Platform - peatland

The National Monuments Service's description

This well-structured, roughly square platform (L 2.9m; Wth 3.2m; D 0.54m) was composed of three layers. Layer I, the uppermost layer (D 0.13m), consisted of roundwood, brushwood and split timbers orientated NW-SE and closely laid, 0.02-0.025m apart. These directly overlay Layer 2 (D 0.25m max.) composed of closely spaced roundwood (diam. 0.06-0.19; L 3.04m max.), brushwood (diam. 0.03-0.055m; L 0.2-1.33m) and a single split timber, arranged perpendicular to the upper material. The basal layer of the platform, Layer 3 (D 0.13m), was of roundwood laid NW-SE and irregularly laid brushwood and roundwood fragments. Six pegs were randomly set at angles of 60-90°. Five split timbers (L 0.33-0.89m) had been both tangentially and radially converted. The condition of the wood was poor in Layer 1 but improved in the lower layers. Metal-cut toolmarks were present throughout. A sample of oak from the platform was found to be from the same tree as two samples recovered from a togher (LF004-029----), however, a consistent dendrochronological date was not achieved for any of these samples. Furthermore, an Iron Age radiocarbon date was returned for one of these pieces. Additional wood species used included ash, birch, apple-type, alder, hazel and willow. This platform lay c. 0.4m above the NE extent of a togher (LF004-024----) and approximately 5m SW of another togher (LF004-023----). Radiocarbon dating revealed a date range of 900-770 cal BC (Wk-20952) (Moore and O’Connor 2009a, 31-2, EDC 27).

Compiled by: Mary Tunney based on data kindly supplied by Caitríona Moore.

Date of upload: 26 August 2011