Road - class 2 togher

The National Monuments Service's description

A roundwood and brushwood Class 2 Togher, partially exposed on the field surface and in two drain faces. The trackway extends over 19m and is aligned NE-SW. It appears to be a single layer of horizontal, longitudinal elements 0.79–1.08m wide and 0.2–0.52m deep. In one location there is a hint of a sub-structure, namely a transverse roundwood that underlies in part longitudinal elements. The monument is situated within raised bog peat with Eriophorum. Brushwood was sampled for radiocarbon dating and wood species analysis. (Bermingham 2014)

The site was excavated in 2015 (licence 15E0162). It was found that the togher consisted of longitudinally-laid light birch and alder brushwood and heavy roundwood elements. They were closely placed, providing a walking surface of 0.84-1.2m in width. The wood was in fairly poor condition. The elements were overlapping in places, two to three layers deep. A single short peg was located towards the E of the cutting, and had a degraded toolmarked end. Four other elements with toolmarks were noted, showing concave facets with shallow cutting angles. The site was dated to cal. 3636-3378 BC, UBA-26636 (Whitaker 2017).

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

Date of upload: 21 November 2014

References

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 Unpublished report commissioned by the National Monuments Service.

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 Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.