County: Roscommon Site name: CLS181, Cloonmore, Cloonshannagh Bog
Sites and Monuments Record No.: n/a Licence number: 14E0276
Author: Tim Coughlan
Site type: Platform possible
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 602910m, N 780631m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 53.775257, -7.955853
Cloonshannagh Bog is located 3km north-west of Termonbarry and 2.5km west of Lough Forbes. The bog is part of the Bord na Móna Mountdillon Group and has a total area of 331 hectares. A survey by ADS in 2008 under licence 08E0645 identified a total of 88 sites. Upon re-assessment by ADS in 2013 under licence 13E0221 89 sites were recorded. Of the 89 sightings, 60 were platform sightings, 18 sightings were of archaeological wood and 11 were trackway sightings, all of varying lengths and widths. Of these 35 sites were listed for excavation as part of the current contract.
The location of site CLS181 was established using a survey-grade Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinated to the previously recorded survey control points for the site. Any loose peat on the field surface was cleared to expose the bog surface over the proposed excavation area. No remains of archaeological wood were identified in the area. The general area of the site was located between two gravel ridges and there is a high quantity of tree roots evident in the area. It is possible that the possible site identified at survey was part of this natural wood horizon although any elements identified during the survey were no longer in situ.
A fragment of Ash, 45 yrs, was chosen for AMS dating from samples taken from the 2013 ADS survey which returned a result of 1082–846 BC.
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