2014:271 - Rathdrum, Daingean South Bog, Offaly

Daingean South Bog was surveyed by the Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit (IAWU) during the 2001 Archaeological Survey of Ireland Peatland Survey. In 2004 seven sites were excavated by Sinclair Turrell as part of the Bord na Móna Mitigation Project. A Re-Assessment survey was carried out on behalf of Bord na Móna in 2013 by the author under licence 13E0230 and subsequently twelve sites were excavated in August 2014 by IAC Ltd during the 2014-2017 BnM Mitigation Project.
A single 2m x 3m cutting was excavated at OF-DAS21c. The overlying peat was very fibrous, poorly humified sphagnum peat with frequent herbeacous roots, twiggy detritus and occasional calluna inclusions. The excavated site had been partially exposed on the field surface and was composed of a haphazard arrangement of roundwood and brushwood elements. At this location the site was 0.95–2m in width and 0.2m in depth. The elements ranged in diameter from 0.01–0.05m in diameter and 0.01–1.1m in length. The elements at the south-eastern extent of the cutting were broadly parallel with some transverse elements diving below the surface while those at the north-western extent were irregular in shape and positioning. A plank fragment measuring 0.1m in width, 0.06m in depth and 0.6m in length was retrieved under the roundwoods at the north-western extent. Two toolmarked elements were noted, a chisel point and wedge point both of which had flat facets. The peat around the elements was moderately well-humified sphagnum peat with frequent fine strands of herbaceous material and moderate calluna inclusions. The underlying peat was poorly humified mossy sphagnum peat with occasional calluna inclusions. A date of AD 1441–1619 was returned from a piece of birch brushwood.

IAC Ltd, Unit G1, Network Enterprise Park, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow