Platform - peatland

The National Monuments Service's description

This site is located in the industrial peatlands of Castletown Bog. It was first identified in the Reassessment Peatland Survey in 2013, located at the S extent of the narrowest part of the bog, and was classified as a Class 3 Road (Whitaker 2014). On excavation in 2016 (licence 15E0189), it was revealed that the site consisted of multiple associated brushwood and roundwood platforms, dated to cal. 1433-1264 BC (UBA 26652). The platforms were under and overlain by poorly to moderately decomposed Sphagnum peat. Two cuttings were opened at this location.

The first cutting (OF-CTN003a) measured 5x3m. At this location, the site seemed to consist of an upper superstructure of roundwoods above layers of varying material, To the W, the site consisted of heavy roundwoods with tool-marked N ends, supported by a N-S orientated brushwood structure. Twelve pegs with tool-marked ends delineated this part. In the E half, the site consisted of three wood layers, the uppermost of which was a haphazard arrangement of brushwood and roundwood. This material overlay a possible hurdle, which in turn overlay two E-W orientated roundwoods and a layer of N-S orientated brushwood.

The material from this cutting was visible in the opposing S drain face and some wood chips were noted 16m to the S.

Compiled by: Jane Whitaker/Femke Vleeshouwer

Date of upload: 20th February 2020

References

Whitaker, J. 2017 Final excavation report, Castletown Bog, Co. Offaly (15E0188-15E0189). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.

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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.