Road - class 1 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

A linear plank and roundwood Class 1 Togher which extends for 308m and served to connect the eastern dryland with the ridge or dryland-island within the bog. It was visible on the surface and up to 0.61m deep in places. The trackway is constructed using longitudinally-laid roundwoods 0.08–0.32m wide and 0.8–0.15m in diameter and is aligned ENE–WSW. The roundwoods occur singly, in pairs or in threes. Where multiple roundwoods are visible the elements lie parallel to one another and are closely laid. The trackway is situated in raised bog peats. (Bermingham 2014)

The site was excavated in 2015 (licence 15E0164). Three cuttings were opened. The site was dated cal. 2848-2466 BC (UBA-26634). The wood elements found were in poor condition.
In the first cutting, ME-MOY0002r, the site was composed of longitudinal roundwoods supported by short lengths of transverse roundwood and brushwoods. The wood was mainly alder with lesser amounts of birch. Two pegs were recorded. Six toolmarked ends were noted: chisel and wedge-shaped points with concave facets.
In the second cutting, ME-MOY0002k, the site was composed of four longitudinal alder elements, placed a maximum of two wide, with a single transverse birch timber support. The structure was secured with pegs. Only one element had a discernible worked end.
In the third cutting, ME-MOY0002b, the site was composed of two pairs of longitudinally-laid parallel alder roundwoods, supported at their ends by a transversely-laid timber, and secured in place with a split alder timber peg. The transverse timber was an outer tangential split (Whitaker 2017).

Compiled by: David O’Connor, Edited by: Femke Vleeshouwer, 8th April 2020

Date of upload: 21 November 2014

References

Whitaker, J. 2017 Final Excavation Report, Kinnegad Bog, Co. Meath (15E0160–15E0177). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.

Bermingham, N. 2014 Archaeological Survev of Ireland. Peatland Survey 2013: Kinnegad (Rossan), Co. Meath. Final Archaeological Survey Report, August 2014 (Licence number 13E0426). Unpublished report commissioned by the National Monuments Service.