County: Tipperary Site name: DER69, Killoran
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 96E0298ext.
Author: Paul Stevens, Lisheen Archaeological Project, for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd.
Site type: Road - unclassified togher
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 622123m, N 666274m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.747084, -7.672321
WESTERN CLUSTER, KILLORAN TOWNLAND (see also Excavations 1997, Nos 510–515)
Environmental context
Intensive resurvey of the western margin of the bog within the TMF development area established the location of a number of archaeological sites (Excavations 1996, 105). This was defined as a discrete cluster of archaeological material located along a peat-covered glacial plateau that extended west into Derryville from Killoran over which peat formed from two directions. The western bog margin in the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age was a thick forest of poor scrub woodland and wetter carr woodland, whilst the ground relief undulated sharply, causing the formation of wet spots within the forest and islands of dry ground. Six trackways and a platform were constructed by consecutive builders, in a very small area, to cross the wet carr forest environment and gain access to the raised bog to the west.
Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age
DER69 was first identified by the IAWU, and subsequent archaeological excavation by the Lisheen Archaeological Project established the site to be a two-phase trackway dating from 838–799 cal. BC and c. 600 BC. The trackway extended north-eastwards from margin forest across the bog discharge channel for 69.5m in length, 1.5m in average width and 0.35m in depth, until the eastern terminus was truncated by a bog gully. Archaeological excavation and subsequent ongoing post-excavation analysis of wood samples identified two distinct phases of construction within the life of the track.
The original construction of the track consisted of longitudinal brushwood, mostly from the marginal forest, such as alder, laid one layer deep over a width of 1.5m. This phase was radiocarbon-dated to 838–799 cal. BC (UB-4180). The trackway was then covered over with peat after several years.
Following a well-dated bog-burst event in c. 600 BC in the south-western corner of Derryville Bog, the water-table across the whole bog was lowered by up to 1m. DER69 was re-exposed and repaired using small lengths of oak quarter-splits. This wood was laid along the surface of the trackway. The track remained exposed for a considerable time.
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