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 a W-facing drain face 0.12m below the field surface for a width of 2.95m. The roundwood and brushwood elements were in poor condition and there was a lot of sedge and grass roots over and between the elements (Whitaker 2014).

The site was excavated in 2015 (licence 15E0201). The site was found to be an isolated platform of 3.4x3m in size. It was dated to cal. 339–46 BC. The small roundwood and brushwood site consisted of mainly E-W oriented elements. At the E extent of the cutting along the drain edge, the central elements were closely placed birch and ash roundwoods and birch, ash, willow and holly brushwoods oriented E-W. They were supported by a fine layer of twigs and woody detritus. To either side were more sparsely laid, lighter brushwood elements. Eight brushwood pegs were found. Twenty tool-marked ends were noted which were mainly chisel point ends with flat to slightly concave facets (Coughlan and Whitaker 2019).

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 Unpublished report submitted to DOEHLG & BnM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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.