38 
Several crannoges then discovered have been described by the 
Duke of Northumberland and Mr. John Stuart. The crannoges, 
at least in Ireland, were frequently, but not exclusively, placed 
on natural islands, or on shallows which approached to this 
character ; sometimes they were built up from the bottom of the 
lake on the soft mud, exactly in the manner of the fascine-dwell- 
ings of Switzerland. They are surrounded by a stockade of piles 
driven into the bed of the lake, so as to enclose either a circle 
or an oval ; the diameter varies from 60 to 130 feet. .These piles 
are usually in a single row, but sometimes the rows are double 
and even treble. Occasionally the piles are beams, not round 
stems. The lowest bed within this enclosure is commonly a 
mass of ferns, branches, and other vegetable matter, generally 
covered over with a layer of round logs, cut into lengths of 
from four to six feet, above which is usually found a quantity of 
clay, gravel, and stones. In almost every case a collection of 
flat stones was discovered near the centre of the enclosure, appa- 
rently serving as a hearth ; in some instances two or three such 
hearths were discovered at difi'erent parts of the crannoge. 
Generally one or more pair of querns were found. 
2. Superstructure. 
Under this head there is naturally very little to be said. Except 
under very peculiar circumstances, timber and vegetable material 
cannot possibly exist long when exposed to the summer's sun and 
the winter's storms. Still there are indications, although slight 
ones, as to the construction of the huts. 
Upon the main platform it appears that a bed of mud, loam, 
and gravel was laid, and beaten down firmly, either by the feet 
or by wooden mallets, of which several have been found. 
Occasionally a layer of larger pebbles is met with near the top, 
as in some of the Italian dwellings ; probably this was intended 
to strengthen the plaster floor. 
There can be no doubt that small piles or stakes formed the 
framework of the huts. Some of these have been actually found 
projecting considerably above the platform. Probably in some 
cases, especially in the fascine buildings, piles were driven 
in for this purpose, which did not go quite down to the bottom 
of the lake ; but in the regular pile dwellings, they would only be 
piles of an extra length. 
Of course these piles would mark out the extent of the dwellings 
themselves, and in one or two favourable instances the ground- 
plan of a settlement has thus been indicated ; we have, however. 
