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 exposed in section in an E-facing drain face 0.22m below the field surface, and composed of roundwood and brushwood elements two to three layers deep (Whitaker 2014).

The site was excavated in 2015 (licence 15E0204) and dated to cal. 1433-1264 BC. The excavated site measured 2.32m by 2.5m, and consisted of 11 NW-SE orientated roundwoods, truncated by the drain, and overlying lighter E-W orientated brushwood elements. A large birch root bowl was located along the S extent of the site. Many of the elements were machine damaged and in relatively poor condition. The brushwood was species identified as alder, oak, birch and pomoideae. Four toolmarked ends were noted. It is not certain if this site was a platform or a trackway (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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.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 Unpublished report submitted to DOEHLG & BnM