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 sacred place in the Bronze Age landscape. People climbed the mountain, squeezed through the small opening in the cave roof, dropped down into the chamber, and left offerings on a large boulder that dominates the internal space. The excavation also resulted in the recovery of the skeletal remains of an adolescent boy who appears to have died in the cave in the 16th or 17th century. Scientific analyses revealed he had endured periods of malnutrition and ill health, providing insight into the hardships faced by many children in post-medieval Ireland. Table of Contents Part I The site, background and archaeological excavation 1. Introduction 2. Geology and geomorphology - David Drew 3. History of investigation 4. Cave morphology 5. Excavation and post-excavation methodology 6. Stratigraphic report Part II Excavation results and specialist analyses 7. Radiocarbon dates 8. Mammalian faunal remains - Fiona Beglane 9. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) analysis of four butchered animal bones - Keri Rowsell and Matthew Collins 10. Bird and fish bones - Sheila Hamilton-Dyer 11. Late Bronze Age oyster (Ostrea edulis) shells - Rory Connolly 12. Charcoal 13. Early Bronze Age antler hammerhead/macehead - Ruth F. Carden 14. Middle/Late Bronze Age pottery - Elaine Lynch and Helen Roche 15. Post-medieval human skeletal remains - Catriona McKenzie 16. DNA analysis of the human skeletal remains - Mike Taylor 17. Metagenomic analysis and mitochondrial genome reconstruction of the post-medieval individual from Moneen Cave - Åshild J. Vågene, Johannes Krause and Kirsten I. Bos 18. Isotopic analysis of the human skeletal remains - Thomas Kador 19. Analysis of Growth Recovery Lines (Harris lines) in the human skeletal remains - Fran O’Keeffe 20. Historical context of the adolescent boy from Moneen Cave - Ciarán Ó Murchadha iHis 21. Hints of an Early Mesolithic and/or Neolithic presence Part III Discussion and interpretation: Moneen Cave in context 22. An Early Bronze Age horizon: an antler hammerhead/macehead and a pig pelvis 23. Middle and Late Bronze Age deposits 24. Moneen Cave within the wider Bronze Age landscape of the Burren 25. A post-medieval boy 26. Public archaeology and Moneen Cave 27. Future work 28. References Appendix 1 Context register Appendix 2 Finds register Appendix 3 Mammalian faunal remains by context - Fiona Beglane Appendix 4 List of human bones - Catriona McKenzie 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 sacred place in the Bronze Age landscape. People climbed the mountain, squeezed through the small opening in the cave roof, dropped down into the chamber, and left offerings on a large boulder that dominates the internal space. The excavation also resulted in the recovery of the skeletal remains of an adolescent boy who appears to have died in the cave in the 16th or 17th century. Scientific analyses revealed he had endured periods of malnutrition and ill health, providing insight into the hardships faced by many children in post-medieval Ireland. Dr. Marion Dowd is a Lecturer in Prehistoric Archaeology at the Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland. For two decades her research has focussed on the human use of caves in Ireland, and specifically the role of caves in prehistoric ritual and religion. She has directed numerous archaeological excavations in Irish caves, and has lectured and published widely on the subject. Her first book, The Archaeology of Caves in Ireland (Oxbow Books 2015), won the Tratman Award 2015 and the Current Archaeology Book of the Year 2016. This current book is the result of excavations she directed in Moneen Cave, with a team composed of both archaeologists and cavers. Cover 1 Copyright Page 4 Contents 5 Contents 5 List of Figures 7 Acknowledgements 11 List of Contributors 12 Part I The site, background and archaeological excavation 15 1. Introduction 15 2. Geology and geomorphology 18 David Drew 18 3. History of investigation 18 4. Cave morphology 21 5. Excavation and post-excavation methodology 23 6. Stratigraphic report 23 Figure 1 Location of Moneen Cave (extract from Discovery Series Maps, Sheet 51). 