County: Kilkenny Site name: WHITESCASTLE LOWER
Sites and Monuments Record No.: SMR 31:17 Licence number: 05E0890
Author: Patrick J. H. Neary, 24 Talbot’s Inch Village, Freshford Road, Kilkenny.
Site type: Medieval
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 653072m, N 637734m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.488437, -7.218542
Monitoring was carried out from 25 to 27 July 2005 in the townland of Whitescastle, in Knocktopher, Co. Kilkenny. The mechanical excavation of a boundary wall trench along the eastern and northern edges of this phase (1) was also monitored.
The topsoil monitoring yielded a small number of medieval pottery sherds and a possible plough pebble and chert tool but no archaeological features or deposits. The pottery was well worn, indicating that it had been in the ploughsoil for a significant period of time. The present evidence suggests that the site may have been agricultural land associated with the medieval manor of Knocktopher since the 13th century.
A significant amount of modern farming and household debris was scattered across the site, indicating intensive modern use of the land and the practice of spreading organic and other household waste on the fields. At least two field boundaries have been removed for modern agricultural purposes. Ploughing was very intensive on this site, as evidenced by the numerous plough furrows. Any possible archaeological features could have been ploughed out as a result of this activity.
