ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 
219 
the wheels, and the bronze trellis-work to have been the ornaments of 
the body of a chariot. 
Fragments of a hnman skull, with the jaw-bone, were also found, 
together with two sword handles; a chain of gold in filigree work; a 
bead or runner of solid gold, about half an inch in diameter, the surface 
of which was highly ornamented in relief. 
All these objects were found under large stones placed upon the flags 
at regular intervals, leading to the conclusion that the chariot had been 
taken to pieces, and its several parts, with the other articles, laid out 
upon the flags. 
In this tumulus was also found a piece of flint, cut like the flint of a 
gun-lock, which M. de Bonstetten supposes to have been an amulet; 
also a triangular, irregular, fragment of stone, three feet wide by two high, 
which was found built into the side walls of the chamber, and seemed like 
a fragment of some larger stone, the surface of which had evidently been 
cut by human art. The position of this fragment in the wall was 
purely accidental ; two lines crossing at right angles traversed the 
surface of the stone, and within the angles thus formed were several 
circular holes of different sizes, and of about half an inch deep. M. de 
Bonstetten seems disposed to believe that this stone had some connexion 
with the ancient paganism of the country, and that its having been 
broken and used as the material for ordinary building is an evidence 
that at the period when this tumulus was erected, Christianity had al¬ 
ready undermined the ancient superstitions. 
Tomb YII. contained nothing but an iron ring or bracelet. It had 
an enclosure of stones on the south side only, and was much smaller 
than the preceding. 
Tomb VIII.—After penetrating a covering of mortar mixed with 
clay, at a depth of five feet lower, there was found a large vessel of thin 
bronze, without ornament, three feet high. The diameter of the mouth was 
three feet, that of the base one foot four inches. It stood in a second bottom 
of wood, with a large rim outside, much decayed. The earth in which 
this vessel was embedded was so hard, .and adhered to it so strongly, 
that the vessel was much broken in the attempt to get it out; it 
was filled with gray dust and fragments of cloth, which adhered to 
its sides. Near the vessel was found a small plain gold ring, apparently 
part of an ear-ring; also a collar or neck-lace formed of hollow balls of 
thin gold, which had been on a string; each ball something more than 
an inch in diameter, but all of them much battered and bruised ; also 
the remains of a crown or diadem of thin gold, with some fragments of 
a human skull. This diadem was ornamented by a stamp impressed 
on the inside, rendering the ornament concave inside, and raised in re¬ 
lief outside ; the ornament consisted of concentric circles, composed al¬ 
ternately of small squares, circles, and triangles, with lines between. 
M. de Bonstetten supposes the form of this diadem to be that of a cap or 
bonnet, resembling the crowns to be seen on the statues of the Merovin- 
gien kings on the portico of the church of St. Denis. The outer edge 
was turned back on itself, forming a border of about half an inch, 