16 Figure 2 Location of Moneen Cave on flanks of Moneen Mountain indicated (Ken Williams). 16 Figure 3 Views from the cave entrance towards Ballyvaughan village and the sea to the west-north-west (Marion Dowd). 17 Figure 4 Entrance into Moneen Cave; the white caving helmet provides scale (Marion Dowd). 17 Figure 5 Ordnance Survey 1st edition map, Clare sheet 2 (surveyed 1840, published 1842). Location of cave indicated to bottom right, but not marked on original map. 19 Figure 6 Ordnance Survey 2nd edition map, Clare sheet 2 (surveyed 1894/5, published 1899). Location of cave indicated to bottom right, but not marked on original map. 19 Figure 7 Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map, Clare sheet 2 (surveyed 1894, published 1897). Location of cave indicated to bottom centre, but not marked on original map. 20 Figure 8 Ordnance Survey 1:2500 map, Clare sheet 2 (surveyed 1913, published 1914). Location of cave indicated to bottom centre, but not marked on original map. 20 Figure 10 Sherds of Late Bronze Age pottery and Early Bronze Age antler hammerhead discovered by cavers in Moneen Cave, 11th June 2011 (Danny Burke). 21 Figure 9 Human skull fragments discovered by cavers in Moneen Cave, 11th June 2011 (Danny Burke). 21 Figure 11 Post-excavation plan of Moneen Cave (Elaine Lynch). 22 Figure 12 Longitudinal profile from cave entrance to niche in main chamber (Elaine Lynch). 22 Figure 13 Profile through main cave chamber (Elaine Lynch). 23 Figure 14 Rock A, an upright boulder, which dominated the cave chamber. Niche is in darkness to left (Ken Williams). 24 Figure 15 Washed animal bones air-drying in the archaeology laboratory at IT Sligo (Marion Dowd). 24 Figure 16 Harris matrix of site. 25 Figure 17 Profile of Rock A with C.19 indicated. 26 Figure 19 Pre-excavation plan of C.5, C.15 and C.18. 26 Figure 20 Pre-excavation plan of C.16 and C.18. 27 Figure 21 Vertical profile through cave from entrance in cave roof, through cave floor (Level 1), and into artificial passage (Level 2) created by cavers. 28 Figure 22 Pre-excavation plan of C.4, C.5, C.6, C.11 and C.15. 28 Figure 23 Pre-excavation plan of C.21 in niche. 29 Figure 24 Pre-excavation plan of human skeleton in niche on C.20. 29 Figure 25 Pre-excavation plan of niche with human bones visible through C.18. 29 Figure 26 Lower levels 2, 3 and 4 in relation to the main cave chamber, with post-excavation plan of C.1, C.2 and C.7. 30 Figure 27 Radiocarbon dates from Moneen Cave. 32 Part II Excavation results and specialist analyses 32 7. Radiocarbon dates 32 8. Mammalian faunal remains 33 Fiona Beglane 33 10. Bird and fish bones 39 Sheila Hamilton-Dyer 39 9. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) analysis of four butchered animal bones 39 Keri Rowsell and Matthew Collins 39 11. Late Bronze Age oyster (Ostrea edulis) shells 41 Rory Connolly 41 12. Charcoal 44 13. Early Bronze Age antler hammerhead/macehead 44 Ruth F. Carden 44 14. Middle/Late Bronze Age pottery 46 Elaine Lynch and Helen Roche 46 15. Post-medieval human skeletal remains 52 Catriona McKenzie 52 16. DNA analysis of the human skeletal remains 61 Mike Taylor 61 17. Metagenomic analysis and mitochondrial genome reconstruction of the post-medieval individual from Moneen Cave 63 Åshild J. Vågene, Kirsten I. Bos and Johannes Krause 63 18. Isotopic analysis of the human skeletal remains 66 Thomas Kador 66 19. Analysis of Growth Recovery Lines (Harris lines) in the human skeletal remains 69 Fran O’Keeffe 69 20. Historical context of the adolescent boy from Moneen Cave 71 Ciarán Ó Murchadha iHis 71 21. Hints of an Early Mesolithic and/or Neolithic presence 75 _GoBack 34 Figure 28 Species distribution. 34 Figure 29 Butchered mammal bones from Moneen Cave. From top to bottom: 7207 (C.9); 7206 (C.1); 7208 (C.0X); 9784 (C.0X) (Thorsten Kahlert). 35 _GoBack 36 Figure 30 MNI values (shown with *) and breakdown of skeletal elements. 36 Figure 31 Measurements. 37 Figure 32 Mandible ageing data for sheep/goat. 37 Figure 33 Sheep/goat fusion data. 37 Figure 34 ZooMS identification results of the four butchered mammal bones from Moneen Cave. 39 Figure 35 Detail of bird and fish bones from Moneen Cave. 40 Figure 36 Three vertebrae of a very small shark or ray (Thorsten Kahlert). 