Cave in Killuragh

On the NE slope of a ridge 145m SW of the Mulkear River and townland boundary with Clogher. Killuragh Cave is one of a series of small caves that penetrate a limestone reef overlooking the river (Thomas 1995, 72). The ringfort (LI015-035----) is located 250m SW. The site is depicted as an orchard or a small forest plantation surrounding a farmstead on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map with a lime kiln and quarry to the W. It is later depicted on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map as a rocky outcrop surrounding a farmstead. Killuragh Cave is a multi-period site with human activities ranging from the Early Mesolithic through to post-medieval times. Investigations have led to the recovery of 209 artefacts, 229 human bones and 10,615 animal bones (Woodman et. al. 2018). The cave comprises two parallel fissures that form entrance passages (Entrance Passage 1 L. 5m; Wth. 0.5m; Entrance Passage 2 L. 4m; Wth. c. 1m). These terminate at a small chamber (1.5m x 1.7m; H. 1.4m). Two smaller passages extend SW and SE from this small chamber. In 1992, the landowner discovered human remains and artefacts in the cave. The material appears to have been recovered from an area approximately 0.3m in diameter at the junction of Entrance Passage 1 and the chamber, at a depth of 0.7m. A large stone slab may originally have blocked this junction between the end of Entrance Passage 1 and the cave chamber. During these investigations, a fragment of a possible stone axe, a flint hollow scraper, fragments of unworked chert, a sherd of Late Bronze age pottery, animal bones and 64 human bones were recovered. Three human metacarpals produced Early Mesolithic and Neolithic dates: 8030 ±60BP (GrA2434); 7880 ±60BP (GrA2433); and 4670 ±50BP (GrA2510) (Woodman et. al. 2018). These discoveries prompted an archaeological excavation in the cave chamber in 1993 (O’Shaughnessy 1994, 51-2). The lowermost deposit encountered comprised a stiff orange red clay which rested on the cave floor. Overlying this was a layer of sterile orange silt and sand. This was sealed by a layer of grey-brown silt (up to 1m thick) which produced most of the archaeological material. The uppermost stratum comprised loose soil (0.2m thick). Animal bones, 16 human bones and a flint blade were recovered in addition to a Giant Irish deer bone. A human mandible returned a Late Mesolithic date of 5455 ±50BP (OxA6749). In 1994, the landowner examined the spoil heaps from the 1993 archaeological excavation and recovered further artefacts, human remains and animal bone. The remainder of the spoil heap was archaeologically sieved. Overall, this phase of work involved the recovery of animal bones, 80 human bones, a hollow scraper, a flint flake, six flint microliths, two flint microblades, a flint blade and 38 sherds of Late Bronze Age pottery representing at least two vessels (Woodman et. al. 2018). In 1996 a second phase of archaeological excavations was carried out. Trenches were opened within the cave, at the mouths of Entrance Passages 1 and 2, on the knoll above the cave and on the platform outside the cave. These excavations revealed that stratification at the site was extensively disturbed. Deposits in Entrance Passage 2 were largely sterile but a flint flake, a sherd of Late Bronze age pottery and a human bone were discovered outside the mouth (Woodman 1997, 68). A concentration of Neolithic dog bones occurred beneath a layer of stones at the opening of Entrance Passage 1 while several human teeth, a microlith and a flint blade were recovered from the fissure itself (Woodman 1997, 67-8). Human bone and a flint flake were found in the chamber. A natural alcove in the wall of the chamber, opposite Entrance Passage 2, contained a concentration of animal bones including dog, young pig and hare. A series of disturbed deposits were encountered in the chamber opposite the terminus of Entrance Passage 1 including a human mandible which returned an Early Bronze Age date of 3775 ±45BP (OxA6748) and a horse sacrum of later Bronze Age date: 3020 ±45BP (OxA6754). There was little evidence for archaeological activity on the platform outside the cave. A few flint flakes and a chert scraper were recovered from the knoll above the cave (Woodman 1997, 67). Animal bones and 23 human bones were retrieved during the 1996 excavation. Seven further radiocarbon dates from human bones have been obtained. An adult male vertebra returned an Early Mesolithic date of 7955 ±45BP (GrA-27215). An adult tooth and a sub-adult vertebra were radiocarbon dated to the Late Mesolithic: 5725 ±55BP (OxA6752) and 5700 ±40BP (GrA-27180) respectively. An adult mandible, an infant right scapula (c. 1 year old) and a neonate left tibia (0-1mth) returned Early Bronze Age dates of 3775 ±45BP (OxA-6748), 3785 ±40BP (GrA-27233) and 3890 ±40BP (GrA-27185) respectively. Two dog mandibles returned Early Neolithic and Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age dates of 4935 ±50BP (OxA6751) and 3930 ±45BP (OxA6750) respectively. A pig mandible was dated to 3285 ±45BP (OxA6753) and a red deer bone returned a date of 955 ±50BP (OxA6111). The entire human bone assemblage from Killuragh Cave comprises 229 bones representing at least seven individuals: three adults and four juveniles. Some bones were partially burnt but this may have been the result of much later activities in the cave subsequent to the initial deposition of the human remains (Woodman et al. 2018). The above details have been kindly supplied by Dr Marion Dowd (August 2013) Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan Date of upload: 22 October 2020