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Destruction of 3,000 year old bog roadhttp://irisharchaeology.ie/2015/08/the-destruction-of-a-3000-year-old-bog-roadway-in-co-westmeath/ "While Irish heritage is being celebrated and promoted this week, the destruction of a major archaeological monument, a major timber-built road of European significance at Mayne Bog, Coole, County Westmeath is continuing. Although the National Monuments Service (NMS, the responsibility of Minister Heather Humphreys) has known since 2005 about the existence of the monument, they have failed to act to preserve it. The road or Togher was discovered in 2005 and was reported by a concerned local resident, rather than the landowner or the industrial peat company Westland Horticulture who are extracting compost from the site. The National Monuments Service subsequently instigated the excavation of a few meters of the 657m long roadway, which established that: The monument was a substantial transversely laid plank built roadway. It was no mere trackway, it measured from 4.3m to 6m in width. The recorded length of the road was 675m, but it was seen to extend beyond both recorded limits. A carbon 14 date of 1200-820 BC was obtained from the timbers, making it a remarkable structure of Bronze Age date, 1000 years older than the celebrated Corlea Bog roadway in neighbouring County Longford. The excavators recommended further archaeological work but this was never acted upon. What did happen was that peat extraction work continued unabated. What is worse is that the monument was never even properly listed or given any legal protection ..." (Contd.) |
Posted by tjj27th August 2015ce Edited 27th August 2015ce
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| This is terrible. IS are condemned for wilful destruction of ancient monuments, while no-one does anything to stop this. |
Posted by thesweetcheat28th August 2015ce |
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