Explorations in the Bone Cave of Ballynamintra. 221 
the close of this period by man, the relics of whose fires and feasts were from time 
to time washed down through the breaks in the stalagmite floor by water that de- 
posited the pale sandy earth. Though charcoal would, no doubt, float in sufficient 
water, yet a slight trickle might carry it down fissures to the very surface of the 
gravel, in which position it was found more than once, but no instance is recorded 
of its having been found embedded in the stalagmite of this cave. 
Fourth Pervod.—Accummulation of earth accompanied by the deposition of calc tufa. 
Inhabitation of the cavern by men who were contemporaneous with the Irish elk, and 
occasionally by bears. 
During this and the following period stones and earthy materials, similar to the 
alluvial deposits of the valley, were intruded into the cave by a slow process 
through the entrance and the roof-openings within, the latter being probably their 
chief channels of admission. Water entering the cave through these openings 
would have aided to extend the earthy accumulations outwards over the stalagmite 
barrier, overspreading the outer part of the cave in successive layers. That the 
deposition of these earthy strata was gradual and successive is clearly shown 
by the layers of calc tufa formed, one above another, during this period in the 
grey earth, and by the subsequent cessation of the calcareous matter in the brown 
earth that overlaid it. ‘This is corroborated by the sequence of animal remains in 
the grey earth and in the brown earth, as well as by their dissimilar colouring, the 
Trish elk being characteristic of the former stratum, while domestic animals were 
most plentiful in the latter. These are points of special importance, as they show 
that the human remains, implements, and charcoal-bed found with remains of the 
Irish elk in the grey earth, were deposited there contemporaneously with them, 
before the domestic races of the brown earth had become common. How different 
would it have been had all been hurled together pell-mell into the rock cavity ! 
Such a theory is further excluded by the absence of water-action or rolling on the 
animal relics. Again, as shown in the third part, the intrusion of the human and 
animal relics through the roof-openings of the inner cavity is negatived by the fact 
that no ancient exuvize nor implements were found beyond twenty-three feet from 
the present entrance, although we have seen that the inner cavity, which was beyond 
these limits, seems to have been the great reservoir of earthy materials derived 
from its chimney-holes, from which they drifted into the outer part of the cave. 
Had the older animal remains been drifted along with these from the inner 
cavity, we could not have failed to find them there ; while, on the contrary, the 
large amount of material we removed from that part of the cave yielded nothing 
but recent bones of rabbits and foxes, while in the outer part of the cave remains 
of man, Irish elk, bear, &c., were abundant. 
The intimate association of human remains and implements with the bones of 
the latter animals in the two uppermost deposits shows contemporaniety. 
