Explorations in the Bone Cave of Ballynamintra, 217 
Burned Stones. 
Two other pieces of sandstone, Nos. XI. and LIV., are cracked and burned to the 
centre, as if they had been long exposed to fire, No: LIV. especially so. The latter 
was found with the human bones in the grey stratum just mentioned. 
Perforated Stone. 
No. XXIX. is a flattish, worn lump of sandstone, found with bones of the Irish 
elk and bear in a seam of dark earth, under the overhanging wall to the right, below 
the general level of the grey earth. It has remarkable holes or pits on both sides of 
it, which appear to be too regular to have been entirely the work of nature. Its 
edges, too, are chipped by blows. 
Pounder. 
No. L., a round lump of hard. sandstone conglomerate, presents a surface like the 
end of a large pestle which is remarkably battered. The shape and weight of this 
stone is suitable for pounding with. 
While the most undoubted evidence of man is afforded by the celts, and by 
many of the hammer-stones, others of the latter, and of the other classes of stones 
above mentioned, would not have attracted attention if found alone. ‘Taken 
together, however, they form an interesting series, illustrative of the habits of the 
cave men, whose remains and other relics were found with them. 
It would seem strange that so friable a substance as sandstone should have been 
chosen, were it not that flint is rarely found in the district, and that sandstone 
pebbles of convenient shapes aré so abundant. Accordingly, no flint object of 
human workmanship was found in this cave. 
VI—Summary anp Generat Concnusions sy G. H. Kinanan, wr.t.a. A. Lerru 
ADAMS, LL.D., F.R.S. AND R. J. Ussuer. 
The history of the Ballynamintra cave, as elicited by a study of its configuration, 
deposits, and animal relics, appears to be divisible into the following periods :— 
1. Formation of the rock cavity through aqueous agency, and deposition of the 
eravel. | 
2. Deposition of the stalagmite on the gravel-floor, and inhabitation of the cave by 
bears.. 
3. Partial breaking up of the stalagmite floor, and intrusion of the pale sandy 
earth, enveloping the broken stalagmite. 
4, Accumulation of earth accompanied by the deposition of the calc tufa. Inhabi- 
tation of the cavern by men who were contemporaneous with the Irish elk, 
and occasionally by bears. 
2N 
