Bronze Age (2500–800 BC)

The Bronze Age brought with it a change in how people related to the underground. For the first time, people ventured into the deepest, darkest parts of caves to conduct rituals and place their dead. Caves may also have been used by certain individuals as places of ritual seclusion at this time.

Bronze Age caves

Dowd, M. 2015. The Archaeology of Caves in Ireland. Oxbow, Oxford. Chapter 6. Download book here (free)

Dowd, M. 2016. In search of darkness: cave use in Late Bronze Age Ireland. In: M. Dowd and R. Hensey (eds.) The Archaeology of Darkness, 63–74. Oxbow, Oxford. Read here

Dowd, M., Lynch, E., Hogan, C., McCarthy, M., Tesorieri, M., Hogan^, D. and O’Connell, T. 2024. Excavations in Poll Bunker, Co. Clare: a(nother) multi-period cave site in the Burren. Journal of Irish Archaeology 33, 73–94. Read here

Jackson, I., Woodman, P., Dowd, M., Fibiger, L. and Cassidy, L.M. 2024. Ancient genomes from Bronze Age remains reveal deep diversity and recent adaptive episodes for human oral pathobionts. Molecular Biology and Evolution 41 (3), 1–11. Read here

Dowd, M.A. 2002. Kilgreany, Co. Waterford: biography of a cave. The Journal of Irish Archaeology 11, 77–97. Read here

Dowd, M. 2021. The prehistoric rituals found in the darkest depths of caves. RTÉ Brainstorm. Read here: https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2021/0407/1208497-prehistoric-ireland-caves-burren-deep/

Moneen Cave, Co. Clare

Dowd, M. 2016. Archaeological Excavations in Moneen Cave, the Burren, Co. Clare: Insights into Bronze Age and Post-medieval Life in the West of Ireland. Archaeopress, Oxford. Download book here (free)

Dowd, M. 2013. Archaeological excavations in Moneen Cave: insights into Bronze Age and post-medieval life in the Burren. The Other Clare 37, 46–49. Read here

Dowd, M. 2013. About a boy: excavations at Moneen Cave, the Burren. Archaeology Ireland 27(1), 9–12. Read here

Dowd, M. 2012. A new archaeological site in the Burren: Moneen Cave. Burren Insight 4, 22–23. Read here

Casserly, T. and Dowd, M. 2011. Archaeology in Moneen. Descent 223, 16.

Glencurran Cave, Co. Clare

Dowd, M.A. 2009. Middle and Late Bronze Age funerary and ritual activity at Glencurran Cave, Co. Clare. In N. Finlay, S. McCartan and C. Wickham Jones (eds.) Bann Flakes to Bushmills: Papers in Honour of Peter C. Woodman, 89–100. Oxbow, Oxford. Read here

Dowd, M. 2010. Archaeological discoveries in Glencurran Cave. Irish Speleology 19, 8–10. Read here

Dowd, M. 2010. Artefacts and bones from Glencurran Cave. Burren Insight 2, 10–12. Read here

Dowd, M. 2009. Excavation of Glencurran Cave. Burren Insight 1, 9. Read here

Dowd, M. and Bunce, C. 2009. Glencurran Cave – gating and archaeology. Underground 75, 9–11.

Dowd, M. 2007. Living and dying in Glencurran Cave, Co. Clare. Archaeology Ireland 21(1), 36–39. Read here

Dowd, M. 2006. The Glencurran burials. Descent 191, 27–28. Read here

Dowd, M. 2018. Beads and bones in the Burren: recollections of the Glencurran Cave excavations. In: J. Fenwick (ed.) Lost and Found III: Discovering more of Ireland’s Past, 143–150. Wordwell Ltd., Dublin. Read here

Bronze Age – other sites

Bonsall, J. and Dowd, M. 2017. Emerging from the waves: a late Bronze Age intertidal saltwater fulacht fia at Coney Island, Co. Sligo. The Journal of Irish Archaeology 24 (2015), 79–95. Read here

Dowd, M. 2011. A Bronze Age landscape at Farranastack, Lisselton, Co. Kerry. Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society 11, 23–30. Read here