6o 



The Irish Naturalist. 



March, 



Some very interesting results are brought out by the correlation of this 

 sequence of movements with those that have affected Bnglaud and 

 Scotland during the same period. Between the north of Ireland and 

 the district around the estuary of the Mersey the correspondence of 

 Post-Glacial events is found to be remarkably close, and a very similar 

 order is traced in the north-east of England, from evidence afforded by the 

 estuary of the Humber. A more general but still correlative succession 

 is also recognised in central Scotland. These movements seem, indeed, 

 to characterise a belt that strikes across from northern Ireland through 

 the north of England and central Scotland, and possibly Belgium, to 

 Sweden, while in the regions lying to northward and southward of this 

 belt the movements during the same period have been of a different 

 character, and depression has predominated. 



Having thus clearly demonstrated the order and character of the 

 events with reference only to their relative ages, the geologist steps 

 aside and calls upon the archaeologist to say whether any absolute date 

 can be fixed for these occurrences. This duty is undertaken, in the 

 second part of the paper, by Mr. Coffey, and is ably fulfilled. 



After giving a short historical sketch of the discoveries of flint-imple- 

 ments on and in the raised beach at Larne and other places in the north 

 of Ireland, and of the literature connected therewith, Mr. Coffey proceeds 

 to record his personal investigations, and to show the character and mode 

 of occurrence of the relics. The results of an excavation made in the 

 Larne gravels in 1897 under the superintendence of both authors are first 

 described. The Neolithic flakes and cores obtained on this occasion 

 were chiefly from the surface layers ; but two cores, of which figures are 

 given, were found at, respectively, 4 feet and 11 feet below the surface. 

 A systematic collection was subsequently made from another section, in 

 which a slice of the gravels measuring 5 feet by 4 feet was carefully re- 

 moved to the full depth of the deposit, here 10 to 12 feet thick; and 

 although the implements were obtained in much greater numbers, their 

 relative scarcity towards the bottom of the section was again noticed. 



The condition of the implements as regards patination and abrasion is 

 then discussed, and it is noted that although there is much variation 

 in this particular, the flints are on the whole most distinctly patinated 

 and abraded in the upper layers, and to a much less extent in the deeper 

 parts of the section. It is concluded that these features are more or less 

 accidental, depending chiefly upon the circumstances of exposure, and 

 are not to be depended upon as an indication of antiquity. ,A few of the 

 flints show some signs of beach-rolling ; but erosion of this kind is not by 

 any means characteristic, and it is held that the gravel containing the 

 implements was not much exposed to wave-action after it was once 

 deposited. The enormous abundance of flakes and the rarity of finished 

 implements is then considered, and is explained as follows: — "TheL/arne 

 gravels were not a dwelling-site. The general evidence leads to the con- 

 clusion that they were a quarry-shop, or roughing-out place, where the 



flint was sought and flaked to carry away Many of the 



cores are evidently rejects, cast aside after a few trial flakes were struck 

 ofF." 



