Archaeological excavations in Moneen Cave, the Burren, Co. Clare: Insights into Bronze Age and post-medieval life in the west of Ireland

In 2011, cavers exploring a little-known cave on Moneen Mountain in County Clare in the west of Ireland discovered part of a human skull, pottery and an antler implement. An archaeological excavation followed, leading to the discovery of large quantities of Bronze Age pottery, butchered animal bones and oyster shells. The material suggests that Moneen Cave was visited intermittently as a sacréd place in the Bronze Age landscape. People climbed the mountain, squeezed through the small openin...