Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0712 Knigh, Tipperary

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database TN014-033002 (None)

NMR:  TN 014 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  585772  Y:  685357  (IRENET95)

Summary

Multiple enclosure following natural contours, surrounding S summit of isolated steep dome-shaped hill surrounded by low-lying terrain. Hillfort overlooks Lough Eorna to E and Dromineer Bay is visible to W. Geophysical survey (O'Driscoll 2012) has identified that Knigh hillfort is probably bivallate. It has a total site foot print of 5.4ha. There are no recorded entrance features in either enclosing element. A cairn and conjoined mound are positioned at the centre of the hillfort. Geophysical survey has identified a number of small pit features distributed throughout the interior and two possible structures. The enclosing elements are levelled are and are only visible in aerial photography. The site was first identified by Manning (1983) and O'Driscoll surveyed the monument in 2012.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Confirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Confirmed

Location

X:  -914107  Y:  6968003  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -8.21156600597058  Latitude:  52.91885633512018  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Tipperary

Historic County:  Tipperary

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Knigh

Monument Condition

Visible in aerial photography. Confirmed by geophysics (O'Driscoll 2012)

Condition:
Extant   ✗
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✓

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland   ✗
Commercial Forestry Plantation   ✗
Parkland   ✗
Pasture (Grazing)   ✓
Arable   ✗
Scrub/Bracken   ✗
Bare Outcrop   ✗
Heather/Moorland   ✗
Heath   ✗
Built-up   ✗
Coastal Grassland   ✗
Other   ✗

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Multiple enclosure following natural contours, surrounding S summit of isolated steep dome-shaped hill surrounded by low-lying terrain. Panoramic views from the summit.

Type:
Contour Fort   ✓
Partial Contour Fort   ✗
Promontory Fort   ✗
Hillslope Fort   ✗
Level Terrain Fort   ✗
Marsh Fort   ✗
Multiple Enclosure Fort   ✓

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop   ✓
Coastal Promontory   ✗
Inland Promontory   ✗
Valley Bottom   ✗
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   ✗
Ridge   ✗
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   ✗
Hillslope   ✗
Lowland   ✗
Spur   ✗

Dominant Topographic Feature:  Isolated steep dome-shaped hill with surrounding low-lying terrain.

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✗
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✓

Altitude:  125.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

No dating evidence.

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC   ✗
1200BC - 800BC   ✗
800BC - 400BC   ✗
400BC - AD50   ✗
AD50 - AD400   ✗
AD400 - AD 800   ✗
Post AD800   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   Cairn and conjoined mount.
Post Hillfort:   None

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

First identified by Manning in 1983. Geophysical survey of hillfort by O'Driscoll in 2012.

Investigations:
1st Identified Written Reference (1983):   Manning (1985, 48)
Geophysical Survey (2012):   O'Driscoll

Interior Features

Circular cairn positioned at highest point within interior measuring 20m diameter and 2.5m in maximum height. A low circular mound 20m in diameter abuts the cairn to the S. Two possible structures identified within the interior by geophysics (O'Driscoll 2012) and a number of small pit features dispersed through the hillfort interior.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

None

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features   ✓
Round Stone Structures   ✗
Rectangular Stone Structures   ✗
Curvilinear Platforms   ✗
Other Roundhouse Evidence   ✗
Pits   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✗
Pits   ✓
Roundhouses   ✓
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

NO APPARENT FEATURES

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✗
None   ✓
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

No obvious entrance features recorded.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   None

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

Enclosing elements levelled and visible on aerial photography. Formerly best preserved at the N and defined by field boundary on S and W (Manning 1985, 48). It comprises a bank and external ditch. This was confirmed by geophysical survey (O'Driscoll 2012). Both first and second edition Ordnance Survey mapping suggest that the inner defences were partially incorporated into a field system at its SW, which is still present today. A possible second enclosing element was identified at the N, approximately 54m from the inner enclosing element (O'Driscoll 2012).

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   2.99ha.
Area 2:   5.4ha.
Total:   5.4ha.

Total Footprint Area:  5.4ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✓   Modern track overlying possible outer enclosing elements at SE and NE.

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   1
SE Quadrant:   1
SW Quadrant:   2
NW Quadrant:   2
Total:   2

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✓
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✓
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗
Unknown   ✗

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✓
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None   ✓
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Rubble   ✗
Wall-walk   ✗
Evidence of Timber   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None   ✗
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Murus Duplex   ✗
Timber-framed   ✗
Timber-laced   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
No Known Excavation   ✓
Other   ✗

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   External ditch.

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None.

References

Farrelly, J. and O'Brien, C. 2002. Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Volume 1: North Tipperary. Department of the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Manning, C. 1983. Prehistoric sites in the neighborhood of Ardcroney. Eile 2, 43 - 45.

O'Driscoll, J. 2012 Unpublished geophysical survey report: Knigh, Co. Tipperary. UCC Cork, Dept of Archaeology.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


Document Version 1.1