Robert M Chapple, Archaeologist

< Back to Table of Contents Without doubt, the jewel of the Grenoble Archaeological Museum is the Saint-Oyand crypt. It was built as a funerary church in the early 6th century. The remarkable set of 20 columns and capitals are not from this early period, dating to about a century later. The columns are in Vimine, a conglomerate stone found near Bordeaux and a white marble/limestone from Savoy. The decorated capitals are carved on a white marble/limestone from Beau de Provence. The decorative items used include foliage, lambs, doves, griffins, and other symbols common to carving of the period. All I can say is that I was, once again, completely taken by these capitals and spent much time and energy photographing them. For this I make no apology! Interior of crypt photographed in 2000

< Back to Table of Contents If there’s one image that seems – to me at any rate – to encapsulate the whole of the Grenoble Archaeological Museum, it’s the sight of these two doorways, one inside the other, with just a little of the richly painted decoration peeking through. The earlier arched doorway was built in the late 12th to early 13th century and features painted scenes on the intrados. At the centre, there’s a depiction of the hand of god – the ‘Dexter Dei’ – with St Peter and his key on the left. St Michael appears to the right, though only his name and wing-tip are currently visible behind the remaining stonework. That stonework and later door were inserted in the 15th century. When I first came here in 2000, only a little of St Michael was visible. It is clear that part of the restoration of the site included the decision to reveal more of this amazing paintwork. Painted intrados as photographed in 2000 One other thing I’d like to point out is the funera...

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). < Table of Contents 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. http://britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1398644&partId=1 Bronze Age: Metal items Clare flat axe 18730210.800 Copper alloy flat ...