41 Figure 37 Oyster (Ostrea edulis) shells from Moneen Cave (Thorsten Kahlert). 42 Figure 38 Oyster shells from Moneen Cave by context. 43 Figure 39 Charcoal from Moneen Cave by context. 44 Figure 40 Antler hammerhead/macehead (11E0316:0X:252) from Moneen Cave (Elaine Lynch). 45 Figure 41 Detail of the pottery assemblage from Moneen Cave. 47 Figure 42 Reconstruction of the six Bronze Age vessel types represented in the pottery assemblage from Moneen Cave (Elaine Lynch). 47 Figure 43 Vessel 1: exterior of rim sherd (0X:02), body sherds (02:35; 02:43; XX:251; 02:51; 0X:236) and base angle sherd (02:41) (Thorsten Kahlert). 48 Figure 44 Vessel 1: rim sherd (0X:02); interior view left, exterior view right (Elaine Lynch). 48 Figure 45 Vessel 1: base angle sherd exterior (02:41) (Elaine Lynch). 48 Figure 46 Exterior of rim sherds from vessel 2 (19:210), vessel 3 (0X:240) and vessel 4 (15:187) (Thorsten Kahlert). 49 Figure 47 Vessel 2: rim sherd (19:210); interior view left, exterior view right (Elaine Lynch). 49 Figure 48 Vessel 3: rim sherd (0X:240); interior view left, exterior view right (Elaine Lynch). 49 Figure 49 Vessel 4: rim sherd (15:187); interior view left, exterior view right (Elaine Lynch). 50 Figure 50 Vessel 5: exterior of base angle sherd (0X:249) (Thorsten Kahlert). 50 Figure 51 Vessel 5: external surface of base angle sherd (0X:249) (Elaine Lynch). 50 Figure 52 Vessel 5: interior of base sherds, i.e. inside the pot (0X:232; 0X:233; 02:58; 0X:246; 0X:237; 0X:229) (Thorsten Kahlert). 51 Figure 53 Vessel 6: exterior of rim sherds (19:211; 19:214) and body sherds (19:215; 19:223; 19:212) (Thorsten Kahlert). 51 Figure 54 Vessel 6: exterior of refitting sherds (19:211; 19:214; 19:69; 02:39; 19:233) (Elaine Lynch). 51 Figure 55 Position of human bones in niche from pre-excavation down to lowest level. 52 Figure 56 Position of human bones in niche from pre-excavation down to lowest level. 53 Figure 58 Position of human bones in niche from pre-excavation down to lowest level. 53 Figure 59 Position of human bones in niche from pre-excavation down to lowest level. 53 Figure 61 Right distal ulna with calcite deposit (Thorsten Kahlert). 55 Figure 62 Right tibia with calcite deposit (Thorsten Kahlert). 55 Figure 63 Calcite staining on specific skeletal elements. 56 Figure 64 Age estimation using diaphyseal lengths of long bones; the age is estimated using modern data after Scheuer and Black (2000) (N/R = not recordable). 56 Figure 65 Details of the extent of fusion in centres of primary ossification in the post-cranial skeleton after Scheuer and Black (2000) (NA= neural arch). 56 Figure 66 Details of epiphyseal fusion in the post-cranial bones after Schwartz (2007, 232-3). 56 Figure 67 Age estimation using diaphyseal lengths of long bones – Ballyhanna data from McKenzie and Murphy (forthcoming) and Wharram Percy data from Mays (2007: 96). 57 Figure 68 Transverse foramen bipartite in the fifth cervical vertebra (Thorsten Kahlert). 58 Figure 70 Dental inventory. 58 Figure 71 Porosity and new bone formation on the left buccal maxilla adjacent to the second and third tooth socket (Thorsten Kahlert). 60 Figure 73 Incomplete fusion of the left costal element of the transverse process in the second cervical vertebra (Thorsten Kahlert). 60 Figure 75 Left maxillary sinus (Deirdre Drain ). 60 Figure 76 Right maxillary sinus (Deirdre Drain ). 60 Figure 77 Human mandible – indicated are the 1st right pre-molar and left canine that were used for DNA analysis (Thorsten Kahlert). 61 Figure 78 Mitochondrial DNA PCR (116 bp method). Gel electrophoretic separation of products on 3% agarose gel with DNA visualized with SYBR® Safe DNA gel stain. Lanes 1 and 10: 50 bp DNA size markers. Lanes 2 & 3: Extract 1 from Moneen cave tooth sample. 62 Figure 79 Amelogenin PCR. Gel electrophoretic separation of products on 3% agarose gel. Lane 1: 50 bp DNA size markers. Lanes 2 & 3: single product Ca 100 bp obtained from Moneen cave tooth sample. Lanes 4 & 5: Water blanks. Lanes 6 & 7: modern male DNA. 62 Figure 80 Mapping statistics (Peltzer et al. 2016), mapDamage (Ginolhac et al. 2011) deamination values and Schmutzi (Renaud et al. 2015) contamination values for the mtDNA. 