The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
Investigations into the skeletal remains of a teenage boy discovered in a cave outside Ballyvaughan five years ago have shed new light on the life and death. A human skull discovered by cavers in the Burren in 2011 prompted a rescue archaeological excavation funded by the National Monuments Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The full scientific investigations of the skeleton have just been published revealing incredible details about the youth, who died in the 16th or 17th century. At the time of excavation, the small size of the skeleton led the team to think it was of a child. However, subsequent analysis of the teeth in particular revealed the remains belonged to someone who had died aged 14 to 16 years old. There was evidence of stunted growth, almost certainly a result of malnutrition and hunger. The adolescent measured 4 ft. 1 inch in height – the equivalent of an average eight year old child …
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