Artefacts from a cemetery containing the cremated remains of at least 27 individuals discovered along the path of the €190 million Ennis bypass went on display yesterday for a month at the Clare County Museum.
Curator John Rattigan said the earliest of the remains have been carbon-dated back to the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age between 2450-2150 BC. Burials continued at the site through the Bronze Age and up to the late Iron Age, spanning some 2,700 years, he said.
"Three glass beads, which are included in the 'Funerary' section of the exhibit, were found when processing archeological material during post-excavation. The beads originated from a ring barrow excavated at Claureen near the Lahinch Road and were probably votive offerings of Mediterranean origin dating from between 250 BC-50 AD."
Other artefacts found at the cemetery include cremated bone, pottery fragments, stone tools and cereal grains from Manusmore in the parish of Clareabbey.
Mr Rattigan said the exhibition features a full collection of artefacts dating from the Bronze Age to modern times. "The free exhibition represents a final opportunity for the public to view the artefacts" before they are sent for storage in Dublin, he said.
A book on the archaeological work is expected next year.
