Co Clare: Archaeological Objects at The British Museum

The British Museum holds 29 items identified as coming from Co Clare. The majority of these (15) are assigned to the Late Bronze Age, followed by the Bronze Age (6), and Early Medieval period (5). The most common object type represented are penannular bracelets (13)(mostly from the Mooghaun Hoard), followed by possible bells, pseudo-penannular brooches, rings, and spear-heads (2 each). Three material types are represented in this assemblage: Metal (24), Stone (2), and Amber (1).


Neolithic (?)/Bronze Age (?)/Iron Age (?): Stone item
Noughaval
dish
18540714.101
Stone dish, damaged; decorated with concentric rings on one side; stone is dark grey colour but with grey-green or orange patination; several cracks on surface in addition to damage.


Bronze Age: Metal items
Clare
flat axe
18730210.800
Copper alloy flat axe; with a thin, narrow, rounded butt which is damaged. Sides taper out slightly to form a lobe on each side, gradually widening to form a rounded cutting-edge.

Iniscealtra
fitting
18680709.400
Copper alloy disc shaped fitting.

Ennis
socketed axe
WG.1569
Copper alloy socketed axe; cast. Mouth is distorted and rim narrow. Cutting edge expanded and damaged. Loop is set below collar and squashed. Casting seams are prominent. Haft rib extends two-thirds way to rim.

Bunratty
spear-head
WG.1615
Copper alloy socketed spear-head, side-looped.

Tulla
spear-head
WG.1625
Copper alloy socketed spear-head, side-looped.

Ennis
gouge
WG.1590
Copper alloy socketed gouge.


Late Bronze Age: Metal items
Clare
ring
18490301.100
Gold penannular plain ring.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun/Newmarket on Fergus Hoard at the BM

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.130
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body is oval in section. The ends are slightly expanded to form plain terminals, one circular and one oval in section.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.120
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body is oval in section. The ends are slightly expanded to form plain and sub-circular sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.110
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body is circular in section. The ends are slightly expanded to form plain and circular sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.100
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body is circular in section and it is unevenly curved. The ends are slightly expanded to form plain and oval sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.900
Gold penannular bracelet. The thin solid body is circular in section and it is unevenly curved. It has a small crack. The ends are sub-squared.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.800
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body is circular in section and it is unevenly curved. The ends are slightly expanded to form plain and oval sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.700
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body is circular in section and it is unevenly curved. The ends are slightly expanded to form plain and sub-circular sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.600
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body has a circular section and it is unevenly curved. The ends are expanded to form solid, plain and circular sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.500
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid body has an oval section. The plain terminals are slightly expanded and sub-circular.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.100
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid body has a circular section. The expanded conical-shaped terminals are circular and concave.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
collar
WG.32
Gold collar. Flat beaten sheet of gold deeply hollowed to produce a concave cross-section. The body tapers from a broad centre to narrow solid, circular and plain terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.400
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid thin body has an oval section and it is unevenly curved. The ends are slightly expanded to form solid, plain and oval sectioned terminals.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.300
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid body has a circular section. The expanded terminals are plain, one is circular and one is oval.
1150BC-750BC (circa)

Mooghaun North (Newmarket on Fergus hoard)
penannular bracelet
18570627.200
Gold penannular bracelet. The solid body has an oval section and it is unevenly curved. The solid expanded terminals are circular and plain.
1150BC-750BC (circa)


Iron Age (?): Metal item
Lios Duin Bhearna, The ring was found on 1876 in a tilled field two feet below surface.
ring
18900215.120
Gold bar fragment. A penannular ring with overlapping terminals is made with a plain strip of gold.


Early Medieval: Metal items
Scattery Island
pseudo-penannular brooch
18720520.140
Silver pseudo-penannular brooch with plain hoop of oval section cast with subrectangular terminals which are linked by a narrow bar with two lines of hatched ornament.
9thC

Scattery Island, St Senan's Abbey (near)
pseudo-penannular brooch
18720520.150
Silver pseudo-penannular brooch with plain hoop of almost circular cross-section, with subtriangular terminals each bearing cast decoration of four raised circular brambled bosses in plain collars with ribbed spandrels in between.
9thC

Kilshanny (?)
bell
18540714.200
Copper alloy bell of St. Cuana of Kilshanny; domed with rib round top; rectangular lug on top which is perforated for rivets.
8thC-11thC (?)

Innis Scattery
bell
18540714.700
Copper alloy bell of rectangular section, tapered, with rounded shoulders; rib round base; rectangular handle; 2 sides damaged.
8thC-9thC


Early Medieval: Amber item
Amber
Ennis
bead; amulet
18880719.119
Amber bead, oval with ogam inscription thought to read ATUCMLU; used as an amulet by the hereditary owners.
5thC-7thC


Late Viking Period: Stone item
Kilaloe
trial-piece
18580120.100
Stone trial piece of slate, decorated with carving in Irish Urnes Style on both sides.
11thC

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