Platform - peatland

The National Monuments Service's description

This site was located in the industrial peatlands of Cloonshannagh Bog. It was first recorded in the 2013 Reassessment Peatland Survey as a platform exposed in the drain face, 0.14m below the field surface, and visible in the opposing face(Whitaker 2014).

The site was excavated in 2015 (licence 15E0194). It was dated to 536–393 BC. The site was mainly composed of N-S orientated heavy roundwood and brushwood two to three layers deep, forming a 3m x 2.52m surface. The brushwood material to the E was composed of mainly hazel with lesser amounts of ash, birch, oak and pomoideae elements. A total of 72 tool-marked ends were noted. The facets were a mix of flat to slightly concave in shape. A large upright, squared oak post was located in the E part of the cutting amongst the brushwood material.
Underlying the main site was a possible sub-structural layer, a deposit of three N-S oriented roundwoods and a heavy brushwood with some E-W oriented brushwood elements. These were contained within an area measuring 3.4m by 1.28m (Whitaker 2018).

Compiled by: Femke Vleeshouwer/Jane Whitaker/Tim Coughlan

Date of upload: 16 April 2020

References

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 Unpublished report submitted to DOEHLG & BnM

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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.