; 

 the upper part of the body was marked by a rude cross-bar pattern of 

 decussing lines, whilst round its lip, and at the junction of its body and 

 neck, are parallel lines dividing horizontal patterns made by oblique 

 indentations. The recognition of this jar was accidental; its fragments 

 were brought to me mixed with portions of the large-sized vessel, but 

 the workmen were ignorant of its existence, and stated positively they 

 had noticed only two jars ; they were assured this small one could not 

 have been inside the larger one, for they broke it open in situ before 

 the cliff fell, to seek for treasure, and finding only bones, destroyed it. 



