2002:1270 - DERRYNAGRAN, Longford

This site was identified, during survey work in 1999, as a spread of roundwood and brushwood chips exposed in the drain face. The elements were oriented north–south, along the line of the drain edge. The site was thought, at that time, to be a brushwood togher 0.35–0.4m below the field surface in the eastern drain face. Brushwood elements were also visible in the opposing, western drain edge. There were no other sightings farther east or west that could be linked to this site at the time of survey or during the pre-excavation site visit in May 2002.

A single cutting, 4m by 5m, was recommended for excavation. The site was composed of multiple layers of brushwood and roundwood and appeared to be the remains of a fairly substantial platform structure. The uppermost layer exposed was a small area of brushwood (0.9–1.1m) at the north-western extent of the cutting along the drain edge. It was composed of small, fragmentary, light brushwood that had no apparent orientation or function. A more substantial roundwood and brushwood layer was revealed underneath a layer of peat. Most of the elements were oriented north–south, parallel to the drain edge. The structure itself was trapezoidal, tapering from 4.7m at the drain edge to 2.5m at the eastern extent of the cutting. The roundwoods were 50–220mm in diameter and 0.2–4.41m long. The larger roundwoods were concentrated at the western extent of the cutting, where the site was widest, while the eastern extent contained lighter roundwood and brushwood elements. Two split planks were also recorded in this layer. Two east–west-running roundwoods were visible underneath the upper roundwood and brushwood elements.

Many of the roundwoods had toolmarked ends. The toolmarks were mainly chisel points, with some wedge points also recorded. Each toolmarked element had multiple facets, with cutting angles ranging from 20º to 70º, most being flat.

When the upper roundwoods were sampled, the lower roundwoods were revealed to be covered by a layer of fragmentary brushwood. Underlying this were two east–west-oriented roundwoods, which overlay more north–south-oriented brushwood elements. The roundwoods were 0.8m and 3.1m long and 0.09m and 0.1m in diameter, and both had toolmarked ends. Both toolmarks were multiple-faceted chisel points. The facets were all flat and had cutting angles ranging from 5º to 70°, with no evidence of signature marks. The brushwood was very fragmentary, averaging 1.1m in maximum length and ranging from 10mm to 33mm in diameter; it was laid two or three deep in places.

Three test-trenches were also excavated to the west and east of this site and revealed a surviving length of 20m for the site. The site may have extended farther, but the production fields to the east and west were considerably lower.

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