Platform - peatland

The National Monuments Service's description

This site was located in the industrial peatlands of Cloonshannagh Bog, within the cluster of sites to the E of Cloonshannagh dryland island. It was first recorded in the 2013 Reassessment Peatland Survey as a platform exposed in the drain face, 0.52m below the field surface. The wood was poorly preserved at the drain face as it was damaged by drain-cutting machinery. Its N extent extended below the water line of the drain (Whitaker 2014).

The site was excavated in 2015 (licence 15E0192) and dated to cal. 1906-1698 BC (UBA-26566). The platform was truncated by a drain along its E extent and had a surviving area measuring 1.52m by 1.6m. It was WNW-ESE orientated, and was composed of roundwood and brushwood elements laid two to three deep. Two pegs were noted. The elements were wood species identified to alder, ash, birch, hazel, pomoideae, willow, and yew. Some evidence of woodworking was found in eight of the elements. They showed flat faceted toolmarks (Coughlan and Whitaker 2019).

Compiled by: Femke Vleeshouwer/Jane Whitaker/Tim Coughlan

Date of upload: 15 April 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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.

Coughlan, T & Whitaker, J 2019 Final excavation report Cloonshannagh Bog, Co Roscommon. Bord na Mona Peatland Archaeological Services 2014-2017. Unpublished report submitted to DOEHLG & BnM