Road - class 3 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

This site was located in the industrial peatlands of Lough Bannow Bog. It was recorded in the 2013 Re-assessment Peatland Survey as a togher exposed in the drain face. The elements were two to three layers deep (Whitaker 2014). A single cutting was opened and excavated under licence 15E0207. The site was situated in poorly decomposed Sphagnum peat with Phragmites and Menyanthes inclusions. It was dated to cal. 2859-2497 BC (UBA 26641).

The site (L3.7m, W0.9-3m) was composed mainly of longitudinally-laid, roughly-shaped alder, ash and holly roundwood and heavy brushwood elements oriented E-W. Towards the centre of the cutting a light hazel brushwood hurdle panel (L1.25m, W0.65m) was located between two longitudinal roundwoods . There were six E–W orientated hazel and alder brushwood sails arranged in pairs, with tightly placed N–S orientated rods. The majority of the elements had intact bark present. A single E-W orientated roundwood continued into the W baulk. Three sondages were excavated 1m to the W of the cutting, and revealed several roundwood and brushwood elements.
Most elements were in fairly poor condition and included some forked branch pieces. Several elements had toolmarked ends with mainly concave facets.

Compiled by: Jane Whitaker/Femke Vleeshouwer

Date of upload: 28/02/2020

References

Whitaker, J. 2014 Re‐assessment Peatland Survey 2013, Blackwater, Boora, Derrydreenagh, Mountdillon Group of Bogs, County Offaly, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon. Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.

Whitaker, J. 2017 Final Excavation Report, Lough Bannow Bog, Co. Longford (15E0205–15E0213). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.