Road - class 2 togher

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 a sparse scatter of brushwood elements traced along the field surface at the drain edge for a distance of 16m (Whitaker 2014).

A single cutting was opened and excavated under licence 14E0287. A fragment of alder was chosen for AMS dating and returned a result of cal. AD 1031–1155 (UBA 26619). The site was situated in moderately to well-humified Sphagnum peat. Excavation revealed a fairly disperse arrangement of mainly NE–SW orientated alder, ash, birch, hazel and holly brushwood and roundwoods, covering an area 0.92–2.06m in width. Several elements had intact bark remaining and many were fairly irregularly shaped branchy elements with toolmarked ends. The worked ends were mainly chisel points with occasional wedge points also noted. A leather fragment, most likely part of a shoe, was recovered.

Compiled by: Jane Whitaker/Femke Vleeshouwer

Date of upload: 02/03/2020

References

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 Unpublished report prepared by IAC Ltd submitted to the National Monuments Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

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 Unpublished report prepared by ADS for Bord na Móna.