nde," Band vi, p. 163.

The most remarkable feature about the ornamentation at New Grange is
the occurrence of the spiral motive; and it is the presence of this
distinctive motive which has led to so much speculation.

It may be stated at once that the general view at present held by
those who have studied the question is that the spiral was introduced,
and that in the case of Ireland it was derived from Scandinavia.

The similarity between New Grange and the tholos tombs of the mainland
of Greece is so striking that it is at least likely that the former
may have been derived from the latter.

In examining the monument of New Grange, the author had been led by
long study, and the comparison with motives common in the AEgean at
about the same period, to explain the ornamentation, notably in the
cases of the large stones illustrated in the book, p. 75, as derived
from combinations of ornaments commonly found on AEgean pottery, these
motives being themselves connected with the symbolism of sun-worship.
In the case of other markings, it was considered these were possibly
derived from the decoration of certain objects of Scandinavian origin.
In an article in _L'Anthropologie_, vol. xxiii, p. 29, dealing with
the subject, M. J. Dechelette has put forward other views with regard
to the markings at New Grange. M. Dechelette sees in the markings at
New Grange a degenerated copy of the female idols of neolithic times,
carvings of which in a more or less rudimentary form have been found
in the Iberian peninsula, Italy, France, England, and Scandinavia. It
may be mentioned that from the occurrence of carvings of this idol on
sepulchral monuments it is to be connected with funeral rites. M.
Dechelette supports his contentions with a wealth of illustrations
drawn from the tattooed idols of Greece, Portugal, and Aveyron, the
engraved chalk cylinder from Madrid, the incised lines from
Almizaraque, the sculptures from the artificial grottos of Marne, the
vase fragments of Charantaise, the chalk drum from Folkton Wold
(Yorkshire), and the engravings from the dolmens of Locmariaquer.

On p. 43 M. Dechelette gives a scheme of the evolution of the pattern
of the idol, starting from fairly well-defined eyes, eyebrows, and
nose, with chevron marks imitating tattooing. The face becomes
stylized by the substitution of a mere arched line for the eyebrows,
and concentric circles for the eyes, the tattooing marks becoming a
conventional patte