County: Offaly Site name: TOBERDALY
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: 02E1200
Author: Ellen OCarroll, ADS Ltd.
Site type: Road - class 2 togher
Period/Dating: Chalcolithic (2500 BC-2201 BC)
ITM: E 651165m, N 733336m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.347777, -7.231558
This excavation revealed two short stretches of togher, designated Tracks A and B, which are part of the larger Toberdaly archaeological complex (see No. 1564, Excavations 2002).
Track A was oriented west-north-west/east-south-east and was uncovered in the eastern side of the cutting. It comprised longitudinally laid roundwood and heavy brushwood elements that were laid side by side. Track A measured 1m in exposed width and 1.4m in exposed length. It was visible in a drain face c. 5m east of this site. It was revealed c. 0.5m below the field surface, and, as the field was an old stockpile, this stretch of Track A was situated at a higher level than elsewhere. It was not possible to investigate the entire length of Track A, given its depth below the bog surface and its orientation into the centre of the field.
Track B was on the western side of this cutting. It was oriented north-north-east/south-south-west and was generally composed of 90% roundwood and 10% heavy brushwood elements. Track B was exposed for a width of 3m in this cutting, but it was traced west for a distance of 1.3m and north-west across the entire width of the peat field (14m). It was at a depth of 0.05–0.4m below the field surface. These two toghers appear to be part of a larger archaeological complex that extends for a distance of c. 110m and is up to 15m wide at its north-western extent. The wood from this cutting has been identified as Betula sp. (birch).
During the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit survey (2001) a 14C sample was taken from the area surrounding 02E1200. It was dated by University College Dublin to 2576–2294 cal. BC. This date is contemporary with the site investigated under licence 02E1202 (No. 1580, Excavations 2002), Site A (occupation site), which was dated to 2562–2200 cal. BC.
Windsor House, 11 Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3
