2001:823 - DERRYCOLUMB 5 BOG, Derrindiff and Derrylough, Longford

This site was excavated as part of the 2001 Bord na Móna Archaeological Mitigation Project. Four cuttings were recommended for excavation along this site (99DBSE0033A–F), each measuring 2m by 2m. This site runs almost parallel to the south-eastern edge of the Bronze Age plank trackway (No. 818, Excavations 2001, 01E0585) between sightings 99DBSE0007J and 99DBSE0007P. It was composed of closely arranged longitudinal roundwoods and light and heavy brushwoods along with twigs. Cutting 1 was placed at the east-north-east edge of the site 15m beyond sighting 99DBSE33F, recorded in 1999, where it was thought that there was an additional previously undiscovered sighting of the togher. Cuttings 2, 3 and 4 were placed at sightings 99DBSE0033E, 33C and 33A respectively.

Cutting 1 investigated an area of roundwood and brushwood discovered in the 2001 season exposed on the field surface and presumed to be a continuation of the togher 99DBSE0033A–F. There was only up to 70mm of peat remaining over the site. This peat was well humified and Sphagnum-rich with moderate inclusions of Eriophorum, and in some places was very dark in colour. This site was composed of transversely laid roundwood and brushwood rods. The elements were closely placed and were oriented east-north-east/west-south-west. Several slot-trenches were placed around the cutting to investigate potential links with 99DBSE0033. It would appear, however that this was a separate site, most likely an elongated platform structure with an orientation of north-north-west/south-south-east.

Cutting 2 was placed in the centre of the production field where the largest amount of in situ material appeared to be located. There was little peat cover remaining over this part of the site. The peat was moderately decomposed, fibrous in texture and Sphagnum-rich, with frequent small clumps of Eriophorum as well as some ericaceous heather root inclusions. The excavated cutting was disappointing in that there was very little wood remaining. All of the elements had been broken, many into several pieces. The site was 2.8m wide at this sighting and, although fragmentary, it was still possible to see that it had been constructed of longitudinal roundwoods and brushwoods which ranged in diameter from 0.13m to 0.85m. The site was oriented east-north-east/west-south-west at this location.

As with the previous cutting, Cutting 3 also had very little peat covering the site. The peat was dried-out Sphagnum peat that was moderately well humified with small patches of Eriophorum that concentrated in the southern half of the cutting. The site was very fragmentary and all of the elements were very badly damaged but had the same orientation, composition and size range as those in the previous cutting.

Cutting 4 was the most difficult sighting to relocate as it was slightly off-line and was located on a stockpile field. There was a little more peat cover on this cutting compared to the previous three. The cutting measured 4m by 1m. The peat was Sphagnum-rich with small patches of Eriophorum, some grass-like fibrous material and ericaceous heather roots. The site composition was consistent with that which was excavated in Cuttings 2 and 3. This was the last sighting at the eastern side of the bog. The adjoining field surfaces and drain edges were examined carefully and several slot-trenches were excavated but no further sightings along this site were revealed.

Although this site was badly damaged, its composition and orientation were still evident. It is most likely that it corresponds to that recorded by the IAWU in 1991 as LD-DYH0011 (Maloney et al. 1993). It was traced at that time for a distance of 110m and was recorded as being 1.4m in width. When the reassessment survey was carried out eight years later, the upper portion of this site was exposed on the field surface and it was easily visible across six fields as a band of wood chips. Two further seasons of intensive milling had further damaged the site but it was not completely destroyed.

Reference
Maloney, A. et al. 1993 Survey of the raised bogs of Co. Longford. Transactions of the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit 1. Dublin.

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