Structure - peatland

The National Monuments Service's description

This site is located in the industrial peatlands of Toar Bog. It was recorded in the 2013 Re-assessment Peatland Survey as exposed in section in a W-facing drain face, 0.31m below the field surface. It was composed of an irregular arrangement of roundwood and brushwood elements (Whitaker 2014).

A single cutting was opened and excavated under licence 14E0284. A fragment of pomoideae was chosen for AMS dating and returned a result of cal. AD 995–1154 (UBA 26612). The site was situated in poorly humified pool peats. It was composed of mainly N-S orientated brushwood and heavy roundwood elements, which covered an area measuring 2.6x1.58m in size and 0.44m in maximum depth. The elements were alder, birch and hazel, and many had bark intact. A peg was found, as well as a radially split oak timber fragment. Seventeen elements were noted as having worked ends, all of which contained flat faceted toolmarks.

The dating and composition of this site was similar to WM039-405, suggesting that they may form part of the one site.

Compiled by: Jane Whitaker/Femke Vleeshouwer

Date of upload: 02/03/2020

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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.

Whitaker, J. 2017 Final Excavation Report, Toar, Co. Westmeath (14E0278–14E0296). Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.