64 Figure 81 mapDamage (Ginolhac et al. 2011) curves depicting the deamination pattern of reads produced from sequencing the Moneen individual, mapped to a) the human genome, b) the rCRS (mtDNA). The curves depict the frequency of deaminated bases occurring 64 Figure 82 Human left maxillary 2nd molar used for isotopic analysis, and right maxillary 1st incisor used for pathogen screening (Thorsten Kahlert). 66 Figure 83 Strontium, oxygen and carbon isotope results from the Moneen samples 67 Figure 84 Strontium analysis results for three samples from Moneen in comparison to values from Poulnabrone. Sources: Poulnabrone 1, Ditchfield (2014); Poulnabrone 2, Kador et al. (2015). 68 Figure 85 Strontium isotope ratios from Moneen, Poulnabrone and other Irish caves. 68 Figure 86 Strontium and oxygen ratios for human bones from Moneen Cave, Poulanbrone (1) portal tomb, Carrowkeel passage tomb, and the Ballygarraun and Farta inhumations. 69 Figure 87 Distal femur anteroposterior radiograph. Multiple Harris lines parallel to distal femur indicated. 70 Figure 88 Proximal tibia anteroposterior radiograph showing multiple Harris lines. 70 Figure 89 Distal end of a broken flint flake (11E0316:03:163) (Thorsten Kahlert). 75 Part III Discussion and interpretation: Moneen Cave in context 75 22. An Early Bronze Age horizon: an antler hammerhead/macehead and a pig pelvis 76 23. Middle and Late Bronze Age deposits 82 24. Moneen Cave within the wider Bronze Age landscape of the Burren 84 25. A post-medieval boy 86 26. Public archaeology and Moneen Cave 92 26. Future work 93 28. References 95 Figure 90 Femur of Neolithic bear cub, aged under 3 months at the time of death (Thorsten Kahlert). 76 Figure 91 Plot of Bronze Age dates from Moneen Cave. 76 Figure 92 Early Bronze Age pig pelvis (Marion Dowd). 77 Figure 93 Early Bronze Age antler hammerhead/macehead (11E0316:0X:252) (Thorsten Kahlert). 77 Figure 94 Distribution of perforated antler hammerheads/maceheads from Ireland (Thorsten Kahlert). 78 Figure 95 Details of perforated antler hammerheads/maceheads from Ireland. 78 Figure 96 Perforated antler hammerheads/maceheads from Whitepark, Antrim (Knowles 1885: pl. IX); Nooan, Clare (Liversage 1957: 170); Loughgur, Limerick (Ó Ríordáin 1954: 410); and Stagrennan, Meath (ADS Ltd.). Not to scale. 79 Figure 97 Middle Bronze Age weathered but unworked antler fragment (Thorsten Kahlert). 83 Figure 98 Middle/Late Bronze Age pottery sherds from Moneen Cave (Thorsten Kahlert). 83 Figure 99 Reconstruction of Bronze Age activities at Moneen Cave (J. G. O’Donoghue). 85 Figure 100 Skull (left and right frontal bone) of post-medieval adolescent male from main chamber in Moneen Cave (Thorsten Kahlert). 86 Figure 101 Remains of post-medieval adolescent male from niche in Moneen Cave (Quentin Cowper). 87 Figure 102 Small foot bones from the niche, indicating that this was the original location of the corpse (Thorsten Kahlert). 87 Figure 103 View from cave entrance of niche artificially lit up with Rock A to right (Ken Williams). 88 Figure 104 Close-up of niche under artificial lighting (Ken Williams). 89 Figure 105 Sites and Monuments Record showing location of Moneen Cave. Fulachtaí fia indicated in green. 90 Figure 106 Reconstruction of adolescent boy in the niche in Moneen Cave (J. G. O’Donoghue). 91 Figure 107 Marion Dowd giving a talk on Moneen Cave to the children in Ballyvaughan National School, June 2015 (Terry Casserly, with permission of the school). 93 Figure 109 NMS and NMI leaflet Advice to the public on the archaeological potential of caves. 93 Figure 110 The Moneen Cave excavation team comprised cavers and archaeologists: Tim O’Connell, Clodagh Lynch, Quentin Cowper, Elaine Lynch, Marion Dowd, Michael Lynch, and Terry Casserly. 94 __UnoMark__2_1434092448 98 Appendix 1 Context register 102 Appendix 2 Finds register 105 Appendix 3 Mammalian faunal remains by context 109 Fiona Beglane 109 Appendix 4 List of human bones 110 Catriona McKenzie 110 Cave,Excavation,Bronze Age,Post-Medieval,Death,Ireland,Co. Clare,antler,flint