County: Longford Site name: DERRYCOLUMB 5 BOG, Derrindiff
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 01E0592
Author: Jane Whitaker, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Platform - peatland
Period/Dating: Undetermined
ITM: E 608349m, N 760171m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.591339, -7.873887
This site was excavated as part of the 2001 Bord na Móna Archaeological Mitigation Project. It was partially exposed on the field surface. The peat overlying the site was Sphagnum- and Eriophorum-rich and was well decomposed. There were some inclusions of ericaceous heather roots and sedges.
Excavation revealed the site to be a substantial platform-type structure measuring 2.5m by 2.5m. It was constructed of densely laid, mainly longitudinal, brushwood rods. The rods were three to four deep in places, and a number of the upper elements were forked in shape. There were few pegs, all of which were located along the western edge of the site, which appears to be the only true remaining edge. There were occasional transverse rods overlying the longitudinals, as well as two transverses which appear to have been displaced in the south-western end of the cutting. The elements ranged in diameter from 0.02m to 0.04m and most were over 1m in length except for the pegs, which were a maximum of 0.02m in diameter and were shorter.
The cutting was extended along its south-eastern side to investigate its relationship with the Bronze Age plank trackway, 01E0585 (No. 818, Excavations 2001). This slot-trench contained a small number of brushwood rods but the plank trackway was a further 0.4m below this platform structure.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3
