County: Tipperary Site name: 13LIS-046 Killoran, Moyne
Sites and Monuments Record No.: various Licence number: 13E0335
Author: Tim Coughlan
Site type: Togher Class 2, platform
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 622043m, N 666989m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.753510, -7.673470
Following an assessment of the proposed impact of an extension to the Tailings Management Facility (TMF) in Lisheen Mine, 16 archaeological sightings were recorded in June 2013 (see 13E059). A programme of excavation was carried out between July and September 2013 which resulted in the excavation of these 16 sites and a further 28 sites which were identified during the course of excavation.
This site consisted of five structural elements: c.462 is a north-east/south-west orientated track consisting of brushwoods and roundwoods, c.463 is an east-west orientated track consisting of brushwoods and roundwoods, c.464 is a north-south orientated platform consisting of brushwood, some roundwood and timber, c.465 is an east-west orientated plank track and c.467 consists of three east-west orientated roundwoods. There were also stakes positioned along the site but these stakes could also belong to Sites 43 or 49 which lay above site 46 to the south. Site 44 lay above Site 46 to the north.
The site measured 11.2m in length, 4.3m in width and was 0.25m in depth.
C.462 consisted of a north-east/south-west orientated trackway of mainly ash brushwood and roundwood elements, measuring c. 4.5m in length, up to 1.5m in width and up to 0.15m in depth. The elements ranged from 0.2-2.7m in length and from 20-150mm in diameter. C.462 was the uppermost/latest structure of Site 46 but it might instead represent deeper surviving elements of upper Site 44.
C.463 consisted of an east-west orientated trackway of mainly willow brushwood and roundwood elements, measuring c. 7.2m in length, up to 1.6m in width and up to 0.25m in depth. This layer was very poorly preserved with ends mostly decayed or fractured. The brushwood elements measured up to 1.2m in length and up to 60mm in width.
C.464 consisted of a platform constructed of mainly ash, hazel and alder brushwood, roundwood and timber elements, measuring c. 4m in length, c. 3m in width and up to 0.3m in depth. The brushwood elements measured up to 1.2m in length, whilst the roundwood elements ranged from 0.7-3m in length and up to 0.18m in diameter. An ash brushwood with 15 outer rings came back with a 1 sigma cal date of 738-413 BC (2 sigma cal 756-407 BC)
C.465 consisted of a trackway constructed of roundwood, brushwood, and plank fragments orientated south-east/north-west, and measuring c. 10m in length, from 0.5-2.4m in width and up to 0.1m in depth. Nine oak planks ranging in length from 0.5-2.6m were recorded and identified as radially spilt with evidence of tool marks including a curved axe mark . The majority of the planks had mortices present on both ends. Dendro dating was used to get an estimated felling date of 1017BC+/- 9 years or later.
C.467 consisted of three east-west orientated hazel and alder roundwood elements found at the lowest level of the site. There was no clear structure to the elements, and no evidence of worked ends or toolmarks and they were in a moderate condition.
Preliminary dates from samples taken from a Class 2 Togher returned a date of 756-407 BC (UBA 25568).
This site was fully resolved and no further archaeological mitigation is required.
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